Qualifications:

• A valid certificate to practice as a school psychologist in the State of Pennsylvania.
• Minimum of an earned Master’s Degree

Essential Responsibilities:

• To provide psychological services to assist in enabling students to derive the fullest possible educational experiences from school.
• Identify exceptional children.
• Provide supportive help to exceptional children, their parents/guardian, teachers, and other school personnel.
• Provide consultation to community agencies working with the children.
• Provide insight for administration and staff concerning effectiveness of programming as it relates to students.

Responsibilities:

• Work with school personnel and administration in preparing and reviewing referrals for psychological services.
• Observation of the referred child in the school and/or home setting.
• Confer with parents/guardians prior to testing or clarify any programs that could affect the child’s performance in the testing situation.
• Conduct a psychological evaluation and re-evaluation of the child in determining intellectual functioning, achievement, and social and emotional adjustment for the preschool and school-aged children who are thought to be exceptional.
• Give an oral report to the teacher of the child, school personnel and administration. If the child is found not to be exceptional, review the nature of the problem and suggest the possible strategies to be used in the regular classroom in teaching the child. If the child is known to be exceptional, but may continue in a regular education classroom, provide suggestions to the regular class teacher that may be helpful in working with the child.
• Prepare a written report of the psychological evaluation. The report may include appropriate recommendations for outside evaluation in medical, neurological and/or psychiatric context.
• Confer with the parents/guardians of the child to review the results of the psychological evaluation and to provide the parents/guardians an opportunity for further input into the evaluation.
• Confer with the designated teachers and specialists to provide input into the development of the IEP, for the child who has been found to be exceptional.
• Prior to the placement of a child in a special education program, discuss the child’s learning style and strengths or weaknesses with the special education teacher who is going to receive the child and when requested, attend IEP conferences for children being placed in special education programs.
• Monitor the educational and behavioral adjustment of a child placed in a special education program until a successful adjustment is made. Confer with the parents/guardians to review the child’s adjustment to the special education class. Provide support to the special education teacher in helping the “new” pupil adjust to the class and the program.
• At the request of the Program Director, provide consultation to the teachers regarding specific problems they are having with children in their classes.
• Respond to mental health crisis situations involving children in the regular classes as needed; usually requested by guidance counselors, nurse or building administrators.
• Participate as a member of a team (psychologist, supervisor, teacher) that does an annual, individual educational review of the children in special education programs.
• Provide psychological evaluations for all children entering private schools if requested. Participate as a member of the team, which reviews the educational program of the children, involved in private schools and do a psychological re-evaluation.
• Use psychiatric and mental health team consultation to help in the diagnosis of children who are thought to be socially/emotionally disturbed or who have medical or neurological problems that may be affecting their learning or school adjustment; also, to get suggestions for procedures that could be followed in ameliorating their problems.
• Work with the school social worker, teacher and mental health professional in helping identify procedures to work with socially/emotionally disturbed children and their parents/guardians.
• Conduct special testing sessions, collect data and respond to surveys at the request of the Program Director and/or the Executive Director of the Intermediate Unit, participate in approved research projects of independent or educational agencies or those generated from within the professional staff.
• Where needed, provide extended counseling with parents of exceptional children.

The public schools of Schuylkill County and the Schuylkill IU 29 do not discriminate against any persons in employment, educational programs or activities based on race, color, sex, creed, religion, age, disability, national origin, marital status or because a person is a disabled veteran or a veteran of the Vietnam era. This policy extends to all other legally protected classifications and is published in accordance with state and federal laws including Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Job Type: Full-time

Schedule:

• Day shift

Work Location: In person