Summer Institute

Day 1 Sessions

8:30 AM – 10:30 AM

 Putting the Fun Back in Functional: Gamifying Tiered Behavior Supports

• Presenter: Dr. Chris Barclay
• Continuing Education: 2 CE / BCBA CEs
• Core Topics: Gamifying Behavior Supports; Student Outcomes & Staff Well-Being
• Description: Discover how gamified strategies (group-based games, skill challenges, safety streaks, and chance-based rewards) can be applied across Tiers 1, 2, and 3. Learn to build systems that maintain strong behavioral principles and improve sustainability while actively reducing educator burnout.
• NASP Domain of Practice: Domain 6 (Services and Systems-Wide Support to Promote Safe and Supportive Schools)

10:45 AM – 12:45 PM | Mid-Day Options

Assessment and Classwide Interventions with Integrated Neuroaffirming Practices

• Presenter: Dr. Evan Dart (University of South Florida)
• Continuing Education: 2 CE / BCBA CEs
• Core Topics: Tools for Immediate Implementation; Approaches Enhancing Professional Efficacy
• Description: A practical exploration of behavior analysis, multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), and progress-monitoring tools. Learn how to implement immediate classwide interventions while seamlessly integrating neuroaffirming practices into your existing systems.
• NASP Domain of Practice: Domain 1 (Data-Based Decision Making)

Option 2: Cognitive Control & Executive Functioning: An Affective Neuroscience Approach

• Presenter: Dr. Nick Cutro
• Continuing Education: 2 CE Credits
• Core Topics: Strength-Based Practices; Executive Functioning; Neuroscience
• Description: This session bridges the gap between complex neuroscience and practical school application. Explore cognitive control and executive functioning through the dual lenses of affective neuroscience, interoception, and hemispheric asymmetry.
• NASP Domain of Practice: Domain 3 (Academic, Interoceptive, and Life Skills)

12:45 PM – 1:30 PM | Lunch Break (45 Minutes)

1:30 PM – 3:30 PM | Afternoon Options (Choose One)

Option 1: Kids Who Challenge Us: Increasing Work Engagement and Reducing Oppositional Behavior

• Presenter: Dr. Jessica Minahan
• Continuing Education: 2 CE Credits
• Core Topics: Evidence-Based Strategies; Positive Behavior Interventions
• Description: Replace standard, reactionary disciplinary systems with actionable, trauma-informed skill-building frameworks. This session introduces practical strategies—including elements of the globally recognized “FAIR plan”—to lower student anxiety and naturally decrease avoidant or oppositional behaviors.
• NASP Domain of Practice: Domain 4: (Mental and Behavioral Health Services and Interventions).

Option 2: Understanding Selective Mutism and Educational Strategies

• Presenter: Dr. Jami Furr
• Continuing Education: 2 CE Credits
• Core Topics: Inclusion & Education; Practical Support for Students
• Description: An expert look at cognitive-behavioral treatments for childhood anxiety and selective mutism. Learn how to foster inclusive school environments and deploy targeted behavioral strategies to support students who struggle to speak in educational settings.
• NASP Domain of Practice: Domain 5 (School-Wide Practices to Promote Learning)

Day 2 Sessions | July 10

8:30 AM – 10:30 AM | Morning Session

Loud and Clear: Advocacy Essentials for School Psychologists

Objectives:

• Articulate the professional and ethical foundation for advocacy as a core component of school psychology practice, grounded in NASP Domain 10 standards and the 2020 NASP Principles for Professional Ethics (Standard IV.1).
• Describe the structure of educational policymaking at the local, state, and federal levels, including key decision-makers, legislative processes, and strategic points of practitioner influence.
• Apply a structured messaging framework to craft a compelling, evidence-based advocacy communication targeted to a specific audience and policy priority.
• Identify concrete strategies for engaging in individual and collective advocacy through professional associations, community coalitions, and direct legislative outreach.

Description:
School psychologists are uniquely positioned to shape the policies that affect the students and communities they serve, yet many practitioners feel underprepared or uncertain about where to begin. This session provides a practical, accessible foundation for advocacy as a professional responsibility grounded in NASP ethics and Domain 10. Participants will explore how educational policy is made at the local, state, and federal levels; what moves policymakers; and how to craft compelling, evidence-based advocacy communications using a structured messaging framework. Through facilitated whole-group activities, participants will practice real advocacy skills they can apply immediately. This session is designed for school psychologists at all experience levels who are ready to find and use their voice.

10:45-12:45 – Noelle DeLaCruz & Anita Carson

Beyond the Capitol: How School Psychologists Can Shape Local Education Policy

Objectives:

• Examine how federal laws, state regulations, and local school board decisions intersect to shape educational policy and practice.
• Identify advocacy strategies school psychologists can use to influence local decision-making on issues affecting student well-being, public education systems, and the profession.
• Develop an action plan for increasing their own engagement in local and organizational advocacy efforts within their school district or community.

Description:
School psychologists are uniquely positioned to advocate for students, families, and public education systems. While federal and state laws establish important regulations, many of the decisions that directly impact students and professionals are made at the local level through school boards, district policies, administrative procedures, and budget priorities. Using the current legal and policy landscape affecting LGBTQ+ students and families in Florida as a case study, this interactive session will examine how federal, state, and local policies intersect to shape educational practice and student outcomes. The session will emphasize the critical role of local advocacy in influencing these outcomes. Participants will explore how school psychologists can effectively engage with school boards, district leadership, and community stakeholders to advocate for evidence-based practices, student well-being, professional roles, and the needs of historically marginalized student populations. Through discussion, case examples, and practical tools, attendees will learn strategies for navigating today’s educational environment and leveraging their expertise to influence local decision-making in ways that support safe, healthy, and inclusive schools for all students.

12:45 AM – 1:30 PM | Lunch Break (1 Hour)

1:30-3:30 – Austin Cole & John Cerra

Ahead of the Curve: Legislative Updates and Future Directions for School Psychology

Objectives:

• Summarize key outcomes of the 2026 Florida legislative session as they relate to school psychology practice, special education, and school mental health funding and policy.
• Analyze current federal policy shifts impacting school-based mental health services, including changes affecting ESSA, IDEA, and federal grant infrastructure relevant to school psychology.
• Evaluate the practice implications of recent legislative and regulatory changes for school psychologists’ professional roles, service delivery, and student outcomes.
• Construct an advocacy tool that can be used at any level of advocacy to help decision-makers better understand the role of school psychologists.

Description:
The policy landscape shaping school psychology practice is shifting rapidly at the state capitol, in Washington, and in district offices across Florida. This session provides an update on the 2026 Florida legislative session outcomes, current federal policy developments affecting school-based mental health and special education, and an honest look at what lies ahead for the profession. Participants will move beyond awareness to action, completing a personal advocacy action plan and collaboratively building the institute’s signature product: the School Psychologist’s Top 10, a group-generated, consensus-driven document defining the core roles and responsibilities of school psychologists as advocates for students and the profession. This session is designed for practitioners who are ready to move from informed to engaged.

Dr. Nicholas M. Cutro, Ed.D., Psy.S., NCSP, is a highly accomplished, Board-Certified School Psychologist and the founder of Attention, Intellectual & Learning Evaluations, LLC, a premier private practice based in downtown Orlando, Florida. With over 16 years of dedicated service in education and mental health, Dr. Cutro specializes in comprehensive psychological, educational, and neurodevelopmental assessments for children, adolescents, college students, and adults. His career is rooted in a deep understanding of the educational ecosystem, having begun his professional journey as an elementary school teacher before serving for years as a school psychologist within the Orange County Public Schools system. This background gives him unique insight into how learning and behavioral differences manifest in the classroom, allowing him to bridge the gap between clinical diagnoses and practical educational interventions. In his private practice, Dr. Cutro focuses on diagnosing complex profiles, including Specific Learning Disorders (such as Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and Dyscalculia), ADHD/ADD, and giftedness, while also providing specialized evaluations for blind and visually impaired individuals. Beyond diagnostics, he is a trusted advocate for families, providing expert consultation for Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and 504 Plan accommodations to ensure students receive critical structural support. A respected leader in his professional community, Dr. Cutro has served as the President of the Orange County Association of School Psychologists and as President-Elect of the Florida Association of School Psychologists (FASP). He holds multiple advanced degrees, including a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) and a Specialist in School Psychology (Psy.S.), is a Licensed School Psychologist in Florida, and holds the prestigious Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) credential.

Dr. Jessica Minahan, Ph.D., BCBA is a licensed and board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA), special educator, and international consultant specializing in student mental health and classroom behavior intervention. With over 20 years of experience in public school systems, she is an expert on supporting students with anxiety, trauma, and complex emotional needs. Dr. Minahan is the co-author of The Behavior Code: A Practical Guide to Understanding and Teaching the Most Challenging Students and the author of The Behavior Code Companion. Her work focuses on replacing traditional disciplinary systems with practical, research-based skill-building frameworks. Her proprietary “FAIR plan” model is used globally by schools to address anxiety-driven, oppositional, and avoidant behaviors. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Intensive Special Education from Boston University, a dual Master’s degree in Special Education and Elementary Education from Wheelock College, and a Ph.D. in Education with a focus on mental health best practices. An internationally recognized keynote speaker, Dr. Minahan trains educators worldwide in trauma-informed, actionable classroom strategies that reduce student anxiety and improve academic engagement.

