School psychologists understand principles and research related to social–emotional well-being, resilience and risk factors in learning, mental and behavioral health, services in schools and communities to support multitiered prevention and health promotion, and evidence-based strategies for creating safe and supportive schools. School psychologists, in collaboration with others, promote preventive and responsive services that enhance learning, mental and behavioral health, and psychological and physical safety and implement effective crisis prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery.
National Association of School Psychologists, 2021
Examples of professional practices Services to Promote Safe and Supportive Schools include:
- Conduct activities to nurture a positive school climate and enhance relationships, promoting greater school connectedness among students, staff, families, and communities.
- Collaborate with other healthcare professionals to promote wellness and resilience among students, facilitate environmental changes conducive to healthy outcomes, and access resources for addressing various behavioral, learning, mental, and physical needs.
- Advocate for state and local policies that promote safe and inclusive school environments.
- Identify and address risk and protective factors related to systemic issues such as student disengagement, chronic absenteeism, bullying, and others. Promote prevention strategies and the development of protective factors to build resiliency.
- Monitor for early indicators of risk, provide effective consultation and intervention services to reduce student risk, and promote positive learning and mental health trajectories.
- Participate in the implementation and evaluation of prevention programs that promote physically and psychologically safe and nonviolent schools and communities.
- Join school crisis response teams, utilizing data-based decision-making methods, problem-solving strategies, consultation, collaboration, and direct services in the context of crisis prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery.
- Collaborate with other professionals to conduct assessments of school safety, contributing to the development of comprehensive individual and school safety plans aimed at preventing and responding to crisis events.
- Train staff and parents/guardians, in collaboration with other professionals, to recognize and respond to risk factors that may require intervention by the school crisis response team.
- Engage in crisis intervention, conduct comprehensive suicide and/or threat assessments for students identified as at risk, and design interventions to address mental and behavioral health needs, in collaboration with other professionals.
- Collaborate with school personnel, parents/guardians, students, and community organizations to provide competent mental health support during and after crisis situations.
(Adapted from the National Association of School Psychologists, 2023, p. 7)
Relevant Courses:
EDPS 654: Neurobiological and Developmental Bases of Learning and Behaviour
The course on Neurobiological and Developmental Bases of Learning and Behaviour, is a comprehensive exploration of cognitive neuroscience and neuro-behavioural disorders within the context of assessment practices. The course integrates a thorough review of neuropsychological assessment techniques and their application in clinical and research settings. In the process, students gain insights into the behavioural mapping of the brain regions, the relationships between brain and behavior, and the implications of neuropathology on behaviour.
Relevance: This course reinforces the key role of a school psychologist in understanding and applying neurobiological and developmental principles to improve learning outcomes. A deep understanding of neuropsychological assessment enables the identification of specific neurodevelopment, learning, and psychiatric disorders and the selection of appropriate interventions. Further, the ability to apply neurobiological knowledge in the field of school psychology enhances the competency in developing effective strategies to cater to diverse student needs and promote a conducive learning environment.
EDPS 688: Cognitive & Affective Bases of Behaviour
This course explores theories of cognition and affect by delving into how humans, especially during the first two decades of their life, process information and organize knowledge and emotional experiences. The course covers various topics including the biological bases of cognition, perception, memory, motivation, emotion, learning, creativity, and language. It also addresses the sociocultural and environmental factors associated with learning, cognition, emotion regulation, and behaviour, particularly their impact on everyday functioning and in unusual circumstances, such as trauma.
Relevance: The knowledge and insights from this course enabled me to comprehend the interplay between cognition and affect, and its effect on behaviour. It helped me identify socio-cultural and environmental influences on an individual’s cognitive performance and emotional experience. The understanding and application of these theories of learning and cognition, along with the ability to recognize and address risk and protective factors, equipped me to foster a positive school climate and effectively contribute towards creating safer and supportive school environments, aligning with the aims of the Services to Promote Safe and Supportive Schools domain in school psychology.
EDPS 696: Social, Emotional, and Behavioural Assessment and Intervention
This course was designed to hone the skills of future school psychologists in the comprehensive evidence-based assessment and intervention for children and youth exhibiting significant social, emotional, and behavioural concerns in school and community settings. The course adopted a biopsychosocial systems perspective to examine assessment models that take into account individual strengths, weaknesses, and behaviours, along with contextual and cultural factors. Moreover, the course delved into the identification of risk and protective factors, and the development and monitoring of evidence-based interventions to ascertain their effectiveness.
Relevance: I find this course to be essential for my professional practice as it helps cultivate an understanding of how to identify and mitigate risk factors that contribute to negative learner outcomes, a key aspect of promoting safe and supportive school environments. By studying the various factors that might influence student behavior or mental health outcomes, I am now better equipped to screen and identify mental health concerns such as trauma exposure and posttraumatic symptoms, that can significantly impact student learning and academic outcomes. This ability to assess and intervene effectively in cases of social, emotional, and behavioral needs of students is critical in my role as a school psychologist, particularly in the context of promoting wellness and resilience among students.
