Nurturing Healthy Minds: A Unified Approach to School Mental Health
Since its founding in June 2021, the Scanlan Center for School Mental Health has championed a fundamental principle: mental health support should be accessible to everyone in our educational communities. Our mission stems from a core understanding that mental and emotional well-being are essential for learning and growth.
Housed in the University of Iowa's College of Education, the Scanlan Center combines professional development, clinical services, cutting-edge research, and actionable resources to help Iowa K-12 schools and college campuses create supportive, joyful learning environments. Our unified approach starts with connection and community engagement as we work to add value, fill gaps, and strengthen relationships across the state and nationally.
The following activities and highlights encapsulate 15 months (October 1, 2023 - December 31, 2024) as we transition to a new reporting timeline following our grant funding.
We are now 5 years out from the pandemic, and we are still reeling from the effects. K-12 students are needing more support than ever for social, behavioral, and mental health challenges. And yet, the adults serving them are often overworked and overwhelmed. We see these same issues on college and university campuses.
Since June 2021, the Scanlan Center for School Mental Health has been working tirelessly to help students, faculty, and staff across the K-12 to college continuum reduce stress, build resilience, and develop skills that enable them to grow and thrive.
With our grant funding from the Iowa Department of Education concluding at the end of 2024, our team has been reimagining how our center will meaningfully continue to impact PreK-12 students and educators as well as higher education faculty and staff through our comprehensive approach to mental wellness. During the past 15 months, we have pushed our creative limits, planning for a sustainable future while nurturing the healthy minds of our community.
This annual report reflects on the extraordinary work our team, affiliated faculty, and partners have believed in and worked relentlessly to implement with fidelity and enthusiasm. None of this would have been possible without the people - the staff, affiliated faculty, advisory board, school leaders, educators, and students - who are the foundation of everything we do.
Looking back on 3.5 years of progress and innovation, we are excited for the road ahead—one that promises continued dedication to supporting school and campus mental health for years to come.
Allison Bruhn, PhD
Professor of Special Education, University of Iowa College of Education
100%
of Iowa counties reached
June 2021 - December 2024
*Data October 1, 2023 - December 31, 2024
79%
Iowa K-12 school districts reached through professional development and clinical services
11,263
K-12 educators and school staff engaged in professional development webinars, workshops, conferences, and customized trainings
5,247
Faculty and staff participated in higher education workshops across 88 sessions
1,406
Counseling sessions facilitated (1,102 individual counseling appointments and 304 group appointments)
17
School mental health research projects ran
41
Iowa colleges and universities reached
72
K-12 school districts across 60 Iowa counties received clinical support (e.g., individual counseling, group counseling, child psychiatry, post-crisis services)
420
Iowans reached through 6 large post-crisis events across 4 PreK-12 school districts
23
Doctoral, graduate, and practicum students trained in school mental health research and clinical opportunities
$14 Million
Total awarded in research grants
Iowa BEST Summit (x2)
The Iowa BEST Summit represents the “best” of us. Over 1.5 days, PreK-12 educators, school mental health professionals, school administrators, community champions, and university/college faculty and staff came together to immerse themselves in school mental health and well-being best practices, knowledge sharing, and the latest research - all with the common goal of creating supportive, resilient learning environments for students. Our team hosted two Iowa BEST Summits in two different locations: October 5-6, 2023 (Des Moines, Iowa) and September 15-16, 2024 (Coralville, Iowa), welcoming a total of 2,864 registrants across the two events.
