School Psychologist - Trottier Middle School (25-26 SY)

Department:

Student Support Services

Job Title

School Psychologist

FLSA Status:

(Exempt/Non-exempt)

Exempt Unit A

Reports to:

Principal or Student Support Services Administration

GENERAL DESCRIPTION (1-3 LINES DESCRIBING ROLE):

School psychologists provide a full range of school psychological services to children ages 3-22, including screening and assessment, and individual and group counseling with students and consultation with school staff, parents, and outside agencies as appropriate. School psychologists function as members of each school’s multi-disciplinary team to determine a student’s eligibility for special services and appropriate programming. The school psychologist plays an essential role in the special education evaluation process and may serve as a Team Chair in initial and 3-year re-evaluation meetings. Psychologists implement all necessary procedures to meet compliance standards as outlined by the federal and state regulations as well as policies and procedures of the Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough.

QUALIFICATIONS:

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Experience: Completion of clinical and/or school training as an intern in the area of psychology and/or school psychology

Education: Appropriate degree and licensure as a school psychologist under Massachusetts DESE regulations and requirements.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• 2-3 years experience providing school psychological services within a school setting
• Knowledgeable about child/adolescent development and its impacts on education
• Familiar with online special education data management software

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES (NOT LIMITED TO):

• Practices in ways that meet all appropriate ethical, professional, and legal standards. 
• Understands and applies federal, state, and local policies and regulations in the delivery of school psychological services. 
• Demonstrates sensitivity and skills needed to work with families, students, and staff from diverse cultures and backgrounds. 
• Conducts student assessments using a variety of instruments and techniques including but not limited to: cognitive abilities, executive functioning skills, social/emotional skills, transition skills, academic skills, etc. 
• Interprets and summarizes testing results from internal and external evaluations.
• Effectively collaborates with all members of the IEP Team in the determination of initial and continued eligibility for special education, IEP development, progress monitoring/data collection, and effective caseload management.
• Follows school district procedures in assessment of students for suicide, threat, or safety risk to include outside referrals (e.g., community providers such as 911, PES, outside service providers).
• Participates in planning and/or implementation of school or system-level crisis response.
• Works collaboratively with administration relative to following procedures such as filing a 51A with DCF regarding child abuse or neglect. 
• Consult with teachers, staff, and families about strategies and programming to facilitate the social/emotional learning needs of students. 
• Demonstrates knowledge of school and classroom climates and uses such knowledge to assist in developing school improvement plans and classroom interventions.
• Collaborates with building administration and staff, provides direct services to individuals or groups of students (e.g., counseling, crisis interventions, mentoring, and individual safety plans, when appropriate). 
• Maintains appropriate data on students to document current levels of performance and other pertinent information. Evaluates when appropriate to determine the extent of progress and efficacy of therapy.
• Collaborates with the behavior specialist in designing and implementing behavioral prevention and intervention programs.
• Demonstrates expertise in collecting, managing, and interpreting various types of individual and group data. 
• Strong collaboration skills. 
• Strong organization skills.
• Excellent written and communication skills.
• Familiar with special education regulations and the TEAM process.
• Assists with other responsibilities as assigned by the Principal and/or Student Support Services Administration.
• Consistent and on-time attendance is required for supervision and instruction of the students.
• Other responsibilities as needed.

WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Work Environment:  The work environment is in a classroom and school setting interacting with students.

Physical Requirements: Ability to physically respond(bend, stoop, crouch, and/or kneel) to students who are physically unsafe (e.g. elopement, aggression) and use physical restraints as part of a de-escalation process (verbal de-escalation is preferred).  Ability to physically maintain a safe learning environment, including moving furniture in response to a crisis situation. 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.