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Elementary School Psychologist

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Position description

School psychologists are uniquely qualified members of our school team that support students' ability to learn and teachers' ability to teach. They apply expertise in mental health, learning, and behavior, to help children and youth succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally. School psychologists partner with families, teachers, school administrators, and other professionals to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments that strengthen connections between home, school, and the community.

 School psychologists provide direct support and interventions to students, consult with teachers, families, and other school-employed professionals to improve support strategies, work with school administrators to improve school-wide practices and policies, and collaborate with community providers to coordinate needed services. They help successfully:

Improve Academic Achievement
• Promote student motivation and engagement
• Conduct psychological and academic assessments
• Individualize instruction and interventions
• Manage student and classroom behavior
• Monitor student progress
• Collect and interpret student and classroom data
• Reduce inappropriate referrals to special education.

Promote Positive Behavior and Mental Health
• Improve student communication and social skills
• Assess student emotional and behavioral needs
• Provide individual and group counseling
• Promote problem solving, anger management and conflict resolution
• Reinforce positive coping skills and resilience
• Promote positive peer relationships and social problem solving
• Make referrals to and help coordinate community services provided in schools

Support Diverse Learners
• Assess diverse learning needs
• Provide culturally responsive services to students and families from diverse backgrounds
• Plan appropriate Individualized Education Programs for students with disabilities
• Modify and adapt curricula and instruction
• Adjust classroom facilities and routines to improve student engagement and learning
• Monitor and effectively communicate with parents about student progress

Create Safe, Positive School Climates

• Support social-emotional learning
• Assess school climate and improve school connectedness
• Implement and promote positive discipline and restorative justice
• Implement school-wide positive behavioral supports
• Identify at risk students and school vulnerabilities
• Provide crisis prevention and intervention services

Strengthen Family-School Partnerships
• Help families understand their child's learning and mental health needs
• Assist in navigating special education processes
• Connect families with community service providers when necessary
• Help effectively engage families with teachers and other school staff
• Enhance staff understanding and responsiveness to diverse cultures and backgrounds
• Help students transition between school and community learning environments, such as residential treatment or juvenile justice programs

Improve School-Wide Assessment and Accountability Monitor individual student progress in academics and behavior
• Generate and interpret useful student and school outcome data
• Collect and analyze data on risk and protective factors related to student outcomes
• Plan services at the school, classroom, and individual levels

• independently conduct assessments and provide evidence based treatment to elementary age individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and other Developmental Disabilities (DD)

• Demonstrate advanced skill in provision of evidence based treatment(s) for individuals with ASD and/or Learning Disabilities

• Teach and supervise others in the administration of research and clinical measures and in the provision of interventions

INSTITUTIONAL AND/OR PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
• Comply with HIPAA and Confidentiality Policies and Procedures as they apply to the job
• Comply with University and school agencies standards

Essential Functions

  1. Conducts psychological assessments and develops case studies of individual students to determine educational needs, learning characteristics, and social behavior relevant to response to intervention and instructional planning; files such case studies in compliance with established policies and procedures.
  2. Interprets the findings of individual studies to administrators, teachers, parents, students, and others directly concerned with the welfare of students.
  3. Evaluates the results of tests in relation to the cultural, environmental, and language backgrounds of students.
  4. Facilitates training on interventions for use in the Response to Instruction and Intervention (RtI2) approach to education, targeted literacy, student progress monitoring, and data analysis.
  5. When assigned to a School Psychologist-Bilingual position, communicates with students and parents in a specified language when such language utilization is appropriate.
    1. Participates in the process required by federal, state, and local regulation for the identification, placement, and review/re-evaluation of students with special needs; participates in and may act as chairperson for such groups as the Learn.Engage.Achieve.Potential (LEAP) Team
  6. Assists in developing a written implementation plan for students who are eligible for intervention services; assists in developing recommendations regarding services.
  7. Assists in developing behavioral objectives for individual students and special class groups; suggests implementation strategies as appropriate; confers with teachers and parents regarding strategies for the solution or amelioration of individual learning or adjustment problems of students.
  8. Counsels students individually and in groups to assist them in educational achievement and personal or social adjustment.
  9. Assists with the organization of, and serves as a leader in, staff development activities in the field of psychological services.
  10. Serves as a resource person to school personnel in the effective use of University and school educational support services.
  11. Serves as liaison to other organizational units of the University, community agencies, and private professional persons on matters related to student services and accommodations.
  12. Provides psychological counseling to students, staff, and parents in crisis situations and serves as a member of the school crisis team.
  13. Participates in research and public scholarship.

