Benjamin S. Fernandez
Loudoun County Public Schools Department of Pupil Services 21000 Education Court Ashburn, VA 20148 (571) 252‐1013 benjamin.fernandez@lcps.org EDUCATION
Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA M.S. Ed., Dual Certification in School Psychology and Elementary Counseling.
August 1996
Canisius College, Buffalo, NY B.A. Psychology June 1994 LICENSURE VA Pupil Personnel License: School Psychologist
AWARDS 2012 National Association of School Psychologists ‐ School Psychologist of the Year 2010 Virginia Academy of School Psychologists ‐ School Psychologist of the Year PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS)
School Psychologist July 2001‐ Present ● Leads a team of school psychologists and social workers as a Crisis Team Leader
● Leads the coordination of crisis teams and implementation of crisis intervention services by maintaining and updating LCPS Crisis Team Manual and Crisis Team Assignments
● Leads a team of LCPS PREPaRE Trainers with the coordination of training staff and the development of face to face and web based refresher courses for LCPS Crisis Teams
● Conducts Training for all new LCPS School Psychologists, School Social Workers, and Interns: PREPaRE Workshop 2 – Crisis Intervention and Recovery: The Roles of School Based Mental Health Professionals, October 2009, September 2010, September 2011, ongoing
● Participates in a series of Workshops for ELL Families for Heritage High School cluster: Role of a School Psychologist, Depression, Signs of Suicide, and Resiliency ● Conducts presentations for the Depression Awareness/Suicide Awareness Program ● Co‐leads a Resiliency Group for Immigrant Students at Heritage High School
● Conducts assessments of preschool ‐ 12th grade students ● Provides parent and teacher consultation
● Participates as a member of Child Study Teams at Cool Spring ES and Heritage HS
● Participates as a member of the clinical program at Heritage HS
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Co‐leads counseling groups for the clinical program Participates as a member of Cool Spring ES and Heritage HS Eligibility Teams
One of the Primary Supervisors for the School Psychology Internship Program Participates as the external PBIS Coach at Cool Spring Elementary School
Participates as a member of Cool Spring Elementary School’s R.I. (RtI) Initiatives
Manassas Park City Schools August 1998 ‐ June 2001 School Psychologist ● Conducted assessments of preschool ‐ 12th grade students
● Conducted individual counseling
● Provided parent and teacher consultation
● Participated as a member of Child Study Teams at the secondary level
● Chaired Manifestation Review meetings
● Conducted Functional Behavior Assessments ● Participated as a member of Eligibility Team at all Manassas Park Schools
● Participated as a member of Crisis Intervention Team at all Manassas Park Schools
● Supervised and ensured that students with special needs are included in group counseling in each school in Manassas Park
● Participated in teacher recruitment at recruitment fairs in New York and Virginia
Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29
School Psychologist August 1996 ‐ August 1998
● Conducted Multi‐disciplinary Evaluations
● Provided parent and teacher consultation ● Consulted in the Instructional Support Process ● Chaired Multi‐disciplinary Team meetings and Transfer Staffing ● Conducted assessments of K ‐ 12th grade students
● Participated in crisis intervention
CONFERENCE PRESENTATION ●
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2012 Keynote Address to the Virginia Psychological Association: The Challenges for Immigrant and Refugee Students in the Schools
2011 Virginia Psychological Association Fall Conference: Immigration Issues Impacting Student Achievement, October 2011 2011 Virginia Psychological Association Fall Conference: School Based Crisis Management and the PREPaRE Model: Loudoun County Public Schools Crisis Intervention Teams, October 2011 Virginia Department of Education School Psychologist Orientation, Longwood University, July 2011 14th National School Social Worker Conference: Multi‐cultural Approaches to Crisis Intervention, April 2011 11th World Congress on Stress, Trauma, & Coping: Poster Session – An Overview of the PREPaRE Curriculum: Crisis Response in Schools, February 2011 Virginia Juvenile Detention Center Principals’ Retreat‐ Leadership, Literacy, and Learning, State Operated Programs: Facing Crisis: Considerations for Leading Your Staff, October 2010 Virginia School Counselor Association: An Overview of the PREPaRE Curriculum, March 2010 WORKSHOP PRESENTATIONS ●
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George Mason University Student Teachers at Cool Spring Elementary School: The Child Study Team, February 2012 LCPS School Psychologists and Social Workers: Immigration Issues Impacting Student Achievement, August 2011 LCPS School Psychologists and Social Workers: Crisis Team Manual Overview and PREPaRE Refresher, August 2011 LCPS School Psychologists and School Social Workers: Crisis Team Manual Overview, August 2009
LCPS August Staff Development Days: What to Do When a Crisis Impacts Your School, August 2006
LCPS August Staff Development Days: Understanding Special Education Eligibility Scores, August 2005
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES ●
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NASP PREPaRE Workgroup Member, May 2012 ‐ present Coordinator Elect for NASP Crisis Management in the Schools Interest Group, February 2012 ‐ present Virginia Academy of School Psychologist Regional Co‐representative for Northern Virginia 2011 ‐ present Trainer of NASP’s PREPaRE WS2 – Crisis Intervention and Recovery: The Roles of School Based Mental Health Professionals, 2009 – present
RELATED EXPERIENCE ● Assisted with the revision of the PREPaRE Curriculum Workshop 1 Climate and Safety; Communication; Crisis Plan; Memorials; and corresponding handouts and PowerPoint presentations, Summer 2010.
