State College Area School District schoolpsychologist Dr. Jessica Dirsmith has received the School Psychologist of the Year Award for Pennsylvania, given by the Association of School Psychologists of Pennsylvania at its annual conference.
She is now eligible for the national award from the National Association of School Psychologists. Dirsmith was recognized for her work as a practitioner, university-level advisor and teacher and advocate for the profession, according to the district.
“I can say without hesitation that I have selected the right career for me,” Dirsmith said in a news release. “I love what I do. I am proud of what I do.”
Dirsmith was nominated by a colleague and selected from a pool of candidates drawn from thousands of school psychologists across the state.
“It is a lifelong honor that I will cherish and continue to be humbled by, a reminder to me to continue to put forth my best effort everyday to better support our students and hopefully make a positive impact on their lives,” she said.
A psychologist with the district for the past five years, Dirsmith works with the Delta, Reclaiming Individual Talent (RIT) and Hearts programs. She has led implementation of a pre-referral system for Delta, as well as efforts for improved social, emotional and behavioral screening and interventions for all K-12 alternative education students.
Sharon Salter, SCASD director of special education, said Dirsmith is a leader in the school psychology department.
‘She is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to legal and ethical case law,’ Salter said. ‘Jess always has the reference and research article to support our efforts as a department. She is a problem solver and often reminds us of our role and purpose in SCASD.’
Dirsmith graduated from Penn State and earned her doctoral degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She teaches in Penn State’s school psychology department and supervises practicum students and doctoral level clinicians.
She works with Delta middle and high school students to promote social, emotional and physical health. She also conducts evaluations for local private and charter schools.
“School psychologists are in a unique situation due to the fact that a lot of the work they do is one-on-one with students behind closed doors,’ Delta Director Jon Downs said. ‘Jess makes a concerted effort to stay as involved as possible, which leads her to have a great grasp on the culture of our school.”
Dirsmith’s research has focused on ‘the placement of school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports, particularly with low-socioeconomic populations; the prevention and intervention of child and adolescent emotional and behavioral problems in underserved student populations; and the integration of mental health care into schools and primary pediatric health care settings,’ according to the district.
She also serves on a state committee for writing guidelines for underserved gifted students.
Dirsmith said she is honored to work in a school district that ‘fully supports prevention and intervention.”
Photo by Nabil K. Mark / State College Area School District
