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NHASP Announces New Strategic Plan for 2021-2026

NHASP has long maintained a commitment to dedicated and strategic action on behalf of our membership. Part of that commitment is the reliance on a clear strategic plan to guide organizational decisions.  

In the spring of 2021, NHASP 2020-2021 president Travis Bickford announced the creation of an updated strategic plan for 2021-2026. This plan continues the strong traditions of NHASP as the leading organization for school psychologists in NH and continues to drive us to strengthen and expand our reach! 

In September 2020, NHASP leadership created a Strategic Plan Committee and recruited membership volunteers who were charged with developing a plan that would guide NHASP’s work over the next five years. The goals are purpose-driven, actionable, and aligned to NHASP’s envisioned future. Additionally, the NHASP strategic plan will be further defined and adapted with annual review and action planning. This continuous improvement process will help NHASP celebrate accomplishments, address lessons learned, and respond to the emerging needs of not only its membership, but also to the children and youth of New Hampshire.

Vision

All children and youth have access to safe and supportive environments that promote their learning, behavioral, and mental health so that they thrive develop and promote resilience throughout life.

Mission

NHASP serves its members by advocating for comprehensive and integrated school psychological services that advance the learning, behavior, and mental health of all children and youth of New Hampshire.

NHASP Announces the 2020-2021 NH School Psychologist of the Year!

The NHASP executive board is honored to announce that Dr. Laurie Brodeur from the Berlin Public School System was selected to be the 2021 NH School Psychologist of the Year. Dr. Brodeur’s compelling nominations came from the school district’s special services director, one of her building principals, and a teacher. Dr. Brodeur graduated with a Psy.D., in Psychology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1991. She has NH licenses for Psychologist and School Psychologist. Her career has included community-based clinical practice as well as school psychology. Much of her career has been in public service working in several area mental health agencies as a clinician and in leadership roles. She has been in the Berlin Public Schools since 2009. Even prior to earning her doctorate and licensure, Dr. Brodeur’s Vitae shows a history of public service in the field of mental health dating back to 1984.

Dr. Brodeur was described as being part of the fabric of the schools she works in, as well as within the greater Berlin community. Dr. Brodeur’s consumer-friendly approach when working with parents, teachers, and students was highlighted by all three of the individual’s who wrote letters on her behalf. It was clear to the nominating committee that Dr. Brodeur not only serves her school with excellence at the individual student level, but that she has been in a leadership role for building- and district-wide committees and teams. The Berlin School District’s Special Services Director described Dr. Brodeur as being integral in the past year helping the Berlin school district heal following sudden loss of two staff members, while leading the district’s crisis intervention team. “Dr Brodeur is the voice of calm and compassion regardless of the communities’ collective sadness,” wrote one of Dr. Brodeur’s building principals. The building principal went on to describe Dr. Brodeur as being the best school psychologist she has ever worked with, in a 27-year career. She stated that Dr. Brodeur played a key role in the school’s behavioral health intervention team, noting that the team often looks to her to guide case discussions and interventions. Her principal also described Laurie as having vast knowledge of pedagogy, noting that this with her compassion have been keys to her success.  Dr. Brodeur’s community-based mental health work was also the focus of her nomination letters, illustrating a long career marked by a commitment to public service in the field of mental health and school psychology.

Dr. Brodeur is retiring after the 2021 school year, and she is clearly very loved and appreciated by her school district, the schools she worked in, and in her community. Congratulations to Dr. Brodeur for outstanding representation of our field across multiple domains of School Psychology practice and best of luck in your future endeavors.

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NHASP is excited to announce the 2018 recipient of the New Hampshire School Psychologist of the Year, Felicia Sperry. Felicia currently serves as the school psychologist at Mast Way Elementary School in Lee, which is a part of the Oyster River Cooperative School District. During her time in the field, she has far exceeded any criteria needed to earn this prestigious award through both her contribution to students’ lives and school psychology. 

Although Felicia’s accomplishments are vast, her most recent leadership role on the district’s Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Committee is especially notable due to its far-reaching impact on the trajectory of students' mental health. Following tragic events within the district, the School Board tasked the two elementary schools with researching and implementing an evidenced-based social-emotional program that could be used across both schools. As the chair of the committee, Felicia led a group of educators and professional staff in researching applicable programs and determining which program best fit the needs of the schools. Following five years of committee work and discussions with administration, both elementary schools will pilot “Open Circle” during the 2018-2019 school year. While change takes time and can be contentious at times, 

Felicia never once wavered from what was best for children. She remained energetic, committed, and persevered through a lengthy and arduous process. Due to her unwavering efforts, both elementary schools will begin to better educate the “whole child.” This pilot will also involve teachers completing the DESSA for all students in their classrooms, which is a social-emotional monitoring tool. This process will better allow for early intervention for mental health concerns and places mental health on an equal playing field with academic learning. In addition to this accomplishment, Felicia has developed and shared a school-based program to assist elementary school students with vital executive functioning skills. This involves her teaching students in all third-grade classrooms about specific areas of the brain and their relationship to various executive functioning skills. Felicia has also developed supplemental resources for classroom teachers to allow for greater generalization of learned skills, as well as has offered ongoing professional development to other practicing school psychologists.

I have been blessed to have Felicia as my mentor this year and have gained immense knowledge through our consultations and collaboration. Felicia is a school psychologist who has never lost her joy for the profession or her quest for further knowledge. She is in every form of the word, a true change maker. It is a pleasure to work with, laugh with, and learn from. All students and professionals who have the opportunity to work with her are better for it.