School psychologists help children and youth succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally. We collaborate with educators, parents, and other professionals to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments that strengthen connections between home, school, and the community for all students. School psychological services are available in all schools and school psychologists serve students in special education and general education.

How do School Psychologists Help?

School Psychologists help students, families and staff members in the following ways:

Education and Prevention

• Providing school staff and parent training

• Supporting students with suicide prevention and crisis management

• Fostering tolerance, understanding, and appreciation of diversity in the schools

Intervention

• Providing direct services to children and parents

• Addressing the relationship between learning and mental health issues

• Helping families and schools deal with crises

• Helping to design and monitor behavior intervention plans

• Supporting school-wide efforts to facilitate student progress toward measurable goals through data collection, progress monitoring and data interpretation

Assessment

• Increase achievement by assessing barriers to learning and determining the best instructional strategies to improve learning

• Identify and address learning and behavior problems that interfere with school success

• Evaluate eligibility for special education services (within a multidisciplinary team)

• Complete Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA) and support the development of Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP)

Counseling

• Provide counseling, instruction, and mentoring for those struggling with social, emotional, and behavioral problems

• Support students' social, emotional, and behavioral health

• Promote wellness and resilience by reinforcing communication and social skills, problem solving, anger management, self-regulation, self-determination and optimism

Consultation

• Identify and resolve academic barriers to learning

• Respond to crises with a team approach

• Provide training to staff on administration of assessments, data collection for FBA, implementation of BIP or behavioral strategies and on mental health topics

• Consult with other professionals in the community

• Assist parents to access mental health resources in the community

• Design and implement academic and behavioral interventions

• Participate in the Child Specific Team/FAPT process

Resources for Teachers and Parents

• Free Online Suicide Prevention Resources

• Mind in the Making

• NASP Information for Families

FCCPS School Psychologists

Jessie Thackrey Preschool and Mount Daniel Elementary
Kim Yeager
yeagerk@fccps.org
703-248-5633

Oak Street Elementary
Elisabeth Yack
yacke@fccps.org

Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School
Peggy Lloyd
lloydm@fccps.org

Meridian High School
Jessyca Norwood
norwoodj@fccps.org