Susan Brunell has been a school pyschologist for 15 years, five of those years have been in Fenton schools. She is also a mental health professional who is planning on doing something new for all students who feel they need or want psychiatric help.

“I began my career in Utica Community Schools and came to Fenton after funding cuts resulted in the reduction of the school psych department from 18 psychologists down to six,” Brunell said. “Here in Fenton, I am one of two school psychs; I work at both AGS and FHS, while the other psychologist works at the elementary schools.”

Brunell’s goal is to help students with mental health problems.

“This year, I have launched a Mental Health Initiative, to reach out to those students who may be struggling with anxiety, depression, or an inability to concentrate,” Brunell said. “Twenty percent of youth ages 13-18 live with some sort of mental health challenge, however, on average, most take about 10 years to get the help they need. I hope to increase awareness surrounding mental health challenges to reduce the stigma, so that hopefully more young people will reach out and get the help they need to become successful in school and at home.With proper support, I hope to offset these negative outcomes.”

Brunell can diagnose and help a student identify if they have a mental disorder.

“If a student is struggling with a mental health challenge, then they should ask a teacher, counselor, administrator or parent to refer them to me,” Brunelle said. “We can explore the issue and complete a screener that would indicate if he or she is at-risk for a particular mental health disorder. If they are, then appropriate resources in the community would be provided to parents and the student for follow up support.”

Traditionally, school psychologists work primarily in identifying students who need special education services.

“Students can receive special education services for a variety of reasons,” Brunell said. “If they have a learning disability, a medical condition that interferes with their progress in the general education setting, or if they suffer from significant emotional difficulties, are some of the reasons.”

The process of determining if someone is eligible to be placed into special education requires student data to be compared to federal standards that define who can and who can’t be in special education.

“There are strict federal guidelines schools must follow when determining who qualifies for special education, and as a school psych, I must gather all the necessary data available to see if the student meets the criteria,” Brunell said. “Not only do I look at report cards and state assessments (like the MEAP and M Step) to see if there is a history of academic difficulty, but I also obtain pertinent information from current teachers regarding progress in the classroom. I do classroom observations to see how the student engages in the learning process, and work one on one with the student to see if their cognitive functioning are intact. Then, if the student’s profile matches the federal guidelines, a plan is put in place for the student to address their identified area of need.”

Brunell is in her office, located near the counseling office, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Anyone who wishes to see her can talk to a trusted adult so they can fill out a form.