School Psychology and Family Services: Meeting the Challenges in California’s 21st Century

Abstract

As American society continues to evolve, the practice of school psychology is under increasing pressure to change. In California, as in many other culturally diverse and highly urban states, these rapid changes are paralleled by the increasing high risk conditions affecting children and their families. School psychologists are ideally suited to help direct the course of much of that change. They can address these challenges by becoming knowledgeable and supporting innovative practices that serve the whole family. This article describes the growing and promising trend toward school-based family services. The authors provide evidence to support this trend as an innovative, culturally appropriate model for providing services to children and their families. As school reform continues to accelerate, this article provides a strong rationale for the exercise of leadership by school psychologists. Their training is best aligned with the skills necessary to implement effective school-based family services models.