Emily Adams

PSY 680
Service Delivery Model
I understand the tasks in the field of school psychology to vary greatly
with regard to the demands of the state, district and school. Considering this
is my first semester in the school psychology program, I am relatively open
to what might be in store for me once I am employed. However, I am aware
that in order to avoid burnout, I need to advocate for myself the areas of the
job I would like to spend most of my time doing, and communicate my
interests with staff. The following is the proportions I hope to dedicate my
time and energy toward. I realize my knowledge of everything a school
psychologist does is narrowed, so I plan to revise these allotments
throughout my experience in this program.
Consultation: 12% Although at this point in time, the thought of
consulting with parents about their child seems extremely daunting, I believe
the communication to and from the parent is an essential part to the
successful well-being of the child in their social and academic lives. My fears
are that parents will be defensive about their behaviors or their opinions
about what is best for their child. If the parent isnt committed to any aid the
school wants to introduce, it would be difficult for the child to reach their full
potential. I believe that one of my strengths is interpersonal skills, so I hope,
with time and experience, that these fears are replaced with eagerness and
proactivity. The idea of consulting with teachers seems like we would see
more eye-to-eye than with parents, but motivations, opinions and energies

vary. I am, however, excited to talk with students about where and why they
have difficulties.
Prevention: 15% I am very interested in identifying learning
difficulties as early as possible in academia. The more time we can spend
trouble-shooting with the student, the more options we can try. The earlier
we start attempting to understand the child needs, the earlier we are able to
determine whether they require minor or major adjustments to their
environment. This isnt limited to their academic success, but emotional and
social success as well that may be displayed in the academic setting. I am
interested in educating about prevention as well. Prevention can occur by
spreading awareness to parents and teachers about early warning signs
children display, and educating on the proper procedures that should follow.
Another way to spread awareness is by teaching tolerance and acceptance of
individual and group differences. This can be accomplished through
campaigns, diversity-celebrating days, ally-training workshops, school
assemblies, etc.
Intervention: 15% Intervention allows school psychologists to impact
students beyond special education. I hope to have the opportunity to
incorporate more intervention for mental health services in general. This
would include counseling/support groups for many behavioral management
issues such as anger, grief, social skills, counseling for families, and
substance-use prevention among others. I would also like to include conflict

resolution workshops for staff and students, since having the resources to
deal with your own conflicts will instill self-empowerment.
Assessment: 15% I am very interested in assessments, fortunately,
because in school psychology theyre unavoidable. However, I dont believe
that by assessing students we are solving all their problems. I think that
sometimes by assessing the students, we are attempting to understand
where they may need help when interventions dont work. Interviews are
involved with in this process which is something I look forward to, since I like
the idea of getting to the roots of an issue. However assessments are
usually followed by report writing, which isnt something I look forward to,
but is inevitable and necessary. The major portion of conducting
assessments is when it involves children who only need minor adjustments in
their day, rather than possibly being placed in special education classroom
prematurely. I hope the interventions where I am placed are functional, and
if they arent I will do my best to improve them.
Education: 20% I am interested in program development to help
teachers understand how certain classroom management techniques can
immensely contribute to a childs learning ability. It may be as simple as
rearranging desks, or minimizing distracting furnishings, or sometimes
educating the teacher about the most effective way to speak to certain
students with difficulties. I understand this will be time-consuming and the
demands of my job will limit this area, but I remain hopeful to fit it in when I

want to. I am also interested in developing effective crisis management

programs. Crises are inevitable in a school, and with an effective program in
place, students will feel safe and cared for, and staff will feel competent and
prepared. An LGBT youth support and relational aggression prevention are
programs I am very interested in providing and increasing awareness of in
the school system. I would also like to implement workshops for parents to
learn more about the education system and all the ways they can be an
advocate for their child by working with school staff.
Research and planning: 13% Since I am very interested in
implementing new programs, I need to evaluate their efficacy before
implementing them into my school. Researching these programs is
something that is necessary, but I hope it wont take up a large amount of
my time. I hope to be efficient at gathering the information about a specific
program, then if it seems like a good fit, implement it, and if it doesnt end
up fitting well, being able to accept the criticism and try something else. I do
hope to stay current on new research and information available that applies
to the field, I just hope it wont take up a lot of time I could be devoting to
other areas.
Health care provisions: 10% I look forward to working with the
community to integrate health-related resources into the school. School
psychologists recognize that medical conditions of can largely impact
learning and behavior in a student. Examples of these conditions are eating

disorders, ADHD, substance abuse, suicidal risk, depression, autism,

cerebral-palsy, etc. As the school psychologist I would use
consultation/counseling, intervention, and referral for students with medical
or health-related issues. I would work with the families to help them develop
coping skills and educational tools to aid in the students academic, social,
and emotional success. This is definitely going to be something I will spend
time doing and I will be happy attending to, but in comparison to other areas
I think it will be the least absorbing of my time.
This framework I have developed is only preliminary and is bound to
change in the near future and progressively after that. Because this field is
constantly changing, I am thankful for my strengths of flexibility and
adaptability. I am also thankful for my ability to work well with other people
in a cooperative effort as well as my willingness to continue learning and
growing.

Prevention
Education
Research & Planning
Health Care Provision
Consultation
Assessment
Intervention