Job areas for individuals trained as school psychologists are not limited to schools. These descriptions illustrate different job opportunities for psychologists trained to work in schools and with children and their families.
Administration
Director of psychological services for larger school districts are typically held by a school psychologist. Recently, a number of school psychologists nationally have chosen to complete the requirements to be certified as school administrators and have taken on roles such as school principal, assistant principal, or dean of students.
Clinics and Hospitals
Child psychiatric settings are excellent settings for individuals trained in school psychology. In clinics and/or hospitals, school psychologists perform a wide range of assessments, including intellectual, psycho-educational, personality, and neuropsychological. They provide services to children and families and consult extensively with other clinical and medical staff. They are often engaged in short-term counseling, yet may be provided the opportunity to be part of a longer-term treatment plan.
Private Practice
By completing additional coursework, school psychologists can become licensed professional counselors or they can work under the supervision of a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist. Typical roles involve providing psychological counseling to help resolve interpersonal or family problems that interfere with school performance; working directly with children and their families to help resolve problems in adjustment and learning; providing workshops or training in areas such as social skills or anger management; designing programs for children at risk of failing at school or developing programs to make schools safer for more effective learning; and/or helping families and schools manage crises, such as death, illness, or community trauma. Alternative assessments are often provided by school psychologists engaged in private practice.
School Psychologists – Public Schools
Due to a shortage of school psychologists in the Chicago region and nationally, most Chicago School graduates will choose to work in the public schools as a school psychologist. Their primary role will be to develop strategies to address student needs and to improve school and district-wide support systems. School psychologists work with students individually and in groups. They also develop programs to train teachers and parents in regards to the following areas:
- Effective teaching and learning strategies
- Effective techniques to manage behavior at home and in the classroom
- Working with students with disabilities or with special talents
- Intervening with students with alcohol and substance abuse problems
- Preventing and managing crises
In addition, most school psychologists engage in teacher, parent, and administrative consultation, program evaluation, short term counseling, as well as assessment.
School Psychologists – Private Settings
The role of school psychologists in private settings can be very similar to that of a school psychologist in a public setting. Private settings typically give greater stress to ones role in interventions (including more extensive counseling) and assessment directly related to identification of eligibility for special services. School psychologists in private settings may be more involved in shaping the overall structure and mission of a school environment.
Teaching and Research
Undergraduate institutions and graduate schools with a heavy practitioner focus will fill adjunct teaching positions with non- doctoral school psychologists.
Additional Links
APA Online Topics: Careers in Psychology
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Clinical Psychology (M.A.) – Applied Behavior Analysis
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