“This whole conference is so rejuvenating…Thank you for ALL you have done and are doing to grow Scanlan for our students and adults across Iowa. You are meeting personal and professional needs yesterday and today - more than you will ever know!” - 2024 Iowa BEST Summit attendee
State of Mental Health Across Iowa Community Colleges Report
In a first-of-its-kind study in Iowa, Scanlan Center researchers examined mental health and well-being at community college campuses across the state. Led by Barry Schreier and Gerta Bardhoshi, the team surveyed 1,144 (48% response) faculty and staff members from eight community colleges and six private universities in Iowa about their mental health, wellness, and student interactions. The survey found that nearly 75% of staff and faculty had referred students to mental health resources over the past year. Most faculty and staff said they were flourishing, and 30% reported feeling burnt out. Results were shared widely in February 2024.
watch a webinar disseminating the full survey results.
Expansion of Clinical Psychiatry Services Statewide
In September 2024, our clinic expanded its offerings to include psychiatric evaluations and short-term medication management for Iowa K-12 students ages 10 through high school with primary concerns of depression, anxiety, and/or ADHD. Dr. Amanda Elliott, D.O., a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the University of Iowa, works with each child and their family to conduct psychiatric evaluations – which are interview-based assessments of mental health symptoms to determine if a diagnosis may be present and what the treatment options would be for that diagnosis.
Workforce Expansion Program Fills a Critical Need
To tackle Iowa's critical lack of school mental health providers, the Scanlan Center launched the Workforce Expansion Group (WEG) program. The extensive two-year program equipped 20 doctoral students across diverse disciplines with funding support and interdisciplinary training on cutting-edge research and clinical practices aimed at effectively improving social-emotional-behavioral health (SEBH) outcomes in Iowa schools. While the WEG program culminated in July 2024, its participants are poised to make an impact in school communities for years to come.
“Working as a Workforce Expansion Graduate student has been such an incredibly rewarding experience. I have been able to participate in ongoing professional development and educational experiences that have both broadened and deepened my understanding of school mental health. One of the central highlights of my time spent as a WEG has been the focal project with the Research arm. This project has the potential to positively impact the lives of so many students and educators. I am beyond excited to foster and contribute to such a meaningful research opportunity.” - Workforce Expansion Trainee
Nurturing Healthy Minds Campaign
Three years ago, the Scanlan Center set out on a mission to support Iowa's educators and students. But along the way, we kept hearing one common theme – “we can’t do this work without parents and families by our side.” With that, we wondered how our center could help. Our team listened and learned, capturing educator and parent voices via stakeholder interviews and casting a statewide survey to gauge needs and gaps. The result? "Nurturing Healthy Minds" - a campaign aimed at empowering parents to distinguish between normal stress and serious mental health challenges in their children. The campaign launched in August 2024 with the hope of dissolving stigmas and positioning schools as partners to parents and caregivers.
Mental Health Fellowship for Paraeducators
Across two cohorts, 141 K-12 paraeducators spanning 60 Iowa school districts were selected to participate in the Scanlan Center’s first-ever Mental Health Training Fellowship for Paraeducators. The fellowship equipped paraeducators with skills in mental health literacy, relationship-building, suicide screening, immediate crisis response, and restorative practices, all of which help cultivate an environment of belonging and wellness within classrooms and schools. As part of the fellowship, each paraeducator attended three in-person trainings and completed online digital courses to further learning and fulfill licensure requirements.
“I am one of the participants in the para fellowship you and your team are providing. I wanted to take a minute to send a big thank you! For years in this position I have felt undervalued by our purpose and mission. I am here because this is where I want to be, and I love the impact I can have on students.” - Mental Health Fellowship for Paraeducators attendee
Group Counseling Opportunities Take Off
During the fall of 2023, our clinic launched virtual group counseling opportunities, including Educator Empowerment, Coping with Grief and Loss, Teen Foster Care, and SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) Group. These groups met online once a week for six to eight weeks, supporting clients in processing life events and developing skills in mindfulness, emotional regulation, and self-compassion. Our groups reached 58 Iowa K-12 educators, staff, students, and parents through 73 group counseling sessions across seven counseling groups.
