The University of California, Berkeley is the administrative and training hub for B-PIC. UC Berkeley is a public, regionally accredited university with three primary missions: Teaching, research, and public service. UC Berkeley has a California and APA-accredited graduate program in the specialty of school psychology. Established in 1965, the aim of the School Psychology Program is to train knowledgeable and highly competent health service psychologists, with a specialization in school psychology, who are capable of functioning as scientist-practitioners in a variety of environments, including academic institutions, diverse public schools, and independent practice. Faculty from the School Psychology program are all members of the B-PIC Training Committee and as such they participate in the development and review of training curriculum, policies, and procedures. In addition, they provide didactic training and group supervision to interns.
B-PIC has 3 member school districts that provide training sites. Each district can provide the full range of clinical and training experiences necessary for interns to develop the competencies required for entry level practice upon completion. All three districts offer comprehensive psychological services, and interns play a role in the service delivery systems that are in place in each district. Each district offers some opportunities to do work with the general education population (typically developing children) as well as children with different types of disabilities and levels of impairment. Each site accepts at least 1 intern each year.
The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) is a large district located in an urban setting in the San Francisco Bay Area that serves a very diverse student population. The district’s mission statement is as follows: “Every day we provide each and every student the quality instruction and equitable support required to thrive in the 21st century.” The student population consists of approximately 57,000 children in Grades Pre-K through 12th grade that are served across 130 school settings. The student population is approximately 7% Black, 35% Asian, 27% Latino, 15% White, 5% Filipino, and 5% multi-racial (5% declined to state). Over half the student population (55%) come from economically disadvantaged homes and 28% are English Language Learners who speak a native language other than English. Approximately 12% of students have been identified as having disabilities and receive Special Education services. The most prevalent types of diagnoses include Learning Disabilities, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (anxiety, depression, ADHD, ODD), Autism, and Intellectual Disability.
The Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) is a large district located in an urban setting in the San Francisco Bay Area that serves a very diverse student population. The district’s mission statement is as follows: “Oakland Unified School District will build a Full-Service Community District focused on high academic achievement while serving the whole child, eliminating inequity, and providing each child with excellent teachers, every day.” The student population consists of approximately 49,000 children in Grades Pre-K through 12th grade that are served across 120 school settings. The student population is approximately 24% Black, 13% Asian, 42% Latino, 12% White, 1% Filipino, and 5% multi-racial (3% declined to state). Three-quarters of the student population come from economically disadvantaged homes and 33% are English Language Learners who speak a native language other than English. Approximately 13% of students have been identifying as having disabilities and receive Special Education services. The most prevalent types of diagnoses include Learning Disabilities, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (anxiety, depression, ADHD, ODD), Autism, and Intellectual Disability.
Piedmont Unified School District (PUSD) is a small district located in a semi-suburban city in the San Francisco Bay Area. The district’s mission statement is as follows: “Piedmont Unified, an exemplary school district committed to public education, is dedicated to developing independent learners who are responsible, competent, collaborative, compassionate, and intellectually curious with a strong sense of self and community.” The student population consists of approximately 2,600 children in kindergarten through 12th grade that are served across six schools. The demographics of the student body is 3% Black, 20% Asian, 3% Hispanic, and 74% White. English Learners and economically disadvantaged students each comprise 2% of the student population, respectively. Approximately 14% of students have been identified as having disabilities and receive Special Education services. The most prevalent types of diagnoses include Learning Disabilities, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (anxiety, depression, ADHD, ODD), Autism, and Intellectual Disability.
All three school districts have opportunities for interns to work with a range of ages from kindergarten through 12th grade, and interns in SFUSD have the unique opportunity to work with preschoolers. Interns in SFUSD and OUSD have the opportunity to work with a very diverse population of students, with regard to both ethnicity and languages spoken. Interns in PUSD have the opportunity to work in a “Wellness Center” that provides mental health services to high school students with and without disabilities.
Each school district offers these specific training experiences to interns:
· Participating in multidisciplinary team meetings (Student Study Team, Coordination of Services Team, Individualized Educational Plan/Special Education Team).
· Providing consultation to parents, other school professionals, and others from community agencies as interventions for students are developed and implemented.
· Playing a role in the implementation of multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), including screening and data analysis to determine levels of need and guide the selection and implementation of appropriate interventions.
· Conducting comprehensive evaluations, diagnosing disabilities (autism, intellectual disability, learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), determining Special Education eligibility, and contributing to the development of Individual Educational Plans.
· Delivering evidence-based interventions for students presenting with different types of psychopathology, disabilities, and levels of impairment (i.e., mental health counseling for students with emotional/behavioral disorders such anxiety, depression, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, etc.).
· Participating on crisis response teams.