Work Samples:
I included this work sample within the Services to Promote Safe and Supportive Schools domain because it underscores my understanding of how factors like language exposure and cultural differences can shape the creation of supportive educational settings. This reflection stems from my engagement with the “Assessment of English Language Learners: Evidence Based Evaluation and Practice” webinar, presented by Dr. Samuel Ortiz. In this insightful discussion, Dr. Ortiz highlights the complex factors impacting the assessment of English Language Learners (ELLs). The relevance of these factors, particularly language exposure and cultural differences, extend far beyond the realm of assessments, influencing our approach to cultivating supportive learning environments.
For those interested, the webinar is available online in three parts:
Segment 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBw3OQdeVd8&ab_channel=IEPTechnicalAssistanceCenter
Segment 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoiCmv6Sr9I&ab_channel=IEPTechnicalAssistanceCenter
Segment 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAv1JxDiGXM&ab_channel=IEPTechnicalAssistanceCenter
The following document is my reflection on the series, submitted as part of an assignment:
I selected this work sample for the domain of “Services to Promote Safe and Supportive Schools” because it underscores the importance of personalized educational interventions, and the critical role that school psychologists can play in fostering academic success. In the paper that follows, I delve into the complex nature of reading comprehension, highlighting the need for collaborative efforts amongst all key stakeholders. The assignment serves as an example of the convergence of research, teaching methods, and policy exploration to offer practical solutions for creating a supportive and successful learning environment for all students.
Annotated Bibliography:
Fuhrmann, D., Knoll, L. J., & Blakemore, S. J. (2015). Adolescence as a sensitive period of brain development. Trends in cognitive sciences, 19(10), 558-566.
I included this article within the “Services to Promote Safe and Supportive Schools” domain as an example of my engagement and interest in the complex interplay between adolescent brain development, stress, and behavior. This paper by Fuhrmann, Knoll, and Blakemore delves into the less-studied concept of adolescence as a sensitive phase of brain development, focusing on three domains: memory, social stress effects, and drug use. Across various studies, findings suggest a potential for heightened neuroplasticity during this period, even though concrete evidence is currently sparse. As a school psychologist, this paper underlines the significance of tailoring interventions to the unique neurodevelopmental stage of adolescents. It accentuates the possible impact of school programs in mitigating social stress and discouraging drug use, amplifying the need for school psychologists like myself to advocate for prevention programs and conduct thorough safety and risk assessments. It serves as a reminder of our role in cultivating a positive school climate and fostering wellness among adolescents.
Somerville, L. H. (2013). The teenage brain: Sensitivity to social evaluation. Current directions in psychological science, 22(2), 121-127.
I selected this article for inclusion in the ‘Services to Promote Safe and Supportive Schools’ domain because it explores the critical importance of understanding and responding to the emotional needs and social sensitivities of adolescents, a key aspect of promoting safe and supportive school environments. The emotional intensity and social sensitivity characteristic of adolescence are closely examined in the article by Somerville. Somerville uses a personal anecdote to demonstrate how seemingly minor incidents, when perceived as socially evaluative, can lead to significant emotional distress and self-consciousness among teenagers. The piece then delves into the implications of this heightened social sensitivity on adolescent brain development. From a school psychologist’s perspective, this insight underscores the importance of fostering a supportive and understanding school climate, particularly given the increased sensitivity of adolescents to social evaluations. It emphasizes the need for preventive services that enhance psychological safety, promote resilience, and ultimately contribute to a more connected and understanding school environment.
Kaplow, J. B., Saxe, G. N., Putnam, F. W., Pynoos, R. S., & Lieberman, A. F. (2006). The long–term consequences of early childhood trauma: A case study and discussion. Psychiatry, 69(4), 362-375.
I included this article within the “Services to Promote Safe and Supportive Schools” domain because it is a practical application of my understanding of the long-term impact of early trauma on a child’s mental health and their learning experience. This case of a young girl exhibiting delayed PTSD symptoms following an early traumatic event reinforces the significant role of school psychologists in identifying early signs of distress, even if they are not immediately apparent. It serves as an example of the necessity for creating a supportive and trauma-informed environment in schools, and the role school psychologists play in implementing early interventions and providing mental and behavioral health services. This experience enhanced my ability to work in collaboration with other professionals to address the far-reaching effects of early trauma on student wellbeing. By recognizing early risk indicators and providing effective consultation and intervention services, I have contributed to supporting positive learning and mental health trajectories for students.
Self Evaluation
In the realm of Services to Promote Safe and Supportive Schools, I believe my training and experience have given me a sound foundation and a respectable degree of proficiency, hence I rate myself as At Standard. I have actively engaged in fostering a positive school climate through various activities and strategic collaborations, aiming to enhance school connectedness among students, staff, families, and communities as through my earlier work as well in Community Support and as a Teacher on Call for the school district while attending the program. The courses like EDPS 654, EDPS 688, and EDPS 696 have empowered me with a solid understanding of neurobiological, cognitive, and affective bases of behavior, and the practical implications of these principles in the context of student wellbeing. They have also honed my skills in social, emotional, and behavioral assessment and intervention. My abilities to identify risk and protective factors, monitor early indicators of risk, implement prevention programs, and provide mental health support during crisis situations have been pivotal in promoting safer, inclusive school environments. While I am pleased with the progress I have made, I am also aware of the expansive scope of this field and its dynamic nature. Therefore, I remain committed to continuous learning and improving my skills to better cater to the evolving needs of students and contribute more effectively to their holistic development.
(c) Besart Hysniu 2025 