School Psychologist - Hawaii District - West Hawaii

About the role

This posting is being used to fill School Psychologist positions that provide services to students at various schools within the Hawaii District as needed and assigned by the West Hawaii Special Education/Special Services Office.

Responsibilities

• Provide educational personnel, parents and families with school psycho-educational services designed to enhance the mental health, behavioral, personality, social competency, academic or educational status of students, which include individual or group assessments;
• Develop behavior management plans;
• Develop classroom-based interventions;
• Conduct individual and/or group student counseling sessions;
• Provide counseling and appropriate support services for students with mental health related needs, in coordination with other professionals;
• Design and develop procedures that promote psychological well-being and facilitate learning for students;
• Plan skill-enhancing activities for others regarding issues of human learning, development and behavior (e.g. in-service training, parent education, etc.);
• Develop collaborative relationships with school personnel (e.g. faculty, counselors, other disciplines, etc.) for provision of psycho-educational services and program evaluation purposes;
• Counsel families on psychological and behavioral needs of students in collaboration with school counselors or other professionals;
• Advise school personnel on matters related to behavioral/social/emotional concerns of students;
• Participate in planning and implementation of crisis intervention services as appropriate, with school administrators, faculty and support staff;
• Advise school personnel on appropriate selection and use of psycho-educational instruments to test special needs students;
• Plan, coordinate and/or arrange for in-service training for school personnel in pre-referral intervention and teacher assist team strategies; screening and evaluation techniques; in-school interventions and program modifications; functional behavior analyses; child growth and development; etc.
• Monitor the identification and evaluation components for students with special needs as required by State and federal rules and regulations;
• Advise school staff on individual and group assessment procedures;
• Advise school personnel on the implementation of systems of accountability and outcome evaluation for interventions and other services provided in schools;
• Conduct school needs surveys and screen groups of students for school failure and adjustment problems, in collaboration with school counselors.

Requirements

• Prerequisite Knowledge and Abilities Required: Knowledge of: Role and function of school psychologists, child and adolescent development; individual differences and exceptionalities; theories of learning, intelligence, and personality; counseling and interventions; the use of interpretation of psycho-educational tests; principles and practices of education; physiological psychology; statistics and research methodology; principles of legal and ethical issues in professional practices; applicable State and federal rules and regulations.
• Ability to: Implement school psychological services and school-based mental-health related services; apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations; participate as a team member and group facilitator; demonstrate effective organizational, time management, and decision-making skills; develop and maintain collaborative working relationships with personnel in various disciplines; prepare clear and concise reports and communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; develop and maintain professional integrity and excellence by actively engaging in activities such as workshops, seminars, and related training that are designed to maintain, expand and extend professional knowledge and skills.

Qualifications

• At a minimum, applicants must possess one of the following:
• A master's degree from a regionally accredited college or university in school psychology; and a 1200-hour internship of which 600 hours must have been in an elementary, middle or secondary school setting, provided that when the internship is of less than 1200 hours and/or 600 hours in a school setting, one additional year of supervised professional work as a school psychologist in a school setting shall meet the required internship experience;
• A master's degree from a regionally accredited college or university in educational psychology, counseling psychology or closely related field in a psychology profession that included graduate courses in human learning and development, psycho-educational assessment, individual differences, remedial and special education, principles of legal and ethical issues in the field of education or psychology, statistics, research methodology; and a 1200-hour internship of which 600 hours must have been in an elementary, middle or secondary school setting, provided that when the internship is of less than 1200 hours and/or 600 hours in a school setting, one additional year of supervised professional work in a psychology profession in a school setting shall meet the required internship experience;
• Current school psychologist license or certification issued by another State;
• Current Nationally Certified School Psychologist certification from the National Association of School Psychologists.

Driver's License Requirement

Some positions require possession of a current, valid driver's license.

Supplemental Information

Salary: The advertised salary is based on full-time employment and includes shortage and school year differentials, if applicable.

Requirements: Applicants must meet all the requirements for the position they are seeking as of the date of the application, unless otherwise specified. Unless specifically indicated, the required education and experience may not be gained concurrently. Calculation of experience is based on full-time, 40-hour workweeks. Part-time experience is pro-rated.

Example: Twelve months of experience at 20 hours/week is equivalent to six months of experience, not one year. Also, hours worked in excess of 40 hours/week will not be credited. Example: Twelve months of experience at 60 hours/week is equivalent to one year of experience, not one and a half years.

Temporary Assignment: Claims of Temporary Assignment (TA) experience to meet the minimum qualification requirements must be verified and attached to the application using one of the options below:

• A copy of the applicant’s TA History Report or equivalent system-generated report;
• A signed letter from the applicant’s supervisor that includes the applicant’s name, his/her TA job title, the TA start and end dates (from mm/yy to mm/yy), his/her specific TA duties performed, and either the TA hours worked per week or total TA hours worked;
• Copies of the applicant’s signed SF-10 Forms.

Documents: Attach all relevant supporting documents to your application. Documents that were attached to applications submitted before November 16, 2023 do not automatically attach or transfer to applications submitted on and after December 16, 2023. All submitted documents become the property of the Hawaii State Department of Education.

Information about Temporary Positions: Temporary positions may be extended year to year, dependent upon funding and departmental needs. Making yourself available for temporary positions increases your employment possibilities and may lead to permanent opportunities. A person hired for a temporary position may also become a temporary employee upon satisfactory completion of the initial probation period of at least six months. Once a temporary employee, you would be eligible to apply for promotion and transfer opportunities to permanent as well as other temporary positions. You may also enjoy other rights and benefits as afforded to an employee in a permanent position, with the exception of return rights and placement rights associated with a reduction-in-force.

Equal Opportunity: The Hawaii State Department of Education does not discriminate in its educational policies, programs, and activities on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, and disability in accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991. The Department does not discriminate in its employment policies, programs, and activities on the basis of sexual orientation, arrest and court record, and National Guard participation, as well as on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, and disability, in accordance with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991, Equal Pay Act of 1963, and Chapter 378, Part I, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

Payday: New employees can expect their first paycheck within the first 3 pay periods of their start date. Payday is on the 5th and 20th (or previous business day) of every month. 12-month civil service and SSP employees enjoy a range of competitive benefits:

• Holidays: You may be eligible for 13 paid holidays each year; 14 holidays during an election year.
• Vacation: Employees of Bargaining Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 and 13 earn 21 days per year.
• Sick Leave: Employees of Bargaining Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 and 13 earn 21 days per year. Accumulated (unused) credits may be used toward computing retirement benefits.
• Health Insurance: If eligible, the State pays a part of the premiums for each employee's enrollment in a State sponsored Medical, Drug, Vision, and Adult Dental Plan.
• Group Life Insurance: The State provides a free life insurance policy for employees and retirees.
• Premium Conversion Plan: Participating employees may increase their take-home pay by having the State deduct the cost of health care premiums before payroll taxes are withheld.
• Flexible Spending Accounts: Eligible employees can reduce their federal and state income taxes and social security taxes through a tax-savings benefit program called Island Flex. This program allows employees to set aside money from their paychecks to pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses and eligible dependent care expenses on a BEFORE-TAX basis.
• Retail Plan: The State contributes to a retirement plan for eligible employees. Generally, employees with at least 10 years of credited service and who have reached 62 years of age or have 30 years of credited service and are 55 years old may retire and receive benefits.
• Tax Shelter Annuity (TSA): If eligible, Department employees are able to participate in a tax shelter annuity program. The TSA plan allows eligible employees to contribute pre-tax dollars to an employ