An Examination Of The Roles Of State School Psychology Consultants

Abstract

With the increasing visibility of state school psychology consultants (SSPCs) across the nation, there is a pressing need to understand their roles and functions relative to serving their stakeholders. In addition, it is unclear whether current SSPC job responsibilities are aligned with the National Association of School Psychologists’ (NASP) practice model, which can help ensure the quality of school psychological service delivery. A qualitative case study design was conducted with interviews to examine the job responsibilities of SSPCs (e.g., provision of consultation, policy guidance, professional development, coordination of professional resources and services). The qualitative analysis revealed three main themes: (a) service provision, (b) collaborative roles and efforts, and (c) systems improvement across the state, which were aligned with different levels of domains in the NASP practice model. The findings can help inform the roles and responsibilities of SSPCs and the development of new SSPC functions. Implications for conceptualization of the SSPC initiative in relation to the NASP practice model for future practice are discussed.