SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – This year more than ever before, perhaps, the role of the school psychologist is vital to make sure the needs of students and educators are met.

Nov. 9 – 13 is National School Psychology Week, which highlights “the important work school psychologists and other educators do to help all students thrive,” according to nasponline.org.

It’s a team effort, with school psychologists working with school counselors and social workers as a trio in schools across the country.

The theme for this year that was decided pre-pandemic for the National Association of School Psychologists is “The Power of Possibility.”

In a constantly changing school landscape, the possibility of consistency is something to look for.

“The biggest thing really would be no matter what the system you’re in or how rapidly that’s changing, what can you do as a parent?” said school psychologist Bethanie Monsen-Ford. “What can you do as a parent? What can you do as an educator to keep consistent?”

She said there are several important things parents and teachers can do:

• Listen to your children and students – really listen
• Be empathetic because everyone is feeling the stress
• Work toward problem solving
• Find positives and express gratitude

“The biggest thing that we can look to is our ratio and knowing that we want to be able to engage with your student on a more frequent basis to problem solve and support you and your families,” Monsen-Ford said.

The recommended ratio she mentioned is to make sure there are enough psychologists for students, which is one psychologist to every 500-700 students.

In Utah, that number is closer to one psychologist for every 2,300 students.