Policies Advancing the Comprehensive Role of School Psychologists

Advancing the comprehensive role of school psychologists, as defined by the NASP Practice Model, is essential to ensuring that all students have access to the full range of school psychological services they need to be successful. The NASP Practice Model delineates what services can reasonably be expected from school psychologists across 10 domains of practice and the general framework within which services should be provided.

When districts adopt the NASP Practice Model, it enables school psychologists to practice within a comprehensive role and greatly improves schools' capacity to meet the learning, social-emotional, and mental and behavioral health needs of students. There is growing recognition across the country of the need for more school psychologists, largely related to mental health, safety, and crisis. In reality, school psychologists' actual roles differ significantly from state to state and even between districts within states with some school psychologists serving exclusively in a special education assessment role, while others provide comprehensive academic, behavioral, and mental health services as well as work at the systems level to create safe, supportive learning environments for all students.  

Your Voice Matters

Below are a set of resources to help individuals and state associations advocate for the role of a school psychologist as a comprehensive school mental and behavioral health provider. You are encouraged to consult these resources to help you organize and plan for your professional and/or legislative advocacy activities. These materials can, and should, be adapted to meet the unique needs of your local communities and states. For information and resources relating to basic advocacy skills, check out NASP's Policy Playbook.