Learn about our group counseling offerings
METRICS Grant Collaboration
We are stronger together, always seeking out new opportunities for collaboration. In November 2023, the Scanlan Center and three other universities were awarded a four-year, $10.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to launch the Mental Health Evaluation, Training, Research, and Innovation Center for Schools (METRICS), a national center to scale up the school-based mental health workforce of PK-12 school psychologists, social workers, school counselors, and other practitioners. This multi-institution collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of California-Santa Barbara, and the University of South Florida will support 330 grantees in increasing the number of mental health providers in schools. The Scanlan Center is coordinating professional learning related to the initiative.
Recognizing Excellence in K-12 School Mental Health and College Campus Mental Health
Building awareness around the critical nature of school mental health and the deeply dedicated and caring people behind it has been a priority for the Scanlan Center. Each story we tell, each leader we spotlight, becomes a catalyst for change, proving that prioritizing school/campus well-being isn't just possible - it's essential.
Through three distinct awards– the Iowa School Mental Health Hero, the Mental Health Student Influencer of the Year, and the University of Iowa’s Mental Health Champion Award - we’ve been able to recognize individuals who have demonstrated excellence in cultivating a positive mental health culture within Iowa PreK-12 schools, districts, or AEAs and on the University of Iowa campus. During the last two awards cycles, we’ve honored nine individuals for their exemplary leadership and commitment to expanding, promoting, and strengthening mental health and wellness supports within their respective communities.
“Caring for Self, While Caring for Others”: A Cross-Campus Approach to Staff and Faculty Training and Education
The Scanlan Center’s higher education arm has become the convening force behind the growing campus mental health and well-being movement across Iowa campuses, bringing together other regents’ institutions, private colleges, and community colleges to pool collective insights. The arm’s signature achievements include developing faculty/staff training that integrates self-care with student support, launching the "Managing Students in Distress" Masterclass, hosting the University of Iowa's groundbreaking mental health Pecha Kucha, guiding the Obermann Working Group, and expanding access to Kognito suicide prevention training. The Higher Education team’s innovations—specifically the monthly CampUS newsletter, well-being stories, and Snackable Skills video series—represent Iowa's first coordinated cross-campus mental health educational tools, significantly expanding resource accessibility statewide.
Connection is Our Superpower
Connecting with the Iowa educational communities is at the foundation of who we are. From tabling at events ranging from statewide conferences to school mental health fairs, presentations for school administrators, school mental health providers, local businesses, AEAs, parents, and students, stakeholder meetings, and media interviews, our staff had a presence at close to 100 events this year and reached 8,000+ people through outreach efforts. Being in the communities we serve helps us shape Scanlan Center programming and services to best meet the needs of schools, youth, and parents.
1. Use and share our free evidence-based resources.
Webinars and workshops on topics like joyful self-care strategies, mindfulness, trauma-informed classrooms, school avoidance, the impacts of social media on mental health, emotional intelligence, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), and more!
Practice Briefs on School Mental Health provide research-based summaries on key topics relevant to practicing educators
The Educator Wellness Podcast explores various dimensions of personal and student well-being and ways to weave wellness seamlessly into your school community
Nurturing Healthy Minds resources to help parents/caregivers recognize the difference between normal stress and serious mental health challenges in their child/teen
A blog that features plug-and-play exercises, practical implementation tools, and wellness tips
Downloadable mindfulness activities like coloring/activity pages and audio-guided meditations for students and educators
Snackable Skills tips and CampUS stories for campus well-being professionals
Monthly newsletter packed full of the latest offerings and resources
2. Partner with us.
If you are an organization, business, district, school, AEA, college/university, or mental health provider interested in working with us, email scsmh-main@uiowa.edu.
3. Give to the Scanlan Center.
Help us create supportive, healthy learning environments for students and educators! Your gift to the Scanlan Center for School Mental Health will fund vital research, training, and clinical services. Together, we can make a positive impact on school mental health and well-being. Make a gift to the Scanlan Center today.
4. Connect.
