The School Psychology Practicum and Internship Handbook

The first guide created specifically for school psychology practica and internships

Tailored to the unique educational requirements of school psychology, this is the first complete guide for practica and internships for school psychology students and faculty. Replete with practical information and advice, the book introduces students to a variety of professional issues they may be required to navigate during their supervised field-based experiences. The book covers all aspects of the entry-level practicum ranging from orientation to the professional’s role, to portfolio and competency-based evaluations and navigating relationships with supervisors. It addresses advanced clinical applications including systems-level school initiatives, practice in mental health settings, cross-comparison of educational and medical classification models, field-based research considerations and more. Coverage of the internship year discusses how to select an internship site, writing a winning vita, the application process, applying for the first career position, interviewing and negotiation skills, as well as certification and licensure. Content reflects NASP and APA standards, guidelines, and best practices with an emphasis on supporting high quality field-based training experiences.

Additionally, the text offers tools for organizing assessments, consultations, and interventions. Practical recommendations address professional conduct, child abuse reporting, and field experience documentation. Learning is enhanced with the use of diagrams, charts, and sample documents. Chapters include learning objectives, case examples and vignettes for discussion and problem solving, and chapter summaries. Additional online and reproducible resources offer instructors templates for psychological reports, performance evaluations, record-keeping forms and logs, practicum syllabi and internship contracts that are consistent with NASP and APA principles.

Key Features:

• Provides a strong foundation for initial field-based experiences from beginning practicum through the internship and job search
• Reflects the unique practice settings of school psychology
• Embraces NASP and APA standards, DSM-5, Response-to-Intervention (RtI) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) models for school psychology practice
• Enhanced with special features such as learning objectives. case vignettes, sample forms, and end-of-chapter reviews
• Written by experienced practicum and internship supervisors and recognized authorities on the preparation and development of school psychologists