School psychologists across the nation are overworked – and Georgia is among several states with a ratio of more than 2,000 students per psychologist, according to the National Association of School Psychologists.
That’s about four times over the association’s recommended ratio to meet student mental health needs.
On Thursday’s “Closer Look,” Georgia State University clinical professor Dr. Catherine Perkins talked about the urgency to close this gap and recent federal funding to support future psychologists.
“It takes a lot of motivation for those who are out there in the field to hang in there and keep at it when their caseloads are so high,” said Perkins, who works in the College of Education and Human Development. “The ratio makes the job really challenging.”
Perkins also talked about how her college will use a $3.6 million U.S. Department of Education grant to cover students’ costs associated with three years of graduate school, including support for tuition, books, laptops, health care and other services to reduce the barrier to entry for the profession.