Qualifications Education Required:

MA in School psych, Ed. Psych, Counseling Psychology, Clinical Psychology or related field

3 plus years experience in a K-12 school

Credentials Required One of the following California credentials or combination of credentials authorizing K-12 service:

  1. General Pupil Personnel Services Credential authorizing service as a school psychologist/counselor
  2. Service Credential with a specialization in pupil personnel services designating service as a school psychologist/counselor
  3. School Psychologist Credential/license

Desirable: A valid California credential authorizing service as a teacher.

Desirable: Bilingual-Spanish and English

Experience Desirable

  1. Successful experience as a school psychologist, school counselor, or teacher in an elementary school setting.
  2. Successful full-time school service in a certificated position(s) in programs and/or services involving exceptional students.
  3. Minimum of one year as a licensed school psychologist/counselor

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Personal Characteristics

  1. Knowledge of the growth and development of children and adolescents, learning theory, and mental health concepts.
  2. Sensitivity to, and understanding of, the unique differences and needs of disabled students and their parents.
  3. Knowledge of uses and limitations of standardized individual and group tests, and semi-projective devices.
  4. Demonstrate facility with a variety of computer applications including but not limited to Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and scoring programs for assessment measures used in the ADDPC/ADDC.
  5. Prior experience in training and supervising trainees, including in training graduate students at the extern level, in the administration of assessment instruments and evidence based treatments
  6. Ability to assume leadership in teacher/staff development activities.
  7. Understanding of the relationship between the total education program as well as counseling and psychological services.
  8. Prior experience in developing training protocols and procedures.
  9. Prior experience managing and training staff, including paraprofessional support members.
  10. Preference given to prior experience developing intervention programs for child and adolescents and in managing the behavior of individuals with ASD/DD and ADHD at all levels of functioning. Extensive experience working with children and adolescents with ASD/DD and their families.
  11. Extensive training in a variety of psychological assessment measures.
  12. Extensive knowledge of evidence-based interventions for individuals with ASD/DD.
  13. Willingness to pursue continuing education relevant to psychological assessment and ASD/DD.
  14. Extensive experience conducting behavioral analyses and implementing behavior intervention techniques.
  15. Knowledge of community resources available for the ASD, Intellectually Disabled (ID), and other DD populations.
  16. Experience and demonstrated competence in working with multi-cultural populations.
  17. Experience and demonstrated competence in establishing and maintaining a professional and friendly rapport with patients and their families.
  18. Demonstrate organizational skills and time management skills.
  19. Demonstrate ability to take initiative and work independently.
  20. Demonstrate ability to attend to clinically pertinent details, appropriately prioritize, and complete tasks on time.
  21. Demonstrate success in performing and completing multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment while maintaining the flexibility and willingness to successfully shift tasks priorities, as needed.
  22. Demonstrate ability to manage stress effectively.
  23. Demonstrated ability to protect patient confidentiality, comply with all HIPAA, JCAHO, CMS and regulatory policies, procedures, requirements.
  24. Must be available to work Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4 pm, with flexible start and end times.
  25. Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to write and edit written reports. (Required)
  26. Appropriate appearance and cleanliness.
  27. Appropriate manner including poise, tact, good judgment, and ability to work effectively with administration, teachers, staff, community representatives, and students.

Health Physical and mental fitness to engage in school psychological service as certified by a licensed physician and surgeon or medical officer pursuant to Education Code Section 44839 and evidence of freedom from active tuberculosis pursuant to Education Code Section 49406.

Special Requirements A valid California Driver License and the use of an automobile.

Application Requirements

Document requirements
  • Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.

  • Cover Letter

  • Statement of Research (Optional)

  • Statement of Teaching (Optional)

  • Statement of Contributions to Diversity - Statement addressing past and/or potential contributions to diversity through research, teaching, and/or service.
    (Optional)

  • Misc / Additional (Optional)

Reference requirements
  • 3-5 letters of reference required

Job location

Los Angeles, CA