PSYCHOLOGIST 60% - Special Education at the Orange Unified School District (2023)

ORANGE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT CLASSIFICATION SPECIFICATION

Orange, California

SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST

DEFINITION

Primary responsibility is to comply with federal, state, and local regulations, including civil rights laws, related to special education, including evaluation and program eligibility. Assesses the needs of average, gifted, disabled and maladjusted children in an educational setting; conducts psychoeducational assessments to determine appropriate programs and instructional processes to enable students to achieve maximum achievement and adaptation; assists students in understanding and seeking solutions to social, emotional, or academic problems and problems; serves as a resource regarding student behavior management and learning strategies, as well as welfare and attendance issues and concerns; and performs other related functions as instructed. This position reports directly to the Psychological Services Coordinator.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES

This position classification requires expertise in psychological assessment and counseling processes. Assessment and psychological counseling are required to conduct problem analysis and find alternative solutions to students' academic, psychological and emotional problems. The position classification makes judgments and decisions of considerable importance. The functional role of this positional classification requires the application of a variety of assessment protocols and the interpretation of data, facts, procedures, and policies related to students' educational programs and psychological adjustments. Officers frequently meet with school administrators, teachers, other educational staff, and parents to share information, data, and alternative problem-solving. This is a positional classification and performs light work that requires sitting a portion of the time, potentially lifting up to fifty (50) pounds, and walking and standing for extended periods of time. This position requires accurate perception of sound, near and far vision, depth perception, handling and working with educational and psychological materials, and providing highly technical oral and written information.

Reasonable accommodation can be made to enable a person with a disability to perform essential duties of the job.

ESSENTIAL TASKS

Advice:

• Explores ways parents and school can work together to support the child more effectively.

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• Serves as a member of student learning teams and works with other team members to develop informal modifications and/or suggest possible resources for students with special needs; develops evaluation plans as needed.
• Consults and consults with educators and administrators on the development and implementation of instructional methods and procedures designed to facilitate learning and overcome learning and behavioral disabilities.
• Consults with parents to promote their understanding of their child's learning and emotional adjustment processes.
• Serves as an active member of the Individualized Education Planning (IEP) team; explains evaluation results; writes authorization statement; helps develop goals and objectives for the IEP; and monitors student progress toward goals.
• Consults with regular education teachers and administrators regarding writing and implementing change plans for eligible Section 504 students.

Evaluation

• Conducts a variety of individualized psychoeducational assessments and diagnoses of learning, emotional, and behavioral disabilities necessary for initial placement in special education programs.
• Conducts the legally required psychoeducational reassessments of special education students.
• Assesses students with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) and Non-English Proficiency (NEP) for learning, emotional and behavioral disabilities, taking into account diverse cultural backgrounds, using fluently trained interpreters in the student's primary language.
• Collects data through observation, parent/teacher interviews, and behavior rating scales to assess attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and other disabilities and assess impact on learning to determine Section 504 eligibility.
• Completes functional analysis assessment and creates behavioral intervention plans for individual students with severe behavioral problems that significantly impede the achievement of the goals of the IEP.
• Compiles evaluation results from members of the evaluation team and writes psycho-educational reports.
• Prepares recommendations regarding student remediation, special education eligibility, and social/emotional and behavioral interventions.

advisory

• Acts as a crisis team member responding to personal, school and community crises with intervention and debriefing techniques for students, parents and staff.
• Intervenes with students who are contemplating or threatening suicide or homicide to assess the level of risk and respond accordingly.

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• Counsels students individually using a variety of data collection and therapy techniques.

community work

• Makes referrals and serves as liaison with the Orange County Department of Behavioral Health.

programming

• Assists in identifying needs for school mental health services and makes appropriate use of outside agencies based on identified student needs.
• Plans and presents, as requested, a variety of management-related reports related to the functions and activities of the School Psychology Service.

Professional development

• Attends staff and/or district meetings as needed.

OTHER TASKS

• Counsels students in small groups using a variety of data collection and therapy techniques.
• Offers parenting classes and parent education programs that address child upbringing and development and other school-related issues.
• Serves as a resource for school site and district staff, community members and parents regarding youth services and youth services.
• Expedites referrals to other specialists or to appropriate community counseling agencies based on identified student needs.
• Conducts evaluation and research activities to determine the effectiveness of the School Psychology Services program.
• Participates in the development and evaluation of school and district programs.
• Actively participates in the planning, implementation, presentation and evaluation of professional development and in-service training programs for regular and special education teachers.
• Maintains personal professional competence through in-service educational activities offered by the district and/or professional development activities and university courses.

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QUALIFICATIONS

Know about:

Principles, Methods, Techniques, Strategies and Trends in Cognitive, Educational, Sensory, Social/Emotional Adjustment Assessment Functions:

• Federal, state, and local regulations, including civil rights laws, relating to regular education, special education testing, confidentiality, school records, attendance, program eligibility, and suspension/expulsion;
• Applicable and appropriate psychological and performance appraisal tools, techniques and procedures;
• Social and youth welfare organizations in the local area and in the greater area;
• developmental, social/emotional, and behavioral characteristics of preschool and school children;
• Cultural diversity of students in the district;
• evaluation and research techniques, strategies and procedures;
• curricula and instructional programs that have been shown to be beneficial for students with special learning needs;
• computer programs for assessment;
• CASP and NASP Code of Ethics.

Ability to:

• Effectively and efficiently assess students and help them analyze and develop alternative solutions to behavioral, educational, social and emotional needs;
• Interact with site and district staff, parents, social services and youth services to resolve student issues and concerns;
• Interacting effectively with site and district personnel, parents, social services and youth services to resolve student problems and concerns;
• Contribute effectively to the planning and implementation of individual educational plans;
• Communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, and ensure clear and thorough communication.
• Understand and execute verbal and written instructions with minimal accountability controls;
• Build and maintain effective organizational, public and community relationships;
• Collaborate positively and effectively with other employees;
• operation of computers and computer programs.

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EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

Any combination of experience and education that is likely to provide the required knowledge and skills will qualify. A typical route to gaining the required knowledge and skills would be:

experience: Completion of school psychological and advisory fieldwork; Classroom instruction or counseling at elementary or secondary level is desirable.

education: Master of Arts plus 30 units or higher degree in Psychology, Counseling and Counseling or a closely related field.

Bilingualism desirable.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

certification: Possession of a valid California credential authorizing service as a school psychologist.

license: Licensed Educational Psychologist, Marriage-Family Child Counseling License and/or Clinical Psychologist License preferred.

Possess a valid California Motor Vehicle Operator’s License.

working conditions: Insurability through the district's liability insurance institution; good work history and attendance.

Salary: Appropriate placement in the pay plan for psychologists.

working year: 200 service days per year.

12/95

• Copy of transcript (copies of all university transcripts – unofficial copies are accepted)
• Copy of certificate (valid certificate from the California Student Personnel Service - School Psychology)
• letter of introduction
• Letters of recommendation (3 letters from the last two years)
ORReference letters (3 letters from the last two years)
• Continue

• Copy of transcript (copies of all university transcripts – unofficial copies are accepted)
• Copy of certificate (valid certificate from the California Student Personnel Service - School Psychology)
• letter of introduction
• Letters of recommendation (3 letters from the last two years)
ORReference letters (3 letters from the last two years)
• Continue