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.