There are many conceptions of alternative education placement (AP). Some may picture an educational environment designed for students who have behavioral or mental health challenges, while others may imagine a boarding school or even a home-based learning environment. Indeed, a large number of settings in the United States qualify as…

Alternative education programs or schools can be defined in several ways, and individuals may have various perspectives on what alternative programs are expected to be. For some, alternative placements may be seen as a setting for students who experience difficulty within public schools, some may think of an exclusive boarding school, or some…

The NASP advocacy team and Government and Professional Relations (GPR) Committee have been working tirelessly to advocate for the profession, solutions to the shortages, school safety, and access to comprehensive school mental health services. This article provides a brief summary of the critical advocacy work that has occurred over the last…

Within classrooms and school settings, school psychologists are positioned to make significant impact through providing education and advocacy around the practices that support equity-centered, trauma-informed care. This article explores how school psychologists and other school-based professionals can advocate for youth who have been exposed to…

The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Social Justice Committee's annual theme is "Supporting SOGD Youth: Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity." This is the first article in a two-part series reviewing key terminology and ways to support and advocate for youth with SOGD identities, with a focus on sexual and…

Advocacy has been a core function and expectation of school psychologists for over 50 years (Oyen et al., 2020; Skalski, 2012). It can take many forms, from staying up to date on critical issues in research to writing letters to elected officials to communicate support for proposed legislation. Given that school psychology state associations…

The legal landscape has significantly impeded LGBTQ+ youth's rights at home and in schools. Learn about introduced and passed laws, the impact experienced by LGBTQ+ students, and how school psychologists can preserve LGBTQ+ mental health in these challenging times.

In recent years, more and more information has emerged about the high prevalence and impact of childhood trauma. In response to many calls for more work and more resources on how best to support trauma-exposed youth, the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Social Justice Committee selected this topic as its programmatic focus for…

In schools, Indigenous students are more likely to receive exclusionary discipline and special education services related to emotional disturbance while the Indigenous concepts of disability and historical trauma often go unnoticed. This article provides an overview of the culturally responsive considerations practitioners should be cognizant of…

NASP has long focused on efforts to remedy the shortages in school psychology and it has been a strategic goal of the organization since 2012. NASP, state school psychology associations, and individual school psychologists have devoted countless hours to examining the myriad variables that impact the shortages and to propose and enact solutions.…

Engaging in mental health advocacy as a high schooler has granted the author the unique opportunity to observe some of the most inspiring manifestations of hope that humanity has to offer. Simultaneously, it has opened their my eyes to the systemic underrepresentation and misrepresentation of youth. The author has been mentored by their school…

In the field of school psychology, advocacy skills are both a professional competency and an ethical responsibility (National Association of School Psychologists [NASP], 2020). Ideally, school psychology training programs emphasize skills, strategies, and knowledge related to interpersonal communication, collaboration, data-based decision making,…

Advocating for social justice is one of the National Association of School Psychologists' (NASP's) five strategic goals, and school psychologists have an ethical and professional responsibility to ensure that all children and youth receive what they need for their educational success. In part 1 of this series the authors proposed that climate…

The National Association of Schools Psychologists (NASP) Communications Committee highlights the communication and advocacy efforts of the Monongalia County Schools in their purposeful pursuit of comprehensive implementation of the NASP Practice Model. Monongalia County Schools (MCS), located in suburban Morgantown, West Virginia, serves…

Five years ago, the Nevada Association of School Psychologists (NVASP) began to systematically identify issues across the state and local landscape that were negatively impacting the profession. By identifying one problem, they ended up identifying several critical issues as many of them influence and exacerbate each other. For example, in the…