The School Psychological Services Department is part of the Exceptional Student Education Department. Palm Beach County School Psychological Services provided consultations, interventions, crisis assistance, behavior management, assessments, diagnoses, progress monitoring, and counseling for students enrolled in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. There were 91 school psychologists and 2 interns employed in the District in the 2013-2014 school year.

In addition, The School District of Palm Beach County continued to implement a multi-tiered problem solving model called Response to Intervention (RtI) to address all concerns in the classroom, both academic and behavioral. This included high quality, research based instruction and behavioral support in general education, universal screening of academics and behavior to identify at risk students who needed close monitoring and additional interventions, research-based interventions matched to student needs that provided increasing intensity of assistance, continuous monitoring of student progress to assure the goals are being met, and documentation and follow-up to assure the interventions were followed accurately and consistently.

Consultation services were also provided for teachers, parents, and administrators to assist them in the development and adjustment of programs to meet the needs of all students. In addition, the school psychologist administers comprehensive evaluations of intellectual ability, personal/emotional/behavioral adjustment, academic achievement, and learning styles of referred students. The school psychologist functions as a member of the total educational staff, providing services to all schools, usually on an itinerant basis.

In the 2013-2014 school year the Multicultural School Psychology Team of the District was comprised of 12 bilingual school psychologists. There were 8 Spanish-speaking and 4 Creole-speaking school psychologists who served the entire county's bilingual/bicultural student population and their families. Additionally, several members of the team worked specifically with pre-kindergarten students and their families, referred for testing through Child Find.

Their evaluations addressed the needs of this diverse student body through the use of cultural and language sensitive services, which attempt to minimize bias. The majority of students served spoke Spanish and Creole and benefited from testing through the department as they were able to communicate in English or their home language during testing; they identified culturally with the practitioner, which built rapport and promoted an optimal test atmosphere. The remaining speakers of other languages also benefited from the services as they have a great deal of experience working with diverse students, are culturally aware/sensitive, and are highly skilled in the use of non-verbal test instruments.

Additionally, the duties included collaborating with school-based staff to assess the English language proficiency of these students, which facilitated appropriate implementation of interventions. The team also provided counseling services to students and staff as needed, which promoted mental health ensuring a positive academic experience for all.

The Pre-Kindergarten/ChildFind Team of The School District of Palm Beach County was comprised of eight school psychologists, working out of six locations throughout Palm Beach County. The purpose of Pre-Kindergarten/Child Find Team is to assist in discovering whether your child has special learning needs, to identify what those needs are, and to provide the programs and services which will best address them. The steps involved in this process include: Screening, Evaluation, Eligibility and Placement, and Program Participation.

On April 12, 2014 school psychologists Maritza Gallardo-Cooper and Maria Inma Iglesias, presented with Will Gordillo and Linda Guzman at the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents Conference (ALAS) in Broward County. Their presentation focused on the disproportionality of Latino students in ESE programs county, state, and nation-wide.

On June 12, 2014, the Department of School Psychological Services, along with the departments of School Counseling, Safe Schools, and outside community agencies, organized the 1st Annual School Mental Health and Wellness Conference (SMHaWC) at the Safe Schools Institute in Boca Raton. This event was a full-day professional development opportunity for educators committed to a student-first philosophy and who recognize that family engagement matters. The focus was on providing participants with critical information about successful practice and resources related to student mental health and wellness. More than 200 educators attended the conference.

Community agency participants included: