Boise-Eliot/Humboldt Elementary School

Portland Public Schools’ Comprehensive School Psychology program was recently named the recipient of a prestigious $5.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education for its proven track record of improving student well-being and academic performance. 

The renewable, school-based mental health grant will be used to provide comprehensive school psychology services to 18 Title I schools across the district for the 2024-25 school year. This is up from 11 schools served in the previous year. Through the duration of the grant, 25 schools designated as Title I at the time of the grant award will receive comprehensive school psychology services.

According to Cynthia Velásquez, Comprehensive School Psychologist Program Administrator for PPS, the grant guarantees that thousands of students will get the support they need to thrive, both inside and outside the classroom.

“The grant means that our schools will continue to be positioned to provide the kind of comprehensive services and multi-tiered systems of support that school psychologists are qualified to provide,” she said. 

Comprehensive school psychologists play a unique role in our schools. Not only are they trained to provide individual, family-based, and large-group mental health services, but they also support special education students and social-emotional learning initiatives, while serving as academic mentors and champions of racial equity and social justice programs. 

Last year alone, PPS’ comprehensive school psychologists took part in more than 7,700 interventions, 90.4 percent of which involved historically underserved students. It is the sheer scope of what they do each day that makes them such invaluable members of our district and school communities. 

“The depth and breadth of our training means that we touch on everything from school-wide crisis support to suicide prevention and education and diversity, equity, and inclusion work,” said Kristin Irwin, School Psychologist on Special Assignment. “Our mental health, academic, and special education components make our contribution especially unique and important as well.”

In addition to continuing to fund this important work, the grant dollars will also be put toward addressing the needs of Black, Native, and English Language Learner student populations, partially through the hiring of racially, ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse student services providers. And the money will be used to expand Dialectical Behavioral Therapy in Title 1 middle schools. This therapy has been shown to be extremely effective in helping adolescents cope with and manage difficult situations and emotions. 

Elaine Hidalgo, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Student Services School Psychologist for PPS, said that vulnerability and empathy are cornerstones of a successful comprehensive school psychology program, and that she and her colleagues embrace an approach that is as compassionate as it is data-driven.

“We bring our own experience to our work, creating spaces where people can feel safe and brave enough to share and making sure people from all backgrounds and walks of life feel seen and heard.”