School Psychologist

SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST

Under general direction, a School Psychologist shall be directly responsible to the Coordinator of Psychological Services for the Washoe County School District. School psychologists will administer psycho-educational services to promote student success, and will act as a resource to students, site administrators, school personnel, parents, and Student Services. Incumbent performs related work as required.

• Consultation: collaborate with teachers, parents, and administrators to find effective solutions to learning and behavior problems; help others understand child development and how it affects learning and behavior; strengthen working relationships between educators, parents, and community services; facilitate the collaboration between regular education and special education; and provide support to school staff on procedures and professional topics.
• Prevention: design programs for children at risk of failing in the educational environment; promote tolerance, understanding and appreciation of diversity in the school community; participate in developing programs to make schools safer and more effective learning environments; and develop partnerships with parents and educators to promote healthy school environments.
• Intervention: participate in problem solving teams to develop academic and behavioral strategies to ensure student progress, including home‑school collaboration and adjustments to the instructional environment; provide psychological counseling to help resolve interpersonal or family problems that interfere with school performance; work directly with students, families, and educators to help resolve problems in adjustment and learning; provide training and social skills in anger management;
  
  and help families and schools deal with crises, such as death, illness, or community trauma.
• Evaluation: support educators and parents in data collection for identifying and verifying problems that require intervention; support educators and parents in collecting data to monitor student progress and the effectiveness of interventions and educational programs; and use a wide variety of techniques at an individual, group, and systems level to evaluate academic skills, learning aptitudes, personality/emotional development, social skills, eligibility for special services, and learning environments and school climates.
• Research, Planning, and Training: evaluate the effectiveness of academic and behavioral management programs; identify and implement programs and strategies to improve schools; use evidence‑based research to develop and/or recommend effective interventions; and train educators, students, and parents on topics including: data collection for problem solving purposes, instructional and behavior management strategies, substance abuse, crisis management, and working with students who have disabilities or unique talents.

Education/Experience

• Education:
  
  Master’s or Ed.S. in a field that meets Nevada state requirements for obtaining a Nevada School Psychologist certificate. An Ed.D. or Ph.D. is desirable.
• Experience:
  
  A minimum of 2 (two) years working with elementary or secondary students is desirable.
• Fluency in speaking, reading and writing Spanish is preferred. A stipend is available for school psychologists using Spanish in daily activities at work.

Knowledge of

Staying in compliance with current best practices based on professional literature, resources and/or professional organizations; current professional standards and ethics; current legal requirements and regulations dealing with the Americans with Disabilities Act and special education law; implement federal, state, and district guidelines, policies and procedures relating to providing psycho‑educational services; must have knowledge of child development and psychopathology in order to develop and implement prevention and intervention programs for students with a wide range of needs and disorders;

must have knowledge of family influences that affect students' wellness, learning, achievement, and be able to form partnerships between parents, educators, and the community; and…