Who Are School Psychologists/Licensed Specialists in School Psychology?
We are here to help your child achieve their best.
School psychologists, or Licensed Specialists in School Psychology (LSSP; as they are known in Texas),
help children and youth succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. We have specialized training in
both education and mental health and know how to identify and lower barriers to learning. These barriers
can include developmental or learning disabilities, behavior difficulties, teaching styles, school or
classroom climate, problems at home or with friends, substance or alcohol abuse, violence, and mental
health problems such as anxiety or depression.
Our goal is to collaborate with parents, school staff, and other professionals to create safe, healthy, and
supportive learning environments so that all students can learn.
What School Psychologists/LSSPs Do
School psychologists/LSSPs work with students individually and in groups as well as address school- and
district-wide issues such as bullying prevention and positive behavioral supports. We use many different
approaches, but generally provide these core services:
Prevention
• Design programs for children at risk of failing at school.
• Promote tolerance, understanding, and appreciation of diversity within the school community.
• Develop programs to make schools safer and more effective learning environments.
• Provide crisis prevention and preparedness information and training.
• Collaborate with school staff and community agencies to provide services directed at improving
mental and physical health.
• Develop partnerships with parents and teachers to promote healthy school environments.
Consultation
• Collaborate with teachers, parents, and administrators to find effective solutions to learning and
behavior problems.
• Help others understand child development and mental health and how they affect learning and
behavior.
• Strengthen working relationships between teachers, parents, and service providers in the
community.
Evaluation
• Evaluate eligibility for special services.
• Assess academic skills and aptitude for learning.
• Determine social-emotional development and mental health status.
• Evaluate learning environments.
Intervention
• Provide psychological counseling to help resolve interpersonal or family problems that interfere
with school performance.
• Work directly with children and their families to help resolve problems in adjustment and
learning.
• Provide training in social skills and anger management.
• Help families and schools manage crises such as death, illness, or community trauma.
Research and Planning
• Evaluate the effectiveness of academic and behavior management programs.
• Identify and implement programs and strategies to improve schools.
• Use evidence-based research to develop and/or recommend effective interventions.
Where School Psychologists/LSSPs Work in Our District
LSSPs in our district serve on the Behavior Team, Autism Team, and Child in Crisis (CIC) Team. We
provide support to the Positive Intervention Classroom (PIC) for students with behavioral and/or
emotional difficulties as well as the Structured Teach and Communication Intervention (STACI)
classrooms for students with Autism. As a Behavior and Autism Team, we collaborate on strategies and
interventions for those students who are having behavioral and/or emotional difficulties in the classrooms
and provide recommendations to teachers and parents. The CIC Team conducts risk assessments to
students who have indicated homicidal or suicidal threats and follows through with district procedures to
promote the safety of all of our students.
In addition to the above mentioned services, LSSPs in our district conduct psychological, autism,
intellectual disability, and learning disability evaluations to consider eligibility for special education
services. Additionally, we provide psychological counseling services, social skills groups, and behavioral
interventions.
We work very closely with Administrators, Teachers, Educational Diagnosticians, Speech-Language
Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, the Special Education Counselor, the
Behavior Specialist, Program Specialists, School Counselors, and other staff to coordinate services. This
can be in the context of an IEP team, crisis response team, or general education support team.
School Psychologists Training and Credentialing
School psychologists must complete a minimum of a Specialist-level degree program (60 graduate
semester credits) that includes a 1200-hour internship. Some school psychologists have a doctoral degree.
In the state of Texas, persons holding Master’s or Specialist-level degree in school psychology are called
an LSSP and persons holding a Doctoral degree in school psychology are called a School Psychologist. A
person completing their internship is still in graduate school, is under supervision of a LSSP, and is titled
“LSSP Intern.” After a person has graduated and is in their first year in the profession, they are titled
“LSSP Trainee” and receive supervision from a LSSP. During the 2nd year of employment in the field,
and if licensure has been obtained, the person is now titled “LSSP” and does not require supervision.
School psychologists must be certified and/or licensed by the state in which we work. They also may be
nationally certified by the National School Psychology Certification Board (NSPCB), which is
administered by the National Association of School Psychologists.
Contact Us
Jessica Breeden-Ornelas; LSSP; (817) 598-2844 ext. 3133
Magen Gore; LSSP; Autism Specialist; (817) 598-2844 ext. 3132
Trisha Perkins; LSSP; (817) 598-2844 ext. 3110
Loren Ross; LSSP Intern; (817) 598-2844
Lindsey Zies; LSSP; (817) 598-2844 ext. 3136
Adapted from: “What Is a School Psychologist,” Andrea Canter, Helping Children at Home and School II: Handouts
for Families and Educators, NASP, 2004. The full handout is available online at www.nasponline.org/families.