VISIONS IN EDUCATION CHARTER SCHOOL
SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CLASS: The School Psychologist is responsible for providing psychological services that will assist students, teachers, parents, and other staff members in the management of learning and behavioral disorders by conducting psychological assessments, diagnosis of learning handicaps, identifying students’ handicapping conditions and recommending appropriate remediation procedures and program placements for children with special needs. 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: (Any one position may not include all of the duties listed nor do all of the listed examples include all tasks that may be found in positions of this class.)

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: (Any one position may not include all of the duties listed nor do all of the listed examples include all tasks that may be found in positions of this class.)

• Implements California administrative and education codes and district policies relating to special education.
• Conducts evaluation of referred special education students.  Evaluation includes psycho-educational study and evaluation of social, emotional, economic, academic, and cultural background factors, parent conference and contact and collaboration with all other private professional persons or agencies which contribute to the total evaluation. 
• Provides leadership and serves as a professional member of the IEP team.
• Participates in placement and follow up decisions and development of an appropriate individual educational plan (IEP).
• Reevaluates special education students on a regular basis to determine appropriateness of continued placement, remediation strategy and to help in determination of on-going eligibility.
• Provides specific services to the designated instruction and services program relating to counseling, parent education, and behavior management.
• Participates in development, management, and evaluation of Visions’ special education program, and other services programs.
• Conducts functional analysis assessment and supervises the development of behavior intervention plans.
• Assists in Coordinated Compliance Reviews and monitors compliance issues at school sites.
• Establish process and procedures for Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).
• Facilitate all FAPE meetings.
• Monitor and oversee vendors working with Visions special education department.
• Consults with and serves as a liaison to Visions’ management and staff, students, families and professional/agencies in the community relaying information and identifying needs for specialized services.
• Serves as a resource to staff, students, and/or families for specialized services.
• Confers with management to coordinate and implement specialized services.
• Works cooperatively with administrators and other personnel to ensure compliance with special education laws and procedures.
• Provides program development, management, evaluation, direct and consultant services to specifically funded projects and programs. 
• Designs and implements ongoing in-service programs for counselors, teachers, parents, administrators, aides and other classified and professional staff.
• Conducts research to determine effectiveness of educational programs, procedures and counseling services from kindergarten through grade twelve.
• Develops and writes new projects and programs funded by federal, state, county and local monies.
• Makes presentations to and consults with school staff, parent/teacher organizations, study teams, service groups, etc., concerning sound educational, social and emotional development of children.
• Consult with general education staff in the accommodation and modification of program for eligible 504 students and students experiencing academic and behavioral difficulties.
• May assist, coordinate and/or supervise the development and functioning of Visions mental health program.
• Maintains confidentiality.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:
EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

• Must possess a school psychologist, general pupil personnel services or standard designated services credential with pupil personnel specialty.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge and skills in the administration and interpretation of results of a wide variety of psycho-educational assessment instruments including WISC, Stanford binet, WRAT, bender visual motor gestalt leiter, other instruments as needed and appropriate to complete an assessment.
• Knowledge of related administration and education code requirements and the ability to research for applicable data.
• Knowledge of or ability to learn, interpret and apply Visions In Education’s objectives, policies, procedures, rules, regulations and operations.
• Knowledge of or ability to learn and use applicable sections of the California Education Code, Charter law and other pertinent laws.
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment, and be held accountable for results.
• Skill in communicating assessment results effectively, both orally and in writing; interpersonal communication, consultation and group leadership skills necessary to work effectively with students, parents, teachers and administrators.
• Skill in psychological counseling, both individual and group, behavior management and parent education.
• Skills in planning and conducting in-service programs.
• Skills in program development, management and evaluation.
• Skill and ability to work with flexibility, efficiency and diplomacy.
• Skill and ability to use self-restraint, professional judgment, independent decision making, and develop strategies to deal with a variety of people, adversaries and advocates under varying situations and conditions.
• Ability to maintain a professional attitude and a strong customer service focus at all times, with a strong desire to succeed and solve problems.
• Skill and ability to use tact, patience, courtesy, diplomacy, and clarity in written and oral communication and in interpersonal relations with a broad and diverse audience.
• Ability to work confidentially.

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS:

• Possession of a valid California driver’s license, availability of a vehicle and evidence of insurance.
• Willingness and ability to travel locally and within the surrounding counties.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL ABILITIES:  The physical requirements below are necessary to perform the essential functions.  Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable a person with a disability to perform these functions.

• Work environment is a typical office setting.  Requires willingness and ability to work effectively and move about in an office.
• Physical, mental, and emotional stamina to work up to an eight-hour shift under sometimes-stressful conditions with frequent distraction and interruptions and deal with angry or upset people in a calm and professional manner.
• Sufficient hand/eye coordination and manual dexterity to use a wide variety of office and computer equipment, to keyboard and write, file, and maintain records and reports.
• Sufficient hearing to conduct in-person and telephone conversations.
• Ability to speak in an understandable voice with sufficient volume to be heard in normal conversational distance, on the telephone, and in addressing groups.
• Sufficient visual acuity to see and read small print.
• Ability to sit for extended periods of time, up to an eight-hour shift (with the exception of lunch and breaks).
• Sufficient mobility to bend, stoop, push/pull, lift, stand, and walk on an occasional basis to file, move equipment or supplies, or take work from one location to another.
• Sufficient physical mobility to enter/exit a vehicle and drive to various locations locally and to surrounding counties.
• Sufficient physical mobility to move about in sometimes crowded spaces, move over uneven ground, move in/about students’ homes and other public places, and access various floors in buildings.