The ability to work effectively with other professionals, including teachers, administrators, parents, and community members, to support student success.
Consultation models: Different models for consultation, including behavioral, mental health, and instructional consultation. These models differ in their approach to problem-solving and collaborating with stakeholders.
Collaborative problem-solving: A process of working together to identify problems, generate solutions, and implement interventions. This approach fosters a shared understanding among stakeholders and promotes buy-in and involvement in the problem-solving process.
Communication skills: Effective communication is essential to successful collaboration. This includes active listening, asking open-ended questions, and using clear and concise language.
Cultural competence: Understanding and respecting cultural differences and how these differences impact collaboration is critical for school psychologists working with diverse populations.
Confidentiality and ethical considerations: Maintaining confidentiality and understanding ethical considerations are essential when collaborating with others. School psychologists must adhere to ethical guidelines and best practices when working with stakeholders.
Data-based decision making: Using data to inform problem-solving and decision making is critical for effective collaboration. School psychologists need to understand different types of data and how to use them to inform interventions.
Parent and family involvement: Collaboration with parents and families is essential for student success. School psychologists should understand how to engage and involve families in the problem-solving process.
Interdisciplinary collaboration: Collaborating with other professionals, such as teachers, administrators, and mental health providers, is critical to meeting the needs of students. School psychologists should understand how to work effectively with professionals across disciplines.
Consulting with teachers: School psychologists often work closely with teachers to support student success. They should understand how to collaborate with teachers, provide resources and support, and offer feedback and guidance.
Evaluation and assessment: Conducting evaluations and assessments to inform problem-solving and decision making is a critical part of consultation and collaboration. School psychologists should understand how to use assessment data to develop and implement effective interventions.
Case consultation: A collaborative problem-solving process that occurs between two or more practitioners when working with a student or group of students who are experiencing academic, behavioral, or social-emotional difficulties.
Parent-teacher consultation: Collaboration between parents and teachers to promote student learning and well-being.
Mental health consultation: Collaboration between mental health professionals and school personnel to address the social-emotional needs of students who may require counseling or other types of mental health support.
Interdisciplinary teaming: Collaboration among various professionals such as school psychologists, speech and language therapists, and occupational therapists to provide comprehensive support for students with disabilities.
Program consultation: Collaboration between school psychologists and educators to develop, implement, and evaluate school-wide programs to improve academic and behavioral outcomes for students.
Peer consultation: Collaboration among colleagues in which one colleague consults with another to find a solution to a problem or to learn from the colleague's expertise.
Community consultation: Collaboration between school personnel and community organizations to enhance services for students and their families outside of school.
Crisis consultation: Collaboration among school psychologists, administrators, and other school personnel to prevent, manage, and respond to crises such as natural disasters, school shootings, or suicide.
Behavioral consultation: Collaboration between a school psychologist and teachers to identify and modify behaviors that interfere with students' academic success.
Curriculum consultation: Collaboration between school psychologists and teachers to adapt and modify curricula to meet the needs of diverse learners.