Are you a veteran interested in a rewarding new career in teaching? You might find your niche working in school psychology. A school psychologist’s work has far-reaching implications for the emotional well-being and academic achievement of children in grades K-12. If a student’s academic performance is being hindered by issues with their social life or emotional well-being, you’ll have the chance to work directly with them, their instructors, and their parents to find solutions. You may help kids realise their full potential and prepare them for future success by assisting them in overcoming these obstacles.
School psychology is a rewarding field that may help you help others while also advancing your own career and personal aspirations. You can receive the knowledge and training you need to start this successful profession thanks to the VA education benefits you’ve earned. If you want to help young people and make a difference in the world, being a school psychologist is a viable career path that you may pursue with the help of your VA educational benefits.
WHAT IS A SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST?
When it comes to children’s mental health, school psychologists are there to help. Each child’s requirements are evaluated, and then strategies are designed and implemented to boost the child’s academic performance. Psychologists in schools also collaborate with educators and parents to better understand and support students who are displaying challenging behaviours.
WHAT DOES A SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST DO?
Students are unique people with their own emotional, behavioural, and academic struggles. A school psychologist’s job is to help pupils overcome obstacles like these. A school psychologist is a psychologist with a concentration on elementary or secondary education who uses cutting-edge research to improve classrooms.
A school psychologist’s daily tasks may involve collaborating with educators and families. Counselling at-risk kids, conducting psychiatric examinations, suggesting programmes for challenging students, or teaching other teachers to foster more welcoming classroom environments are all examples of this type of work.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PSYCHOLOGIST AND A SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST?
A psychologist may provide help to people of all ages, from infants to seniors. Psychologists create programmes to aid their clients in functioning normally. School psychologists, on the other hand, work with kids of all ages, from infancy through adolescence. They consider a student’s school’s regulations and procedures while designing academically oriented interventions.
Services Offered Typically by School Psychologists
Students’ academic and social-emotional success is bolstered by the wide variety of services provided by school psychologists. Common services offered by school psychologists include:
Analyses and Judgements
Students who may benefit from extra help are often identified by school psychologists after undergoing psychological and academic evaluations. The optimal course of action for each kid is determined after an assessment of their cognitive, academic, social-emotional, and behavioural functioning.
Therapy and other Interventions
Individual and group counselling services for kids with emotional, social, or behavioural difficulties are provided by school psychologists. Interventions for learning and behaviour issues are created and implemented within their purview as well.
Coordination and Discussion
School psychologists work with classroom teachers, parents, and other professionals to provide an atmosphere that welcomes and supports all kids. They help teachers and administrators with questions on how to best address students’ emotional, behavioural, and academic needs.
Managing Emergencies and Avoiding Disasters
Crisis prevention and management are important responsibilities of school psychologists. They create and execute school-wide preventative and intervention initiatives to combat issues including bullying, substance addiction, and suicide.
Education and Training
To keep abreast of new developments in their area, school psychologists participate in continual professional development. They invest in their professional development by participating in seminars, workshops, and courses.
How to Qualify for a Licence to Practise School Psychology
Spending 8-12 years in school to earn a Master’s or Doctorate is recommended if you want to work in school psychology. It is highly recommended that you research the specific criteria for your state before commencing your educational journey. Although there are several routes into the area of school psychology, the one outlined here is the most direct:
Learn the laws in your state-
It is crucial that you know what is required for licencing as a school psychologist prior to beginning your studies. Examine the state licencing board or department of education’s website for information about school psychology certification. Before choosing a school, it is crucial to make sure that you meet the certification standards for the programmes they provide. That way, you may tick off both the state’s licencing requirements and the qualifications for a future master’s degree in psychology from your bachelor’s degree courses. When you know the rules for school psychologist licencing in your state, you may plot out your professional future with confidence.
Earn your Bachelor's degree-
You should major in psychology at the undergraduate level. Most state licencing boards will only accept programmes that have been approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). It’s not necessary to earn a bachelor’s degree in school psychology, but you should make sure that your undergraduate record includes the prerequisites for graduate study in the field. If you’re interested in school and child psychology but can only commit to a more broad psychology degree, your electives should reflect that. In addition, you should keep your GPA as high as possible because it is a criterion for admission to most master’s programmes and for receiving scholarships and grants.
Obtain a master's degree in school psychology-
Master’s degree programmes in school psychology that are recognised by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) normally last three years, with the last year spent doing an internship. The majority of states adhere to the National Association of School Psychologists’ (NASP) recommendation that master’s degree programmes include at least 60 credits at the specialty level and at least 1,200 hours of supervised internship experience. Learning a second language, especially one in demand like Spanish, is a smart move. If you want to pursue a career in research, for instance, your master’s degree coursework should reflect that passion and objective. You should also check the entry requirements for Doctoral programmes to ensure you meet the standards for admission.
Meet certification requirements-
As soon as feasible after completing a Master’s degree programme recognised by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), you should sit for the NCSP exam and become nationally certified as a school psychologist. To earn your school psychology certification, you must complete an internship and score well on the Praxis II exam.
Get Your Licence-
Although states have their own rules for licensure, the majority of them adhere to the NASP standards. In certain states, simply an NCPS certificate is needed to practise; a criminal record check is also commonplace. Getting your state licence as a school psychologist will allow you to practise on your own. Your state licence expires after a certain amount of time, at which point you must renew it by proving that you have completed the necessary hours of continuing education.
Consider a Doctoral degree-
A doctoral degree in psychology is the norm for school psychologists and may even be a licencing requirement in some areas. A doctorate in psychology will open doors for you in clinical practise, research, and other fields of psychology that are off limits to those with a master’s degree alone. You can pursue national certification after completing your doctorate, which requires an additional two to five years of study, research, and a dissertation.
Specialised Knowledge - Essential Skill for School Psychologists
As a school psychologist, you might greatly benefit by knowing a second language, having training in psychoeducational evaluation and diagnosis, autism spectrum and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and having experience with special education.
Responding to Emergencies -
The school psychologist is one of the first people called upon to mediate in tense situations involving kids or faculty. They require access to a variety of crisis intervention methods and the expertise to know when to use each one.
How a Child Grows -
A school psychologist’s knowledge of how children learn and behave throughout time is essential. This aids in the prevention of learning disabilities and the early detection of developmental issues in school-aged youngsters.
Assessment –
Evaluation, data collection, and interpretation are all part of assessment, which is used to inform choices about students’ needs. This can be used to assess the student’s need for supplementary educational services, mental health treatment, and school programmes, as well as to track the student’s development over time.
Psychiatric Care -
School psychologists will spend a lot of time in consultation and therapy. The mental health specialists working with today’s youth must be familiar with both generational trends and regional variations in student mental health difficulties.
In conclusion
If a veteran is interested in making a positive impact on the lives of young people, a job as a school psychologist may be a good fit. You may get the education and training you need for this vocation without having to worry about money thanks to the perks offered by the VA. It’s important to learn about the VA education benefits to which you’re entitled and to consult with a VA representative to figure out what’s best for you.
