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Psychological Services


About Us

Questions (Q:) and Answers (A:)
  • Q:  What is a school Psychologist?

    A:  A school psychologist is a behavioral specialist who is committed to the application of professional expertise to help parents, teachers, and schools work together for the benefit of the student.

    School psychology focuses on the psychological and educational development of individuals in the school environment. The psychologist enhances the educational process by evaluating the abilities and potentialities of students as well as addressing the emotional and social factors that influence learning.

  • Q:  Who makes use of psychological services?

    A:  

    • Teachers may notice that a child is not learning as well as expected, is often in trouble, does not get along well with classmates, or appears to be withdrawing.
    • Parents may have concerns about their children's social, emotional, or educational needs.
    • Students may have academic, personal, or relationship types of concerns which they would like to discuss in confidence.

  • Q:  What types of services are available?

    A:  

    • Providing information to school regarding students' abilities, strengths, weaknesses, and personality functioning is the most frequently used service. The school then utilizes this information to develop appropriate educational programs and strategies.
    • Consulting focuses on assisting others in dealing more effectively with children in terms of their mental health, behavior, and education.
    • Intervening directly with teachers, families, parents, or students, the psychologist provides specific services, such as counseling, and recommends techniques or programs which may enhance educational, emotional, social and vocational development.
    • Recommending resources in the community is often appropriate when the indicated services exceed those the school can provide. These might include family and/or individual counseling, pediatric/neurological evaluations, diagnostic and advisory evaluations, psychiatric evaluations, protective services, or drug/alcohol counseling.

  • Q:  How are these services obtained?

    A:   Referrals for psychological services originate in the local school Pupil Services Team Conference which is held on a regular basis. After a review of the case, the team may recommend that one or more specialists be assigned for further evaluation, study, or review. Before a child is seen by the psychologist, signed parent permission is obtained.

    The psychologist is also available for consultation on classroom, staff, school, and system wide concerns. School personnel with these types of concerns may directly contact the area psychologist.

  • Q:  When might psychological services be needed?

    A:  

    • Difficulty finishing work
    • Failing grades
    • Poor work habits and study skills

    Behavioral Problems
    • Aggressive behavior
    • Frequent discipline problems
    • Truancy
    • Withdrawing behavior

    Unsatisfactory Relationships
    • Child/Child
    • Parent/Child
    • Parent/Teacher
    • Teacher/Child






Resources for Teachers




Resources for Kids

  • FunBrain.com - Play interactive, educational games on the web that may help your math, science and grammar.
  • PBS Kids - Homepage for PBS Kids. The site includes information about their programming, interactive games, stories, music and coloring.
  • States and Capitals - Site offering information on all 50 states and their capitals.
  • The Awesome Talking Library - Quoted from the website: "By adding a voice to web pages, children and teens can learn to pronounce words as they read them. Awesome Talking Library (Awesone Talkster) inclues an anumated character, providing synchronized highlighting so that children can follow along even more easily. This multi-sensory approach is a powerful method for improving reading skills."



Internship Opportunities

Harford County Public Schools and the Office of Psychological, recognizes the importance of the internship experience for becoming a school psychologist. As such, we have been able to offer a few funded and unfunded internships each year. Each internship experience has been different, as we tailor the experience to meet the training needs of the student, as well as, their professional interests. We hope that you will consider Harford County for your internship experience. Online applications accepted annually in the fall. Click here to visit our online application.

2023-2024 School Psychology Internship information 



Employment Opportunities

Anyone who is interested in employment as a school psychologist for Harford County Public Schools should contact Shannon Hagan, Staff Management Team Leader, 102 S Hickory Ave, Bel Air, MD 410-588-5238

Applicants must meet the MSDE Certification requirements.

Please note that the Harford County Public School System does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, or disability in matters affecting employment or in providing access to programs. Inquiries related to the policies of the Board of Education of Harford County should be directed to the Director of Public Information, 410-588-5203 .

The following links provide additional information in regareds to employment and general school information: