Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Credential And Licensure
Affiliations
Timeline
Generic

Jennifer Porter

Piedmont,CA

Summary

Thoughtful School Psychologist with 25 years of experience working with multicultural and transdisciplinary teams. Energetic and positive team member skilled in relationship building and providing a holistic perspective of student's strengths and areas for growth. Supportive and tactful navigator of difficult IEP team meetings and family dynamics, leading IEP meetings with cultural compassion, active listening, sensitivity and objectivity.

Overview

28
28
years of professional experience

Work History

School Psychologist

Oakland Unified School District
01.2004 - Current
  • Provide counseling services to students grades K-5 using a variety of evidence based practices including a cognitive behavioral approach to treat anxiety and depression in school-aged children
  • Facilitate social skills groups for students K-5th grade focused on relational aggression, divorce, friendship building, self-regulation, grief, coping skills, emotion regulation, life changes, stress management and empathy
  • Provide supervision to school psychology interns gaining their pupil personnel services credential
  • Coordinate and facilitate case review team meetings to discuss the appropriateness of referrals for special education assessment
  • Trained in the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths tool (CANS)
  • Develop positive behavioral support plans for general and special education students
  • Conduct comprehensive psycho-educational assessments utilizing a variety of current instruments in the field to determine eligibility for special education as defined by I.D.E.A
  • Member of the crisis intervention team providing on-going support as needed for k-12 students
  • On-going teacher consultation to support student success
  • Active Individual Educational Plan team member and Student Study Team member
  • Social skills trainer utilizing cognitive behavioral approach focusing on confidence, persistence, organization and getting along – “You Can Do It! Education.” Presented as a panel member at parent education night on the documentary “Race to Nowhere” which highlights the deficit model and systemic issues that negatively impact students in schools across the nation
  • Facilitated program planning and conducted psycho-educational evaluations for students placed in Non Public Schools and in culturally diverse elementary schools
  • Provided training to all middle school special education teachers and program specialists on developing positive behavioral support plans.

MFT Associate

Therapy to Thrive
01.2018 - 01.2019
  • Provided individual, couples and family counseling using a humanistic approach and other directive and projective techniques
  • Gottman Method Level 1 training and certification
  • Developed a parent group on emotion coaching
  • Extensive professional development on sand tray therapy, art and expressive therapy techniques.

MFT Associate

Chabot Elementary School
01.2013 - 01.2018
  • Provided individual and family counseling using a play based approach and other directive and projective techniques
  • In depth training and supervision in child centered play therapy
  • Crisis responder and group facilitator
  • Trained in CPS reporting, suicide risk and threat assessment
  • Facilitated parent support group with emphasis on teaching parents emotion coaching skills, and present-moment awareness to deepen their self-understanding about their parenting style and habitual responses to their children when emotions arise - rooted in attachment theory.

School Psychologist

San Francisco Unified School District
01.1999 - 01.2004
  • Provided group counseling services to students grades 1-5
  • Actively participated in Student Study Team meetings to educate staff on preventative measures to meet students’ needs in the general education setting
  • Conducted complete psycho-educational assessments on preschool children through high school in culturally diverse schools: DAS, CAS, CTOPP, BRIEF
  • Facilitated IEP meetings communicating assessment results to parents and staff
  • Administered the DIBELS pre-reading assessment and consulted with staff regarding instructional practices to promote pre-reading skills in at risk students
  • Consulted with teachers regarding effective behavior management techniques - functional behavioral assessment; functional analysis assessment
  • SFUSD/Walton Teacher Leader Program – provided site leadership on instructional practices and site based professional development on differentiated instruction and inclusive practices
  • Conducted crisis counseling as a member of the district crisis response team
  • Presented on “The Missing Piece to Academic Achievement and Emotional Well-Being” at the Professional Development Institute SFUSD
  • Member of assessment committee – introduced two new test instruments to district battery including the BRIEF and the CTOPP
  • Initiated needs assessment during SST process to introduce SST intervention curriculum focusing on social emotional development and underachievement
  • Served as representative for district psychologists to the teachers’ union
  • Functioned as a community service liaison to work collaboratively with mental health professionals and staff to meet the needs of students preschool and school age.

