While pursuing her degree in teaching at the University of Washington, Stefani Anderson served as an assistant at a private school. It was there that she noticed a trend that students with behavioral differences were often removed from the school or not allowed to attend classes because their needs couldn’t easily be met. 

“These students were fun, smart and awesome, and I believed they deserved support that would allow them to participate in learning,” adds Anderson.  

After learning more about how school psychologists can advocate for the rights of students with special needs, she decided a career in the field would be the best way to “fill her bucket” while helping schools move toward more equitable practices for all kids. 

Originally from Vancouver, Washington, Anderson earned her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood and Family Studies (with a minor in Diversity and Equity), as well as an Ed.S in School Psychology from the University of Washington. 

Enjoying Classroom Visits, Job Flexibility

For the past two years Anderson has served as a hybrid School Psychologist at the middle and elementary school levels at Kennewick School District in Kennewick, Washington. She works on-site one week per month throughout the school year and supports the District’s Tier 2 Autism program at the elementary school level. 

A typical work day for Stefani always includes a few cups of coffee. The most monotonous tasks like assessment scoring and paperwork are normally accompanied by a good playlist or audiobook. When on-site, she always tries to make a visit to the classroom where the students have brought so much light into her life. They always seem to remind her why she does this job, even on days when things are difficult. 

“Since starting my work with Care Options for Kids and having the awesome opportunity to work from home, I also carve time into my day for self-care. This might include walks around my neighborhood wildlife refuge, trips to the local independent bookstore, and more time with my son doing the things we love.” 

“After eight years as a School Psychologist I can easily say my two years with Care Options for Kids have been the best two of my career so far. When I first started with The Hello Foundation, I could hardly believe my luck at finding an employer who believes so whole-heartedly in work-life balance…I thought it was a trap! These last couple years have been a great reminder that I can do good work for kids, and also make time for myself and my family without guilt,” adds Anderson.

A Passion to Help Kids Succeed

Stefani is very passionate about advocating for mental health services in schools. In one district she was able to help administrators identify a gap in suicide preventions services, travel throughout the state of Washington to learn more about curricula options, and help implement the Sources of Strength curriculum to support a population at-risk. 

“I have also traveled with The Global Autism Project to support evidence-based practices for schools in India. I am so lucky that my job allows me to have these amazing experiences and help kids and families,” adds Anderson.  

In her spare time, Stefani enjoys traveling and trying new restaurants, attending concerts, diving into a good novel (she reads about 100+ books per year, when she can!) and playing PlayStation with her eight-year-old while eating Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

Stefani’s biggest inspiration has always been her mom. From a young age, she was able to see the strengths in her when she couldn’t yet see them for herself. 

“My mom has taught me all I know about being a professional young woman, in a world where we unfortunately sometimes still have to fight to be heard. I am able to support kids in my work everyday only because of the love, wisdom and support of my mom.” 

Stefani’s Three Tips for New School Psychologists

1. Build relationships with your special education team - they will be your lifeline when days (and meetings) are hard.
   
   

2. Take a lunch break and use your PTO! Take care of yourself so you can take care of others.
   
   

3. Prepare to be flexible. As school psychologists we often come into the field with such strong and beautiful ideas about the changes we hope to make. Unfortunately, systems and processes aren’t always what we expect them to be. I would encourage new school psychologists to be flexible and patient with themselves and others as we navigate the tricky world of education together. Advocating for systems change while protecting your time and energy can be a balancing act. You can do it! 

Join Our Team

Care Options for Kids, formerly The Hello Foundation, partners with school districts to provide seamless support for students, integrating into the school setting to deliver speech and occupational therapy and enhancing their social, emotional, and behavioral growth so they can better access the curriculum.

At Care Options for Kids, we are committed to making a difference for our people through empowerment and encouragement to be there for themselves and their own families. We provide the choices and opportunities our people need to enhance their lives and grow their careers so they can provide better care for others. We believe in making a difference in every way, every day.

We hire speech-language pathologists, speech-language pathology assistants, school psychologists, and occupational therapists. Our community of professionals fosters growth for one another and for the kids we serve. Join our team!