With the rise of mental health concerns among youth, Iowa educators have become more and more invested in the social-emotional-behavioral health (SEBH) needs of students. Not only are they concerned for the individual student that is struggling, but also how those struggles might be impacting the entire classroom. One recent response to address this is therapeutic classrooms.   

Broadly speaking, therapeutic classrooms are specialized classrooms designed to address the SEBH needs of students while also attending to their academics. The intensive support is tailored to each student with the ultimate goal of helping them, one day, transition out of the therapeutic classroom and return to their home classroom.   

For a more in-depth look at therapeutic classrooms and evidence supporting them, check out our previous blog post here.

The HEART Program

A decade ago, the superintendent of Winterset Community Schools saw a need to help students in Iowa who had social-emotional-behavioral health challenges and brought the necessary parties together to establish a therapeutic classroom program. Initially, the therapeutic classroom was implemented with a partnering organization. 

Today, the program is entirely operated in-house. Jeremy Hilbert, current program principal, was instrumental in the transition and coined the name, HEART: (W)Hole-child Education Achieving Relationships and Results Together. The hope was to provide education from a trauma informed angle.  

Launching the rebranded program in fall of 2022, HEART’s first year was focused on making a harmonious transition for the students who were previously served with the outside implementer. HEART focused on building relationships with the staff, students, and families. They rebuilt the program as it went, seeing needs and meeting them as they came, while keeping the students at the center. It was not easy but provided many positive benefits for the students and the school.  

 When asked what he feels sets them apart and makes them successful, Hilbert said, “We create the students’ sense of belonging through respect. Respect for the students and respect for one another as a staff.” 

He notes that it can be hard, especially during challenging moments with students, and there is often little support. However, they diligently work to create a culture that makes all students know they are important and valued. 

How HEART is Making an Impact

To gain deeper insight into the impact of their therapeutic classrooms, we talked to folks throughout HEART’s three classrooms (elementary, middle, and high school). We invited teachers, paraeducators, school support staff, family members, and students to share their experiences.  

Student Growth

All interviewees agreed that witnessing students learn, develop, and use social-emotional skills is one of the biggest rewards of the HEART classroom. Educators, family members, and students all cited how the opportunity to learn in a safe, supportive, and individualized environment was pivotal to their success. Student growth is centered in the HEART program.  

“Just seeing students grow from day one until they’re getting ready to transition back into their home district…. Seeing them, be more optimistic-thinking, kind of joke around with their peers, be more open to going out and meeting new friends, aren’t quite as down on themselves… that mental resiliency. Just seeing that is probably the biggest reward.” 

“Them teaching him how to control his anger….just giving him the skills and the mindset that he can control himself. He knows how to keep himself calm; He knows all of those steps. They gave him all of that.”

Many students who transition to therapeutic classrooms do so because traditional settings have not provided ample support for their growth. Even when school districts are able to provide additional support for students, they often lack the resources and individual attention a program like HEART can provide.  

“The behaviors continued, and each year that passed, the behaviors escalated… We had given up hope that he would ever attend a general education class or be able to enjoy school as most children do.”  

However, that all changed when they were referred to HEART.   

“The HEART program was the first time in our child’s life that he had educators who cared about his learning style and him as a whole person… They didn’t just focus on academics but also life skills. They filled his box with tools to use to assist him when he gets frustrated.” 

Students enter HEART with the hope of one day transitioning back to their home district, with a new set of skills developed in HEART . The goal is to equip students with skills that are sustainable and empowering, allowing them to be successful long-term. 

“Our child transitioned back into his home district. He is in the 6th grade and is the most successful we have seen him be in a traditional school setting in the past 4 years. He continues to use the skills he learned from HEART. Since his transition back, he has not been restrained or secluded by staff. He attends a couple of general education classes a week, and he no longer has a one-on-one associate staff assigned to him. All of this has happened for our child because of HEART.” 

Supportive Environments, Relationships, and Connection  

Another critical component of the HEART program is the supportive nature of the classroom environment and the people working with the students.

“The staff truly cared for and loved our child for who he was. Once they learned who he was and developed a relationship with him, they began to teach him all sorts of things.” 

Educators and school staff also mentioned how the opportunity and the privilege to build relationships with these students is what kept them coming back to work every day.  

“Oh, that’s something I can do. You know, build the relationships, be there, just be caring about these kids, and genuinely be there for them and want what’s best. So, I think it’s all about loving them.” 

When asked what their favorite part of the HEART program was, students consistently cited one thing: the opportunity to connect with their peers.   

“Honestly, I’ve never said this before, but I actually love coming to school. My favorite part is [playing] D&D [Dungeons and Dragons], meeting new friends, and knowing I am not the only one who struggles in life.”

Many times, students in therapeutic classrooms have experienced a lack of acceptance or connection in more “traditional” school settings. Having the opportunity to build these connections can profoundly impact their emotional well-being, academic success, and overall development.  

Meeting Student Needs  

By design, therapeutic classrooms are tailored to the unique social-emotional and academic needs of students in an environment that integrates specialized support and instruction. Within a safe and structured environment, students are supported to develop fully in both academics and overall well-being. HEART’s commitment to centering student needs was noted as one of the most impactful parts of the program during the interviews.  

“Just being an advocate for the students, everybody’s got the student in mind first. You know, it’s not a numbers game, it’s not a money game.”

“We always felt like the school structure system was taking him as the circle and shoving it into a square, instead of the school system, seeing his needs and goals and molding into his circle. The HEART program is totally designed to focus on what the need of your child is emotionally and socially then, the academic piece is there as well.”  

What’s Next?  

With the profound impact made by HEART, many are asking ‘what’s next? Simply put, lots of folks just want them to keep doing what they’re doing: supporting and centering the needs of students with social-emotional-behavioral concerns.  

“I hope and pray that you guys never get rid of this program. Like, it has helped him so much. So, I just, I hope other kids can benefit from the same program and the same group.” 

Suggestions for improving programs like HEART were centered around improving student-parent-staff communication, learning and growing from their first year as a program, and integrating other types of therapy modalities into the curriculum.   

“It’s really trying to find like, hey, who are we? What are we?  What does this look like? A lot of that is challenging and it’s still challenging to this day. We haven’t been around for 30 years, like some other programs.” 

If your school or district is considering implementing a therapeutic classroom, consider these best practices from the HEART program:

• Facilitating and supporting student growth is key.
• Create a supportive environment, focused on developing relationships and building student connections.
• Meet students (and guardians) where they are.
• Enhance communication throughout the student’s support system, including family members, home district, and other members of their team.
• Commit to continuous learning, as an educator, family member, and as a program.  

HEART’s therapeutic classroom is still in its early stages but is already making a difference in the lives of students, families, and educators. As we continue to find new ways to support students with specific social-emotional needs, HEART is a reminder of how a compassionate, supportive, and growth-centered learning environment can transform education and enrich student lives.   

This blog was co-authored by Benson Bunker and Jacey Henrichs, students in the University of Iowa College of Education’s Counseling Psychology Doctoral Program.

This blog is part 2 in a 2-part series. Read part 1 here.