Good news! We've increased our capacity and have the opportunity to bring TRAILS to more students. Free to Michigan schools, TRAILS equips school staff with the training, resources, and implementation support they need to provide multiple tiers of evidence-based mental health programming and care to their students.
Interested in partnering? TRAILS has several opportunities for educators and students to provide input on improving the TRAILS SEL program, which will allow TRAILS to illuminate their voice and input as they create and adapt materials to meet the participants needs. This spring, there are two opportunities for educators and one opportunity for students.
Our partnership team is eager to explore how TRAILS programming can support the mental health needs of your students. Connect with us to request information about becoming a school partner.
Already a partner or TRAILS friend? Spread the word!
We’d love for you to share your TRAILS experience with your Michigan school connections. If they'd like help supporting their students and could benefit from a TRAILS partnership, please forward them this email and let them know about us.
January 30, 2025
Dear Michigan colleagues,
As we embark on landscape changes in public policy, I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate MASP’s commitment to upholding school psychology best practices that align with ethical and legal considerations. NASP President, Dr. Peter Faustino, recently provided a letter to NASP members. As MASP president, I would like to echo many of Dr. Faustino’s and NASP’s sentiments in this letter to MASP members.
First, MASP remains committed to our purpose and vision that centers upon student mental health and best practices which ensure that students have access to safe and supportive schools. Members have reached out regarding concerns for students who are from minoritized and marginalized backgrounds, including the future for students who may be impacted by policies ranging from immigration to climate change, and from LGBTQ+ rights to gun violence prevention. Social justice is key to our profession and is a throughline in MASP’s vision and mission. As such, MASP is unwavering in our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in pursuit of this ideal. As school psychologists, it is our duty to provide the support and care that students need to thrive across all settings, including school, home, and the community, as well as throughout life.
As of late, President Trump has signed a number of executive orders and issued federal directives that will impact schools and communities in a multitude of ways. There are many unanswered questions regarding the full implications of these orders and how they will be implemented, and we expect to learn more details over time. We will share more information about any impact on the practice of school psychology in the state of Michigan. In the meantime, I encourage all MASP members to continue to engage with your MASP regional representatives regarding any concerns. Additionally, please visit NASP’s website to review their existing Position Statements, Resolutions, and Policy Platform. Please continue to utilize MASP’s website for resources, including those related to immigrant and refugee students and LGBTQ+ youth, and stay tuned for additional communications.
MASP is a nonpartisan organization. Just as we did throughout the first Trump administration and over the last four years under President Biden, MASP will continue to advocate for our professional and public policy priorities at the state level while offering additional support to region members. We believe that every student is entitled to a comprehensive, well-rounded public education that affirms and validates the diversity of their cultural and individual differences, fosters resilience, and facilitates well-being and positive academic and mental health outcomes. We will continue to advocate for policy and practice aligned with this core belief.
I encourage every MASP member who wishes to engage in individual advocacy efforts to use NASP’s Policy Playbook as a guide. I also recommend getting involved with local advocacy work through your regional representative and at the state level with MASP. A large part of MASP membership dues go toward Capitol Services, a lobbying firm, who continues to keep MASP abreast of any new legislative actions or policy that may impact schools, students, and school psychology services. I would also like to highlight how important it is to prioritize self-care while simultaneously engaging in any aspect of advocacy.
The work of school psychologists remains critical, and your membership makes this advocacy possible. Thank you for all you do and your continued support of MASP.
In solidarity,
Lauren Mangus
MASP President
Given the evolving landscape of public policy and response to executive orders, please take note of recent guidance from the Michigan Department of Education.
On January 16, 2025, Dr. Rice (MDE) provided the following guidance: Michigan Department of Education Guidance on the Responsibility to Educate Children Regardless of Citizenship and Immigration Status On January 23, 2025, Dr. Rice (MDE) followed up with additional guidance: Michigan Department of Education Additional Guidance on the Responsibility to Educate All School-Age Children Regardless of Citizenship and Immigration Status
Additionally, Dr. Pamela Pugh, Michigan State Board President, also issued a statement on January 29, 2025, in support of Dr. Rice and the MDE, as well as the Michigan Attorney General.
In case you missed it, MDE is continuing the Certificate Application Fee Reimbursement Program. The program has been designed to retain and incentivize early renewals of educators renewing their certificates for the first time. There is no need to apply for this reimbursement. The important thing to know is that this program is available until funds are exhausted. Please visit MDE’s Certificate Application Fee Reimbursement webpage for more information.
MASP is pleased to announce that we are once again sponsoring SCECHs for attending the NASP 2025 Convention. Participants can earn up to 10 SCECHs for the virtual convention and up to 32 SCECHs for the in-person convention.
Please download the SCECH documentation here.
Participants will be required, within two weeks of the convention, for both the in-person or virtual sessions (live or recorded), to complete the required appropriate documentation form,
and to upload that form, along with a copy of their convention receipt, to this Google Form: NASP 2025 Convention SCECH Application.
Both the documentation form and convention receipt are required at the same time: separate emails with documentation will not be accepted.
Questions can be sent to masp.scech.coordinator@gmail.com.
Please comment on the new 1% FAPE draft that was circulated last spring. This will impact many school psychologists.
1% draft:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NqnH2E6LW3eVvcU-xGAfhZdtVt9BPxLT/view?pli=1
Complete the MDE’s survey about the draft:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SEAC_2024_Rubric_Feedback.
Legislation has been introduced in the Michigan House of Representatives that will increase access to mental health services for Michiganders by removing the career-long supervision requirement for LLPs. The bill, House Bill 5785, can be found here.
HB 5785 will receive its first hearing in a House Committee in the coming weeks. This means there is a chance for you and all LLPs in Michigan voice the importance of this legislation.
If you are willing to support the efforts to get HB 5785 passed, please send your name with credentials (e.g., MS, LLP, CAADC, BCBA, etc.), organization if you are part of one (with permission), phone, city/state and email to the Master’s Committee by replying directly to this email (masterscommittee@michiganpsychologicalassociation.org) or to a member of the committee, Teresea Goscicki (tgoscicki.llp@gmail.com).
We will put your information on a “card of support” the day of the hearing to be presented to the committee and put on the official legislative record. Legislators are inclined to pay attention and vote positively when they know there is a lot of support, especially if you reside in their district, so the more cards the better!
This issue is important to all LLPs in the state. We know of the overwhelming need for mental health services. The close to 4,000 LLPs available for mental health services for Michigan citizens can address the shortage we currently face. By removing the career-long supervision and becoming an independent provider, LLPs will be able to access more insurances, including Medicare and Medicaid. Additionally, this will cost the State of Michigan nothing.
MASP is pleased to offer continuing education credits (SCECH) to attendees at both the NASP 2024 in person and virtual conventions. Listed below are all the required documentation to earn SCECH credit.
Please submit all documentation at the same time and within two weeks of the annual convention OR two weeks within viewing the live or recorded virtual sessions.
NASP 2024 Annual Convention
NASP 2024 Annual Convention Schedule & Form
MASP recently established a Scholarship Program to financially support current graduate students from minoritized and marginalized backgrounds to school psychology, in order to encourage and support a diverse workforce of Michigan school psychologists that more closely matches the student demographics in Michigan. We need your help to raise money for this scholarship this year AND make this effort sustainable in the long term by eventually creating an endowed fund. Any amount is welcome to support a diverse future of school psychology! Please donate here.
