We can work together to make specialized assessments and interventions available for kids where and when they need it 🫶 #schoolsmatter #strongertogether m.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf6O...

A good professional podcast in psychology and education is the Let's Talk: Youth Psychology Podcast found on Spotify.

Unlike the US, federal and provincial legislation do not delineate role or practices of Canadian school psychologists. Public policy must begin to highlight how school psychologists may address student mental health in schools. A national discussion needs to be fueled to make change.

An excellent collection of current issues and realities in school psychology across Canada

Did you know: The CPA is the only professional association that accredits and provides professional training standards for school psychology in Canada? The APA discontinued accreditation of programs starting in 2015. NASP has never accredited a program in Canada.

Evidence from literature in Canada indicate that the profession is "greying." The average age of practitioners, based on unique samples of Canadian professionals, is around 43 , with an average of 15 years of experience. This is similar to numbers reported in the US (NASP: Goforth et al., 2020).

Recruitment and retention issues are as vast as the distance many Canadian school psychologists must travel between their work sites. This affects the type and effectiveness of services a school psychologist may provide.

School psychology services for rural and isolated communities in Canada is sparse, as are other fundamental health services. School psychologists in these communities must wear many hats, which may put them at risk for issues such as role confusion, questionable practices, or professional burnout.

There is a shortage of school psychologists across Canada. This is at a time where access to critical mental health services for children and youth is becoming increasingly problematic. Canada needs more visibility of the profession, recruitment, training opportunities and programs.

It is important for school psychologists to understand how legislation and policy may impact employment and services. Each Province and Territory education system is mandated by their own department/ministry of education, not federally. Find out more about each Education Act here: cmec.ca/en/

Canadian school psychologists are trained to deliver key educational and mental health services in schools. Here are links to two key models of practice that they follow.

CPA: cpa.ca/cpasite/User...

NASP: www.nasponline.org/standards-an...

#schoolpsychology #schoolpsychologycanada #CPA #NASP