School Psychologist Intern

Santa Monica/Malibu Unified School District
01.1998 - 01.1999
  • Coordinated and conducted teacher training on effective methods to service students with characteristics associated with Attention Deficit Disorder and severe emotional/behavioral issues
  • Facilitated social skills training groups and individual counseling
  • Completed full psycho-educational evaluations; preK-12, with emphasis on preschool assessment; alternative assessment, bilingual assessment, autism, emotional disturbance, and Prader-Willi.

Fieldwork Counselor

Stanford Middle School
01.1997 - 01.1998
  • Counseled middle school students utilizing techniques derived from Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
  • Directed research project at a middle school on “You Can Do It! Education”– a program designed to teach children confidence, persistence, organization and getting along with others.

Substitute Teacher

Redondo/Torrance School District
01.1997 - 01.1998
  • Full time substitute teacher for all grade levels, including special education classes.

School Psychologist Apprentice

Emerson Middle School
01.1996 - 01.1997
  • Actively participated in IEP meetings as assistant to school psychologist
  • Recommended remedial interventions to parents: parent education classes, behavior management
  • Conducted a needs assessment inventory and provided evaluative feedback regarding school reform
  • Composed proposal to implement innovative curriculum utilizing “Best Practices.”

Education

Master of Arts in Counseling - Marriage & Family Therapy (Academic Honors) -

St. Mary’s College of California
Moraga, CA
01.2015

Master of Arts in Educational Psychology (Academic Honors) -

California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA
01.1999

Bachelor of Arts - Psychology

California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA
01.1996

Semester Abroad Environmental Psychology Emphasis

American College
London, England
12.1993

Skills

  • Energetic and positive team player
  • Experienced in working with a multicultural and transdisciplinary team
  • I would place Jennifer Brown in the top 2% of all school psychologists I have known in my 34 years as an elementary educator” - Susan Audap, School Principal
  • Familiar with the re-authorization of IDEA and Best Practices
  • Trained in neuropsychological assessment
  • Extensive experience using cognitive behavioral approach to counseling
  • Experience in child-centered play therapy
  • Facilitated a parent group focused on Gottman’s model of emotion coaching
  • Evidence-Based Practices
  • Suicide Prevention
  • Group Therapy Facilitator
  • Mediation and Crisis Intervention
  • Individualized Education Programs
  • Group Counseling
  • Trauma-Informed Practices
  • Restorative Justice Practices
  • Functional Behavior Assessments
  • Crisis Intervention
  • Counseling Expertise

Accomplishments

  • Provide supervision to Ph.D and Masters level school psychology interns seeking a pupil personnel services credential.
  • Presented on "The Missing Piece to Academic Achievement anda Emotional Well-Being" at the Professional Development Institute SFUSD.
  • Provided training to middle school educators and program specialist's on IEP behavioral intervention plans.
  • Panel member with the director of the documentary "Race to Nowhere" to the parent community.

Credential And Licensure

  • School Psychology Credential PPS, 1999
  • Licensed MFT# 128138

Affiliations

  • NASP
  • CASP
  • Psychotherapy Networker

Timeline

MFT Associate

Therapy to Thrive
01.2018 - 01.2019

MFT Associate

Chabot Elementary School
01.2013 - 01.2018

School Psychologist

Oakland Unified School District
01.2004 - Current

School Psychologist

San Francisco Unified School District
01.1999 - 01.2004

School Psychologist Intern

Santa Monica/Malibu Unified School District
01.1998 - 01.1999

Fieldwork Counselor

Stanford Middle School
01.1997 - 01.1998

Substitute Teacher

Redondo/Torrance School District
01.1997 - 01.1998

School Psychologist Apprentice

Emerson Middle School
01.1996 - 01.1997

Master of Arts in Counseling - Marriage & Family Therapy (Academic Honors) -

St. Mary’s College of California

Master of Arts in Educational Psychology (Academic Honors) -

California State University - Long Beach

Bachelor of Arts - Psychology

California State University - Long Beach

Semester Abroad Environmental Psychology Emphasis

American College

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