Nevada State Receives CCSD Grant to Expand Mental Health Personnel in Schools
On Thursday, May 19, 2022, Nevada State College was granted $175,000 by the Clark County Board of School Trustees to support one licensed full-time employee at Nevada State who will assist with efforts in building the pipeline for school-based mental health roles. The position will assist Nevada State with expansion efforts in school psychology, social work, and school counseling pipeline programs. Nevada State will also be responsible for providing an annual impact report to the Superintendent of Schools.
“Nevada needs more school psychologists to support the mental health needs of students,” said Nevada State President DeRionne Pollard. “This position will help expand the pipeline of school psychologists, preparing them for their careers with robust skills and knowledge, ultimately launching the cycle of young children developing into thriving adults. We are grateful for the support of Superintendent Jara and his recognition of Nevada State as a trusted partner.”
“CCSD needs more psychologists than can be recruited or Nevada is currently producing. We needed them before the pandemic, and our students need every support we can provide them after COVID-related disruptions and the traumas it caused. And we will need them post-pandemic, said Dr. Jesus Jara, superintendent.” “A special thanks to Dr. Pollard, who innovated with us to address these issues and grow our own, rather than rely on others to solve this problem.”
While the National Association of School Psychologists recommends one school psychologist for approximately 600 students, Nevada currently has only one school psychologist for nearly 2,200 students. As Nevada is short of fully prepared school psychologists, Nevada State will assist in closing the gap by creating an education specialist (Ed.S) degree in school psychology beginning in the fall 2023 semester. This degree will be brought forward for full consideration to the Nevada System of Higher Education, Board of Regents.
Following the higher education components of the ARTERY (Active Recruitment, Training and Educator Retention to Serve our Youth) Pipeline Framework for school psychologists, Nevada State will look to create earlier entry points, create designated career ladders, retain students from the local communities, and prepare students for graduate study in school psychology.
About Nevada State College
Nevada State College, a four-year public institution, is a member of the Nevada System of Higher Education. Nevada State places a special emphasis on the advancement of a diverse and largely under-served student population. Located on a developing 512-acre campus in the foothills of Henderson, Nevada, the college was established in 2002 as a new tier in the state system between the research universities and the two-year colleges and, as such, is Nevada’s only state college. Nevada State College is one of the fastest-growing colleges in the country and the fastest growing in Nevada. It currently has more than 7,000 students and more than 800 full- and part-time employees. For more information, visit http://nsc.edu.
Established in 1956, the Clark County School District (CCSD) is the number one choice for families and students. We educate 305,000 students – offering a variety of nationally recognized programs, including Magnet Schools, Career and Technical Academies, and Advanced Placement programs. CCSD educates 64 percent of the students in Nevada and works closely with community partners and business leaders to educate students to compete in a global economy.