Blog - in the news

I hope you’re well and looking forward to the summer break season.  I wanted to share all of the membership benefits you can expect as a NHASP Member in 2025-26.  If you are currently a Member, and renew before the end of this month (June), you can receive a $20 discount off the Regular rate of $70.  You should have received your first renewal reminder on May 2, which included a unique discount code. 

Membership benefits in 2025-26 will include:

• A live webinar in September with school psychology professor Dr. Sandy Chafouleas, which will be FREE for Members ($40 for non-members), regarding the Feel Your Best Self toolkit (1.5 CEU hours)
• The Member rate (saving you $40) for our Fall Conference 2025 in October, “Autism Spectrum Disorder in 2025: Theory, Assessment, and Difference vs. Disability” with psychologist Dr. Nancy Sullivan, Associate Director of the Autism Spectrum Center at Boston Children’s Hospital (6 CEU hours)
• Professional Learning Community discussions twice a month on Zoom: one offering at lunchtime (Case Studies), and another offering after school at 4:00 (Topical Discussions)
• Early Career Group discussions once a month on Zoom, after school at 4:00, for early-career practitioners
• An Event Calendar on the website to help you keep track of these meetings, all the professional development offerings, our Executive Board meetings (which you can attend), and more
• Access to the NHASP Facebook page for discussions and other social opportunities  
• Four new editions of the NHASP Note e-newsletter in 2025-26
• An archive of 17 years of NHASP newsletters (the Protocol and the Note), available only to Members
• Support from your Regional Representative and opportunities for Region gatherings
• And more… stay tuned

More information regarding the September and October PD events will be coming very soon.  Please reach out if there is anything I can do to support your decision-making.  And please see below for instructions on how to renew. 

Sincerely,

Joe Mahoney

NHASP President-Elect

Instructions

1. Click below: ‘click here to renew your membership online’

2. Log in as prompted

3. Click ‘Renew to 01 JUL 2026’

4. Click ‘Update and Next’

5A. Click ‘pay online’ and pay electronically -or-

5B. Click ‘invoice me’ and pay electronically from the email you receive

 

 Click here to renew your membership online 

Be sure your membership category & directory information are accurate.

For assistance, message us at https://www.nhaspweb.org/contact-us

Don't know your password? Reset it here:  

https://www.nhaspweb.org/Sys/ResetPasswordRequest

Travis Bickford attended UNH and received his school psychology degree from the University of Southern Maine in 2006. He's a nationally certified school psychologist and has been president of NHASP and has worked at Dover since 2006 becoming the district's lead psychologist in 2018. Travis is known for his flexibility and responsiveness and exemplary knowledge and performance in the field of school psychology. He is an innovative thinker who not only has the knowledge but the skill to work with students and families at their level. Parents and staff report they feel better when Travis is attending a challenging meeting because they know the students’ needs will be well represented and he will present student orientated solutions. He is has led district initiatives in SEL learning, including chairing the SEL task force which provided the district with baseline data on readiness and a blueprint on how to move forward in SEL. Travis has participated in a citywide review of the mental health response in collaboration with public safety officials and the mental health alliance developing a strategic plan to address recent trends and barriers in accessing mental health services in the City of Dover. Travis also has been integral in creating and implementing a critical incident response team and protocols that are now in place for the Dover Public schools and currently is in the new role as the district’s MTSS coordinator. Travis is a true student-centered individual. He brings a deep care and passion to his work, always putting everything about the needs of students first. He has a remarkable ability to connect with students, families, and staff, creating an environment of trust and support. He's deeply respected for his professional standards, willingness to go the extra mile and being originally from Maine his wonderful, wicked funny sense of humor rules the day.

Peg Dawson, Ed.D., NCSP, received her doctorate in school/child clinical psychology from the University of Virginia. She worked as a school psychologist for 16 years in Maine and New Hampshire, and for over 30 years has worked at the Center for Learning and Attention Disorders in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where she specializes in the assessment of children and adults with learning and attention disorders. Along with her colleague, Dr. Richard Guare, she has authored several books, including a book for professionals, Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents: A Practical Guide to Assessment and Intervention and several books for parents, Smart but Scattered, Smart but Scattered Teens and Smart but Scattered—and Stalled. They have also written a book for adults called The Smart but Scattered Guide to Success, and just revised a book on coaching called Coaching Students with Executive Skills Challenges. Dr. Dawson was a founding member of the New Hampshire Association of School Psychologists and served as its second president. She is also a past president of  the National Association of School Psychologists and the International School Psychology Association. She is also the 2006 recipient of NASP’s Lifetime Achievement Award and a 2010 recipient of the International School Psychology Association Distinguished Services Award. Peg is a prolific writer, presenter, mentor and instructor in executive skills. She has volunteered her time with NHASP throughout the years sponsoring a study group in executive skills offering her expertise and mentoring the next generation of school psychologists. Peg's dedication to the field is unmatched and her approachable style and willingness to share her talents has been such a gift to our field and professional development. 