Dr. Jami Furr, Ph.D., is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Senior Psychologist in the Mental Health Interventions and Technology Program, and Developer of the Selective Mutism Program at Florida International University Center for Children and Families. She is the President of the Selective Mutism Association and has served on their Board of Directors for the last 3 years. She has expertise in cognitive behavioral treatments of childhood selective mutism and anxiety, and preschool mental health, and serves as a trainer and consultant on the largest PCORI-funded project on anxiety in youth. She fostered the first randomized controlled trial on an intensive group behavioral treatment for youth with selective mutism, recently published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. Her selective mutism program has been featured in the media, including The New York Times. She served as an inaugural Associate Editor for Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health for 3 years. Prior to joining FIU, she served as Clinical Director of the Child Program at the Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders at Boston University, where she launched its Selective Mutism Program. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Temple University, completed her clinical internship in the Child Track at the NYU-Bellevue Clinical Psychology Internship Program and NYU Child Study Center, and finished her training in a NIH-funded Postdoctoral Fellowship at the NYU Child Study Center.

Dr. Austin Cole, Ph.D., NCSP,  is a nationally certified school psychologist and a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of South Florida’s School Mental Health Collaborative. In this role, he works on federally funded prevention programs in suicide prevention and provides therapeutic services to a local community school. He was recently elected President-Elect of the Florida Association of School Psychologists, where he currently chairs the Public Policy and Professional Relations Committee and actively engages in state-level advocacy on education policy, school mental health funding, and practitioner workforce issues. He also serves on NASP’s Professional Policy, Advocacy, and Credentialing Committee, contributing to federal-level policy efforts on behalf of school psychologists nationwide. His research focuses on school-based mental health interventions, accessibility of accelerated course for underrepresented youth, and positive psychology frameworks for youth flourishing.

Dr. Noelle DeLaCruz, Psy.D., is a FL Licensed and Nationally Certified School Psychologist. She holds a Master’s degree in School Psychology from the State University of New York University at Buffalo and a Doctor of Psychology degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. Noelle was an Associate Instructor for the Crisis Prevention Institute and has worked in public schools and private practice for nearly two decades. Through her current role as Director of Health Equity with Equality Florida, Noelle provides structural and collaborative support within educational, community, and healthcare settings to ensure that LGBTQ+ individuals receive the highest standard of affirming and inclusive care. She leads Equality Florida’s Mental Health Advisory Committee and collaborates with statewide professional organizations to develop training and implement initiatives that prioritize suicide prevention and affirmative care for LGBTQ+ youth, clients, and families.

John Cerra, a prominent Florida education lobbyist, is co-founder of the Cerra Consulting Group, a premier Tallahassee-based governmental relations firm. With decades of dedicated advocacy experience, Cerra specializes in navigating Florida’s complex legislative and executive branches to shape K-12 public education policy, school finance, and student services. As a strategic partner alongside his brother, Bob Cerra, John represents a diverse portfolio of educational institutions, regional school consortiums, and professional associations. His practice focuses heavily on securing state funding, protecting public school interests, and advising private vendors looking to enter the Florida educational market. Cerra is highly regarded for his deep institutional knowledge of the Florida Legislature. He frequently collaborates with state lawmakers, the Florida Department of Education, and local school boards to advance policies that improve student outcomes and support school personnel. Based in Tallahassee, Florida, Cerra is part of a multi-generational family legacy dedicated to Florida educational advocacy. He is known among peers and policymakers for his bipartisan approach, technical grasp of complex education funding formulas, and commitment to the state’s public school systems.

Regular/Associate Members                $180
Early Career/Retired Members             $145
Student Members                                   $50
Non-Members                                         $300

Note: We are exploring options to host Summer Institute on-demand following the live conference. Stay tuned for information.

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FASP is approved by the Florida Department of Health Division of Medical Quality Assurance to offer CEs toward licensure for continuing education offerings. CEs are available for Licensed School Psychologists and Licensed Psychologists (CE Provider #50-693); and Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling (BAP-174). FASP is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists to offer continuing education for school psychologists. FASP maintains responsibility for the program (NASP Approved Provider #1029). As always, there will be strict adherence to sign-in and sign-out procedures to allow us to maintain our status as CE Providers.

FASP cannot offer in-service points for renewal of Florida certification for Certified School Psychologists or other educational specialists holding a professional certificate issued by the Florida Department of Education (FDOE). However, many school districts have procedures to obtain in-service points toward renewal of FDOE certificates under their master in-service component. Participants should check with their school district’s certification officer to verify eligibility and procedures to earn in-service points for this workshop.

FASP is authorized by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) to offer BCBA/BCaBA continuing education (Provider Number: OP-25-11924).