Joy Jansen is the Director of Special Education, Elementary School Counseling, and Nursing for the Lake Pend Oreille School District (LPOSD) in Sandpoint, Idaho. 

For over 25 years, Dr. Joy Jansen has worked in the field of serving individuals with special needs that span the continuum from elementary to postsecondary education. Before LPOSD she served as the Director of Special Education/Learning Center for two therapeutic residential schools in northern Idaho.

Joy obtained her Ph.D. in Education with a focus in neuropsychological deficiencies from the University of Idaho and holds an M.Ed. in Special Education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She has an extensive background in working with children, adolescents, and adults in the areas of specific learning disabilities, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, transition, and various mental health conditions.

Over the years, Joy has presented at local, state, and national conferences on such topics as executive functioning, cognition, social and emotional learning, trauma-informed practices, attachment and learning, and the importance of teacher-student relationships.

Joy is focused on supporting the youth of her community and fills her passion for experiential and place-based education serving as the Education Advisor for Selkirk Outdoor Leadership and Education (SOLE).