Ethical and Responsible Practice for Psychologists Working with Schools From Consultation to IEEs

For psychologists working with children and adolescents, clinical work almost always intersects with schools.  Whether through school staff reviewing your assessment report, formal consultation arrangements between the psychologist and school/district, or even as independent evaluator, all psychologists working with children eventually interact with schools in some manner.  While in all cases psychologists complete evaluations presumably independent of bias, working with schools presents unique practical and ethical challenges that may differ according to context and role.  It is critical that psychologists have a firm understanding of their role, laws governing public education, and the needs of the various stakeholders involved.  This workshop offers practical guidance for involvement in these “quasi-forensic” evaluations which present unique challenges that may not be evident in typical clinical cases.  Special emphasis is given to Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs) as this is a potentially fruitful and valuable line of service within the purview of psychologists.

Objectives

Objective #1 Based on the content of this program, participants will be able to describe laws governing the identification, eligibility, and service delivery for students with special needs.
Objective #2 Based on the content of this program, participants will be able to describe aspects of eligibility determination schools use that are distinctly different from typical clinical service models.
Objective #3 Based on the content of this program, participants will be able to describe the dispute resolution process for disagreements between schools and families.