The NH School Psychologist of the Year Award (SPY) recognizes excellence in the provision of school psychological services by an NHASP member. Nominees who are considered for the SPY Award provide a full range of school psychological services, perform the job in an exemplary manner, earn the respect of colleagues, students, and parents, display pride in NHASP and represent school psychology well, and are well informed about NHASP standards and goals.

For 2022, our award recipient is Kate O. Salvati, MS, NCSP of Strafford Learning Center. Kate is a true leader in the field and a champion for children, youth, and families. Her colleagues describe Kate as a compassionate and respectful practitioner, who is knowledgeable in best practices and able to foster positive partnerships with diverse stakeholders. She is always willing to help, and problem solve complex situations. One of Kate’s many strengths is her ability to break down insights and recommendations into digestible pieces so that all parties can comprehend and recognize how to best support a child. 

Kate has made meaningful contributions to Multi-Tiered Systems of Support throughout her career at the state and local school levels. She is committed to creating systems and services that promote safe and supportive school environments using current research related to fostering resilience, promoting mental health wellbeing, and nurturing social-emotional wellness for children. Beyond her role as a school psychologist, Kate extends her advocacy for the welfare of children by serving as a court-appointed special advocate (CASA) volunteer. 

Kate is the NASP Delegate for New Hampshire, former NHASP president (2005-2006 & 2013-2014), former NHASP Regional Representative – Seacoast, NHASP Ethics & Professional Standards Committee Member, NHASP Government & Professional Relations Committee Member, and an active NHASP representative at NASP Regional Leadership Meetings and the Public Policy Institute.

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.

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.

NHASP and the NH Association of Special Education Administrators (NHASEA) are proud to announce the joint adoption of a position statement on “The Appropriateness of Educational Teams Using Conditions and/or Diagnoses Identified by School Psychologists.” Adopted on November 18^th (NHASP) and November 20^th (NHASEA) 2020, this statement clarifies that school psychologists are able to identify conditions and diagnoses that IEP and 504 teams can then use for eligibility decisions and program planning.

Both NHASP and NHASEA are excited to announce this position statement, which can be accessed at www.nhaspweb.org/papers. Association leaders will continue to partner to promote this statement and advocate for practice changes in our NH schools where needed. In brief, the statement outlines that school teams should not require families to provide a diagnosis from a community provider, such as a physician or a private psychologist before determining eligibility. Additionally, while multiple eligibility areas require the school obtain a health assessment as part of the comprehensive evaluation process, the health evaluation does not need to provide this diagnosis. Instead, the school psychologist can be the professional who identifies the condition or diagnosis for the team to consider, along with the results of evaluations completed by other professionals as part of the team process.

We encourage everyone to read the position statement and consider the implications for practices in their school. Watch for additional resources on this topic coming in the near future. Thank you to all who worked on this position statement, including the NHASP writing committee of Nate Jones (chair), Ryan Long, Dave Smith, and Jonas Taub; NHASEA executive director Jane Bergeron; and Michael Opuda and attorney Gerald Zelin from Drummond Woodsum.

Position Statement-Appropriate Use of Diagnoses

A group of NHASP leaders, led by Nate Jones, has developed a guidance document on school psychology and the return to learning. Recommendations for screening and individual evaluations are given, as well as considerations for how to maintain a broad scope of practice. 

School Psychology and the Return to Learning-Final.pdf

The NHASP Study Group on Executive Skills, led by Peg Dawson, has developed two documents. First is a set of "Tips for Caregivers and Parents on Schooling at Home: What Role Do Executive Skills Play." This wonderful set of tips can be used by everyone working with our students during this time of remote learning. The second is a Message for Teachers on Stress and Executive Skills. 

Tips on Schooling at Home EF Dawson[3435].pdf

Stress and executive skills-by P Dawson.pdf

Additionally, the NHASP Ethics Committee has provided a guide on the "Delivery of School Psychological Services in New Hampshire During COVID-19 School Closures." This guide outlines many of the important considerations for school psychologists during this time. 

NHASP COVID-19 RESPONSE.pdf

The NHASP Executive board created a practice guidance document on Social Justice. It outlines the role that school psychologists and NHASP has in Social Justice. This is a commitment to have social justice as a core value, underlying the work of school psychologists in New Hampshire. 

Social Justice Practice Guidance