School Psychologist in Morrisville, Pennsylvania at The Valley Day School

The Valley Day School, one of the leading Approved Private Schools in Bucks County, is looking for a passionate School Psychologist who wants to innovate, inspire and grow.

The School Psychologist will become a vital part of the school staff. We are located on a beautiful wooded 10.4 acre suburban campus in Morrisville, PA. We work closely with families, community supports and educational partners to promote student success.

Job Summary:

Responsible for providing case management services for students to support social, emotional, behavioral, and academic growth.

Responsible for strengthening community engagement and communication with the school’s diverse populations.

Works closely with the other members of the Clinical Team, the Behavioral Team, Teaching Staff, and Administration to produce positive outcomes.

An effective School Psychologist is knowledgeable on issues that affect students and knows how to support pupils in finding strategies to deal with those issues.

Together with teachers, administrators, and other specialists (e.g. occupational therapists), you’ll design effective programs for children who face social or emotional problems, developmental or learning disorders, and disabilities. You’ll implement these programs in individual or group sessions. You will also occasionally counsel and guide parents and teachers.

School psychologists design and implement interventions for a wide spectrum of difficulties children may face, for example, performance anxiety, learning difficulties, or anger management issues. Emphasizing on students’ personal and social strengths, they encourage wellbeing and a healthier mindset. In collaboration with educational staff, they create and implement prevention programs to tackle common school problems, such as dropping out and bullying.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Data/Reporting:

• Conducts State-mandated re-evaluations - all students need to be re-evaluated every 2 years
  • Collects teacher and parent/guardian input
  • Reviews records and compiles information into a written summary, including current behavioral, academic, and speech/OT data
  • Provides interpretation of student’s emotional and behavioral functioning
  • Selects and administers special purpose tests designed to yield information helpful to the student and/or counselor
  • Consults with district teams/outside agencies
  • Participates in and contributes to student-specific IEP meetings as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Assists in preparation of Functional Behavior Assessments and/or Positive Behavior Support Plans, as needed
• Creates Student Behavior Tracking Sheets and analyzes collected data
• Assures that a system of student personal and educational records is maintained and updated periodically

Case Management:

• Counsels at strategic intervals with students who are having academic problems and experiencing social, emotional, and/or behavioral problems; may include family counseling
• Ensures ongoing communication (emails, letters, phone correspondence) with parents, district LEA's, and outside agencies involving, but not limited to,: school programming, therapeutic or medication issues, transportation
• Maintains open lines of communication between home and school through modalities such as, but not limited to,: newsletters, brochures, and other communication techniques
• Assists in developing and implementing individual student behavioral programs in collaboration with other team members
• Supports the ongoing orientation of new 1:1 Personal Care Assistants in the needs of the student and the classroom culture as needed
• Coordinates and leads the program’s interdisciplinary treatment team, and contributes information regarding student progress in relation to the student’s general well-being
• Implements crisis stabilization procedures in collaboration with other members of the Clinical and Behavioral Teams and in accordance with established policies and procedures
• In the event of any emergency, communicates pertinent information to the appropriate stakeholders (administrators/families); accompanies students in crisis situations until parent/guardian arrives
• Assures that a system of student personal and educational records is maintained and updated periodically

Attendance:

• Monitors student attendance trends to prevent truancy
  • provides monthly reports to districts for students with more than 3 cumulative unexcused absences
  • places phone calls/emails to parents regarding absences
  • assists districts with SAIP meetings

Training/ Professional Development:

• Researches and share school-based mental health strategies/interventions; special education law; special education instructional strategies; new accommodations; and modifications
• Completes training in school approved intervention models including, but not limited to, the Sanctuary Model and CASEL Framework; may coordinate/lead training for other staff members
• Participates in training in Safe Crisis Management and applies training to respond to urgent student situations to deescalate behavioral problems
• Attends and participates in training in Valley Day practices and procedures, as well as ongoing professional development, and applies training to professional duties

Organizational Development:

• Participates in and contributes to evaluation of new student referrals
• Cooperates with building administration as it plans and conducts student orientation programs
• Establishes and maintains effective liaison relationships with community agency resources and district representatives
• Attends and participates in team meetings and faculty meetings as requested and/or scheduled
• Supervises additional areas of programming, as needed and as directed by the Education Director, to ensure appropriate supervision of students
• Completes all required paperwork in accordance with Valley Day School policies and procedures, in a timely manner
• Models positive behavior and interactions; adheres to all Valley Day School policies and procedures
• Serves as a mandated reporter of child abuse/neglect under PA state law, for the purpose of ensuring the safety of the students
• Maintains the confidentiality of students and their families/guardians
• Performs other duties as assigned for the purpose of ensuring the efficient and effective functioning of the building and teaching team

Minimum Qualifications/Experience:

• Possession of a Pennsylvania Educational Specialist Certificate- School Psychologist, Master’s Degree, and five years of experience in school counseling or mental health field
• Responsible for maintaining this certification and for maintaining and developing professional skills by participating in appropriate training sessions and/or courses
• Knowledge of psychiatric, mental health, educational, and physical disorders/disabilities and capable of applying this knowledge proactively
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions
• Possesses the knowledge required to create student support materials, and/or speak positively and persuasively with students to encourage desired actions; analyze situations to define issues and draw conclusions
• Demonstrates the flexibility and problem solving skills required to work with staff, students, and families in a variety of circumstances. Displays adaptability/flexibility and ability to communicate with persons of diverse backgrounds/knowledge/skills
• Confident in decision making and the ability to provide direction to others
• Demonstrated ability in written and oral communication, with particular regard to writing educational reports and documents

Preferred Qualifications/Experience:

• Knowledge of and experience with Sanctuary Model/ CASEL Framework
• Current CPR/First Aid certification
• High level of organization
• An appreciation and understanding of instructional technology
• Awareness of Trauma informed programming
• Ability to maintain a positive and constructive attitude under stressful situations

Working Conditions:

Physical Demands/Requirements:

• Must be able to physically respond to student behaviors, including but not limited to: bend, squat, stretch, reach, follow students, or other approved physical interventions
• Must be able to implement and perform Safe Crisis Management techniques to respond to student behaviors