● Assisted with the revision of the PREPaRE Curriculum Workshop 2 Psychological Education, Care for the Caregiver, Examine Effectiveness, and corresponding handouts and PowerPoint presentations, Summer 2010.
● Provided written examples of real school based crisis incidents to the NASP PREPaRE Workgroup to assist with the 2011 PREPaRE Curriculum update, November 2010.
PUBLICATIONS ●
Daniel, A. & Fernandez, B. S. (2010, November). Lessons Learned: Effective Communication for the Entire School Community. PREPaRE Trainers Newsletter, 1, 1‐3
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT – School Crisis Related ●
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National Association of School Psychologists: PREPaRE Curriculum WS 1 ‐ Crisis Prevention and Preparedness: Comprehensive School Safety Planning: 2nd Edition, February 2012 Trainer Renewal Webinar: PREPaRE WS2 – Crisis Intervention and Recovery: 2nd Ed., Webinar, November 2011 ●
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11th World Congress of Stress, Trauma, & Coping: Mass School Shootings: Multi‐
disciplinary, International Perspectives, February 2011 11th World Congress of Stress, Trauma, & Coping: Post Action Staff Support (PASS): A Model, February 2011 WEB 2.0: Communication and Collaboration, Fall 2010
ICISF: Grief Following Trauma, July 2010
Positive Behavior Support Regional Team Training, June 2010
ICISF: Individual Crisis Intervention and Peer Support, March 2010
FEMA: IS‐700.a National Incident Management System (NIMS): An Introduction, February 2010
The MANDT System – Relational: Building Healthy Relationships, Building Healthy Communication Skills, Building Healthy Conflict Resolution, 2009, Recertified 2010, 2011
FEMA: IS‐520: Introduction to Continuity of Operations Planning for Pandemic Influenzas, September 2009
National Association of School Psychologists: PREPaRE WS 2: Training of Trainers, July 2009
National Association of School Psychologists: PREPaRE Curriculum WS 2: Intervention & Recovery, June 2009
FEMA: IS‐100.SC/IS‐100.SCa: Introduction to the Incident Command System, I‐100 for Schools, May 2009
ICISF: The Changing Face of Crisis and Disaster Mental Health Intervention: A Competency‐based Update, February 2009
ICISF: Creating and Maintaining a Multi‐School Based CISM Team: Lessons and Tools, February 2009
Guidelines for Responding to Student Threats of Violence, August 2006
ICISF: Critical Incident Stress Management: Group Crisis Intervention, June 2005
Virginia Youth Violence Project – Student Threat Assessment Training, June 2004
SERVICE • Mission Trip to Jacmel, Haiti with Cornerstone Chapel Team supporting Calvary Chapel Haiti Initiative: light construction, painting, water treatment for team, food and personal hygiene package distribution, and coordination of social activities, March 2011 • Volunteers of America Homeless Shelter, Leesburg, VA: Served meals with members of the Cornerstone Chapel Haiti Team, April 2011, August 2011