Behind every thriving school community is someone courageously championing the well-being of students and staff. For Riverside Community School District (Carson, Iowa), that champion is Meghan Wilson, school psychologist at Green Hills AEA.
Meghan's heart for service and vision for what schools can become have made her an irreplaceable asset to her students and colleagues. Her courageous leadership and fearless advocacy for mental health and well-being shine through—and it’s why she’s our September 2025 Iowa School Mental Health Hero of the Month honoree.
For Meghan, the path to becoming a school psychologist wasn’t something she had mapped out early on—it was discovered step by step. She began her undergraduate studies at Morningside College, captivated by psychology but uncertain of where that passion might lead.
That changed during a casual conversation in her psychology honors club. A fellow student mentioned he was pursuing a career in school psychology, something Meghan had never even heard of before. As he described the field, the pieces began to fall into place: it meant working with kids and advocating for their needs. “It sounded like a great fit,” Meghan recalls. “I loved the idea of helping students directly, and that really appealed to me.”
Curious, Meghan explored different career paths by shadowing in several areas. What she found was a common thread: she wanted to end her days knowing she had made a difference in someone’s life. School psychology offered exactly that, inspiring her to continue a graduate degree at the University of South Dakota.
Now, a seasoned school psychologist, Meghan has served in her role at Green Hills AEA for 14 years, working with Riverside Community School District for 10 years.
Her passion for helping others has translated into tangible impact—strengthening systems, navigating complex situations, and fostering a culture of hope, resilience, and healing. Superintendent Stephanie Anderson of Riverside Community School District sums up Meghan’s leadership best:
“Through her commitment to student well-being, her advocacy within our Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), and her composed leadership during moments of crisis, Meghan has demonstrated how a strong, compassionate leader can elevate an entire school community. She is not only a catalyst for change in how we view and address school-based mental health but also a trusted partner who has empowered Riverside staff to build their capacity in supporting all students.”
Strategies and best practices for creating a culture of caring
Read about Meghan’s advice, useful tips, and insights in the Q&A below.
What strategies have helped you shift the MTSS approach at Riverside from reactive to proactive?
First things first, I had to establish buy-in—and we started small. Getting buy-in is tough; you aim for 80%, but that's a big number, so we had to take small, intentional steps at the beginning.
I knew I needed to build credibility with staff and show them that these practices weren’t just what's best for kids, but that they would also improve their own work and daily experience. In other words, it wasn’t just good for students—it was good for them, too.
I was very fortunate because, in this district specifically, we had a lot of people with a “yes” attitude. The biggest challenges weren’t about whether or not we should do something, but rather when we could do it—and who was going to take it on.
Another major factor was getting the administrative team on board early and having them at the table from the start. They’re the ones who can really help get the ball rolling logistically and make things happen.
2. You’ve been instrumental in helping students feel seen, heard, and supported—how do you build trust quickly in one-on-one sessions?
One of my main themes is meeting students where they are. People just want to feel seen and heard at some level, regardless of what is going on in their lives. I really work to dial in on them as individuals. I am always trying to give them undivided attention—that really helps establish a feeling of being supported.
Another foundation I have for establishing trust is that I work really hard to create awareness that my office is a safe space. There is no judgment, ever. You could say or do whatever—we're good. I often say to kids, "There’s nothing you can do or say that’s going to shock me."
I have a lot of adults, too, who come in, and they know they can speak freely if they need to. Sometimes, I let families know that the office can be flexible. Maybe they just need a quiet space, or they just need to vent and then bolt. Maybe they need somebody to bounce ideas off of. We do it all.
We started to ask kids who come in: Do you want help, do you want to be heard, or do you want a hug?
“Meghan was a safe place for me, a person I could turn to when I needed someone to talk to. She made me feel comfortable and supported, creating a space where I could open up and work through my problems without fear or judgment. She had a way of understanding what I was feeling and allowed me to open up at my own pace, giving me the space and support I needed.” - 12th-grade student
3. What systems-level changes are you most proud of initiating or influencing at Riverside?
Years ago, I started celebrating National Children's Mental Health Awareness Week. We launched awareness activities across the district from PreK through 12th grade, involving teachers as well. It really caught fire. Other schools in our conference also started participating. We had T-shirts made, ran online Twitter competitions for students, handed out prizes, and read mental health awareness books at school events. COVID-19 put a stop to that momentum, and we haven’t quite regained it yet, but we had a great run leading up to the pandemic. I'm proud of that work because I truly believe it got a lot of people excited about mental health.
