Article archive / August 1, 2013
Originally published: . Volume 4, No. 12. Source pages: 4.
The School Specialist Task Force created by the state psychology board met in June to discuss the possibility of regulation under the Louisiana Board of Examiners of Psychologists (LSBEP) for the school psychology specialist.
Members of the Task Force attending were Chair Dr. Rita Culross, Dr. Steven Welsh, Dr. Carmen Broussard, Dr. Conni Patterson, and E. Francoise Parr. Also attending was the Executive Director, Kelly Parker. Also on the Task Force, but absent from this meeting, were David White, Executive Director of the Louisiana Psychological Association and Susan Ratterree, National School Psychology Representative.
According to the minutes, Dr. Welsh summarized some of the ideas that he expressed at the March Long-Range Planning meeting. He suggested that if the Board decides to license school specialists, he saw this as an “optional” license and thought it may allow practitioners to contract with places like learning centers and charter schools.
Dr. Broussard said that licensing school specialists would make services more available in rural areas, and noted that she was the only school psychologist in her area.
Also according to the minutes, the group reviewed the Texas model for licensed school specialist and discussed the advantages and disadvantages of a license for the specialist. They also reviewed educational requirements for several programs.
The group discussed the possible qualifications, which included a 72- hour degree with internship from an accredited, along with a national exam, a state jurisprudence exam, and criminal background check.
The Task Force also agreed to prepare a survey for the community which sent by email to members of the psychology community and school psychology community.
According to Kelly Parker, about 140 responses have been received so far. The questionnaire asked respondents, “If the LSBEP were to consider licensure of school specialists, what do you believe is appropriate employment possibilities for a licensed school specialist? – Contract with a licensed psychologist; Contract with school system; Private Practice; or other.”
In an item about qualifications, the authors asked which training and credentials the community members considered important: School Specialist Degree, internship, NASP academic program or equivalent, NCSP written exam, Jurisprudence Exam, criminal background check, continuing education.
The survey also asked respondents to list competencies they viewed as important for the school specialist. These included instructional design, organization and operation of schools, psychoeducational assessment, social-emotional assessment, consultation, behavior management, professional and legal issues, counseling, and practicum.
Executive Director Kelly Parker explained to the Times that she will be keeping the survey open for additional responses from community members. The survey can be found on the LSBEP website under the news section.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.