As one of two psychologists in a district with an estimated 5,900 students, Angela Eden has a unique position with Anderson Community Schools.
Each psychologist at ACS is responsible for nearly 3,000 students, which is not unique at the national level, but is higher than the state average of 1:1,694.
Eden and other school psychologists handle a variety of tasks each day, including psychological testing, behavioral observations and behavior planning.
A recent work day found Eden at Valley Grove Elementary School observing a student’s classroom behavior.
Her observations would be factored into a behavior plan. Each plan, Eden explained, has a set of goals. She used an example of a student engaging in disruptive behavior to explain how behavior plans work.
Getting the student to do what they are supposed to do 80% of the time, she said, is an ideal goal. Full compliance — 100% — she said, is unrealistic for anyone.
Additionally, Eden and other school psychologists are tasked with making sure a student’s educational experience is tailored to his or her needs.
This is often done through an Individualized Education Plan, or IEP, which needs to be approved by a case committee before a special education teacher writes the plan.
“It could be support for reading, math, writing, breaks, behavior, attention,” she explained. “It depends on what the student needs.”
High student-to-psychologist ratios are not limited to Indiana.
ACS’ student to psychologist ratio is similar to states like Texas and Mississippi, which have a ratios as high as 1:3,500, according to the National Association of School Psychologists. The organization recommends a ratio of 1:1,000.
High ratios can mean high rates of burnout for school psychologists, according to Matt Mannis, a representative of the Indiana Association of School Psychologists, and a school psychologist for the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation in Mishawaka.
“Whenever you’re working with students who have mental or behavioral health problems, that’s already taxing,” Mannis said. “When you multiply that by the volume (of cases), it’s a very difficult job to sustain.”
Filling the gaps is difficult as school psychologists are in short supply. Mannis attributed the shortage to several factors, including a lack of understanding about the profession and the high cost of qualifications.
Most people, he said, think school psychologists are synonymous with school counselors. However, they are the only mental health professionals qualified to administer IQ, emotional and behavioral tests.
Becoming a school psychologist requires graduate and post-graduate study, which can be costly. Indiana requires at least a 60-hour master’s or specialist degree in school psychology, according to the NASP.
Students aspiring to enter the profession often have limited options for pursuing a degree, as the number of accredited programs available is decreasing. Universities including St. Francis and Valparaiso have closed their programs.
Universities including Ball State and Indiana State offer school psychology programs, but at different levels.
The federal government has made strides toward helping to alleviate those costs, according to Kelly Vaillancourt Strobach, director of policy and advocacy for the National Association of School Psychologists.
The Trump Administration supported grants that, she believes, helped to alleviate costs. She hopes Trump will continue to support such grants once he takes office later this month.
District pay is another contributing factor. When Mannis started working for his current school district, he was paid a teacher’s salary, which he said isn’t sustainable for a mental health professional.
Some school psychologists, like Eden, begin their careers as teachers, but want to transition to a more clinical career path. However, that’s not easy.
“I had to quit (my teaching job) and go to school full-time, three years at Ball State,” she said.
“Not everybody can do that. If there were weekend programs, evening programs, just a way to help educators make a bridge if they want (enter) to this field, that would be great. I think that would solve the shortage.”
Recent changes at the state level, including a law change allowing school districts to bill Medicaid for services, have increased districts’ resources, resulting in a pay hike for Mannis. It also hired a few more school psychologists, reducing the others’ caseloads.
He called upon the state leaders to invest more in public schools’ mental health infrastructure, adding that school is likely the only place most students will receive mental health care.
“Children are very under-served,” Mannis said.