The GPR Committee is dedicated to promoting school psychological services and effective mental health and educational services for all children and their families through appropriate legislation, advocacy, and public policy development and implementation. 

Activities that the GPR committee engage in include, but are not limited to: providing assistance to states on advocacy and public policy related activities upon request (including grassroots and/or advanced advocacy training); professional development focused on educating school psychologists about key policy and advocacy initiatives; meeting with elected officials; writing policy papers; staying abreast of public policy and advocacy related issues; presenting advocacy related sessions and running a GPR advocacy booth at the NASP Annual Convention; helping develop the annual Public Policy Institute (PPI); and resource development.  

If you are interested in learning more about how the GPR committee can help you find your advocacy voice, provide advocacy training, access information, or answer questions please contact a GPR committee member.  

Chair

Kari Oyen, Ph.D., The University of South Dakota

Occupation: Associate Professor of School Psychology at The University of South Dakota

Hometown: Chancellor, South Dakota

Kari's favorite advocacy-related issues include advocating for comprehensive school-based mental health services in rural areas, the role of rural school psychologists, advocating for school-wide academic and behavioral supports, as well as advocating for the prevention of the inappropriate use of seclusion and restraints in schools.  

Co-Chair

Julia Szarko, Ph.D.

Occupation: School Psychologist, Central Bucks School District

Hometown: Doylestown, PA

Julia's favorite advocacy activities include collaborating with elected officials as well as advocating for legislation related to school safety, comprehensive school psychological services, increased access to school mental health personnel, and multi-tiered systems of support.

Central Region GPR Members

Chuck Archer, MA

Occupation: Retired Pracitioner

Hometown: Zanesville, OH

Chuck Archer has been involved in state level advocacy efforts for many years and is particularly interested in school safety, social justice issues, mental and behavioral health service provision, and in promoting the school psychology profession. 

Northeast Region GPR Members

Tom Brant, MA, CAS

Occupation: Director of Pupil Services, Amity Regional School District No. 5

Hometown: Southbury, CT

Tom's favorite advocacy-related issues include advocating for the comprehensive role of school psychologists as school employed mental health professionals and comprehensive school safety reform that focuses on preventive and proactive measures that includes emotional literacy components. 

Terri Allen, Ph.D.

Occupation: School Psychologist, Philadelphia Public School District

Hometown: Haddonfield, NJ

Terri has been active in state level advocacy for many years and was awarded the NASP GPR "Outstanding Advocate" Award in 2020. Terri's favorite advocacy-related issues include shepherding state legislation prohibiting the use of the discrepancy method for SLD eligibility, promoting access to affirming schools and uncensored public education, and addressing educational inequity and disproportionality, especially within urban settings.

Southeast Region GPR Members

Jamie Raborn, SSP, NCSP

Occupation: Multi-Tiered System of Supports Coordinator, Rapides Parish Schools

Hometown: Pineville, LA

Jamie's favorite advocacy topics include expanding the traditional school psychology role to take advantage of the full scope of practice and enhancing our domain-specific leadership skills as systems-level consultants. She is most passionate about supporting educators in making their instruction accessible and identity-affirming in order to assist students in reaching their max potential.

Jhanelle Adams

Occupation: Ph.D. student at Georgia State University

Hometown: Kingston, Jamaica

Jhanelle is most passionate about advocating for racially and ethnically minoritized students and programs and policies that promote student mental health, school climate, and equitable access to high-quality educational experiences. Her current research focuses on the school climate perceptions of Black girls. Jhanelle comes to the school psychology field with a background in program evaluation, research, policy, and data analytics, and is focused on helping school psychology graduate students influence policy at the local, state, and national levels.

Brandy Taylor Dédé, Ph.D., LSSP, NCSP

Occupation: State Director of Texas at the Children's Defense Fund

Hometown: Dallas, TX

Brandy's favorite advocacy-related issues include advocating for comprehensive school-based mental health services in underserved schools, diversity in the mental health workforce, and use of restorative discipline practices and interventions in school settings. As a current school board member and state director for a national non-profit advocacy organization, Brandy's continues to use her advocacy skills learned as a school psychologist to engage in systems level change that will foster inclusive educational opportunities for marginalized children and youth.

Western Region 

GPR Members

Kristin Rush, M.S.

Occupation: School Psychologist, Springfield Public Schools

Hometown: San Diego, CA

Kristin Rush's favorite advocacy activities include advocating for school psychologists as mental and behavioral health providers, including suicide prevention specialists and school climate and safety experts. She also enjoys ensuring that all students have access to mental health services that include a full continuum of supports accessed through multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS). 

Tess Melendrez, Ph.D.

Occupation: Program Specialist, Anaheim Union High School District

Hometown: Orange, CA

Tess's favorite advocacy-related issues include utilizing the NASP Practice Model, caseloads that align with NASP recommendations, school-wide academic, behavioral, and mental health supports, and justice and equity for all and every student.

NASP Staff

Kelly Vaillancourt Strobach, Ph.D., George Mason University

Occupation: NASP Director of Policy and Advocacy

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina 

Kelly's favorite advocacy-related activities include representing NASP and school psychologists on Capitol Hill, with the Department of Education, and on various national coalitions to advance our legislative goals and public policy priorities including: increasing access to school psychologists; promoting increased federal investments in education; protecting the civil rights of all students; improving equity in education; protecting school based Medicaid; increasing access to comprehensive school based mental health services; creating safe and supportive learning environments for all students; ESSA implementation; IDEA implementation and reauthorization; and  promoting and protecting the profession of school psychology.

Maria Cornell 

Occupation: NASP Manager of Policy and Advocacy

Hometown: Boise, Idaho

Maria's favorite advocacy-related activities include working to advance equity and inclusion in schools and supporting the incredible work school psychologists are doing across the country and sharing it with members of Congress and the Department of Education. She also enjoys supporting state affiliates with their legislative and advocacy efforts.