Director, School Psychology Services
- 📁
- Central Administration
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- Sep 20, 2024 Post Date
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- 167 Total Views
Title: Director, School Psychology Services
Department: Specialized Services
Reports To: Administrative Superior
Salary: $86,025-$111,454
Job Summary
Oversees and monitors the delivery of a seamless system of comprehensive services which support the educational process. Within assigned learning networks, coordinates the activities of staff engaged in assessing and addressing the needs of schools, students and families in the area of psychological and counseling services. Serves as a technical expert to staff, and provides professional development activities. Establishes and maintains partnerships and linkages with external public and private organizations, and governmental agencies and serves as the liaison to both internal and external parties on a variety of issues.
Essential Functions
· Oversees, coordinates and monitors the activities and programs of subordinate staff around the issues of psychological and counseling services within the assigned learning networks; monitors the implementation of new and existing programs and initiatives designed to address the needs of schools and students.
· Establishes office procedures.
· Meets with staff individually and as a group to provide supervision.
· Recruits and selects appropriate staff as needed.
· Reviews psychological reports for accuracy; adheres to state and federal requirements.
· Confers with staff concerning their professional roles and responsibilities as needed.
· Serves as a liaison between special education and psychological services for policy setting as regards assessment and shared professional responsibilities.
· Stays abreast of state and federal guideline requirements for assessment and appropriate provision of psychological services.
· Serves as a resource person to the psychological staff in difficult cases for assessment, consultation and referral assistance.
· Stays abreast of current developments in School Psychology (assessment, screening, consultation, Response to Intervention (RtI/Pyramid of Interventions
(POI), research) and encourages implementation of new procedures as appropriate.
· Requires adherence to the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Code of Ethics and encourages participation in state and national professional organizations.
· Provides clinical supervision to staff members as needed.
· Provides written guidelines such as manuals (RtI, Crisis Intervention) to assist schools and departments in following prescribed policies and procedures.
· Visits RtI/Student Support Team (SST) meetings and Special Education Eligibility meetings with staff members to monitor their work and the procedures being followed in the schools.
· Receives and responds to requests for services form parents, agencies and professionals in the community.
· Plans staff development activities for the psychological staff and others.
· Establishes procedural guidelines for referral to psychological services; distributes these to the schools and monitors to see that correct procedures are followed.
· Visits all schools at least once each year to maintain good public relations and to monitor the adequacy of the work of psychological staff.
· Responds promptly to telephone requests for consultations.
· Arranges for emergency evaluations and consultations.
· Provides crisis counseling to parents, teachers and others experiencing stressful situations.
· Provides cases consultation to other professionals in the school system (teachers, counselors, visiting teachers, administrators).
· Participates in committees and activities which contribute to system-wide planning and progress in the School District of Philadelphia.
· Maintains close collaborative relationships with other departments and agencies to support teachers and students.
· Participates in state level committees relevant to the provision of Psychological Services state-wide.
· Provides professional development and conducts in-service activities as needed.
· Ensures that all psychological and educational test instruments are current and valid for the purpose used.
Minimum Requirements
· Master’s degree program from an accredited college or university.
· Six years of full-time, paid, professional experience in an educational or social services setting providing psychological services to children.
Certificates/Licenses
· Possession of a valid Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Supervisor of School Psychological Services certificate.
OR
· Possession of a valid Commonwealth of Pennsylvania certificate to act as a School Psychologist.
AND
· Possession of a valid Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Supervisor of Pupil Services certificate.
OR
· Possession of a valid Commonwealth of Pennsylvania certificate to act as a School Psychologist.
AND
· Possession of a valid Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Administrative Certificate for Principal K-12.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
· Demonstrated knowledge of:
o the principles of child and adolescent psychology and related behavioral sciences.
o the psychological, physiological, emotional and cognitive development of children and their impact on the educational process.
o the application of psychology to individual and group behavior.
o the current social and economic problems affecting urban families and children.
o the principles, practices and theories of individual/group counseling.
o the theories and principles of adolescent development, individual/group behavior, group dynamic and interpersonal interactions.
o methods and techniques for effective program administration.
o training principles and practices.
o research methods and data analysis.
· Demonstrated ability to:
o oversee, coordinate and monitor the work of subordinate staff members.
o plan, coordinate, and implement programmatic activities.
o work collaboratively with internal and external personnel in the development and implementation of a variety of programmatic activities.
o effectively communicate, both orally and in writing.
o establish and maintain effective working relationships.
Disclaimer
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified.