Another big system-level change was our threat assessment procedures, which we built from the ground up. We started with suicide intervention and prevention strategies. When I first started, there wasn’t a standard suicide risk assessment being used in the district. So, I collaborated with some incredibly smart and dedicated teammates to create what we felt was the best approach for schools.
We followed that by rolling out a series of trainings, which I brought to our district. We built everything from the ground up, trained everyone, and now it just happens—it’s embedded. I don’t have to be there anymore, and I’m so proud of that. That’s the best feeling—when you can step back and the work keeps going, even when you’re no longer the one driving the bus.
"From the moment Meghan began working with Riverside, her presence was felt immediately. She approached her role not as a consultant working on the sidelines, but as a full member of the team—invested, informed, and intentional. She quickly developed strong relationships with staff and students, and her ability to connect on both a professional and personal level allowed her to help create an inclusive and supportive school culture where mental health is prioritized. Her calm demeanor and approachable nature foster trust, which is critical when navigating the sensitive and often complex situations surrounding student mental health." - Stephanie Anderson, Superintendent, Riverside Community School District
4. How do you sustain your own mental wellness and resilience while supporting others through grief, crisis, and trauma?
I acknowledge that it's a work in progress all the time, and that it's absolutely okay not to be okay. I say that to everyone, so if I'm going to talk about it, I need to live it too. If I'm not okay, the first step is to name it and then devote time and energy to restoring my own baseline. Sometimes that might mean tagging out or sitting out—and that's okay, because sometimes that's what's best.
5. What advice would you give to other K-12 education professionals or school mental health providers about leading through emotionally charged events without becoming overwhelmed?
I would say it's important to have—or establish—a team, your people. Those are the ones who will help hold you accountable. It’s actually someone else’s privilege to help me through tough times, because we’re all in the trenches together. We’re all working through it.
6. What’s one tip you would give other K-12 education professionals hoping to better support student well-being?
I would say don’t give up, and don’t be afraid to go rogue. What I mean by that is, if you see a need not being met, and you feel like you have a solution in your hands—and it’s important—go for it.
That is how our suicide risk assessment team was born. We saw a need, and there it was. A colleague and I looked at each other and both used the word—we were like, “Do you want to go rogue?” And she said yes. We began conducting research and presentations, thinking that we needed to disseminate this information as widely and quickly as possible. I think we need to remember that we’re solving what feels like impossibly hard questions and problems. We need people to think creatively and outside the box.
Another tip: don’t be afraid to start small. Maybe it’s just focusing on helping one kid in the beginning, and you put your whole being and everything you can into that case. Then, down the line, you can look at reaching a broader audience.
One of my favorite quotes is, “Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it did lay bricks every hour.” That’s how I like to tackle mental health work. Sometimes it can be overwhelming, and you may want to quit when you look at the bigger picture. It helps to narrow your scope and focus on the fact that Rome’s going to get there—but for right now, I’m going to focus on one brick at a time.
7. Do you have any favorite school mental health and well-being resources, books, programs, or podcasts you would recommend to others in the K-12 space?
I love Lost at School by Ross Greene, The Body Keeps the Score, and A Still Quiet Place—a lot of the work by Amy Saltzman as well.
My recommendation would be to follow organizations on social media like the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the Scanlan Center for School Mental Health. They regularly post helpful resources. I also suggest attending as many conferences and webinars as possible. There are free resources everywhere—so many things you don’t even know exist.
Honestly, a lot of what I’ve learned has come from conferences, summits, and webinars. Many of them are also completely free. If you just sign up for a few newsletters, you’ll get emails that show what’s coming up that month. You can even throw in a webinar during your lunch hour.
The Iowa School Mental Health Hero of the Month is a recognition series that highlights an Iowa educator, school staff, AEA staff, or K-12 student’s efforts to cultivate a positive mental health culture in their communities. The program spotlights individuals who have demonstrated exemplary leadership and commitment to expanding, promoting, and strengthening mental health and well-being initiatives and programs. Rolling nominations accepted.