The community of Fairfield, Iowa was stunned by the loss of Nohema Graber in November, the woman allegedly murdered by two students. And the student body was already dealing with a loss when it learned of Graber's death. For the Trojans, processing these traumas came on top of stressors related to navigating the pandemic, which is why the Iowa Center for School Mental Health reached out to help.

The Board of Regents approved the University of Iowa's proposal to recognize the Iowa Center for School Mental Health as an official center. The center was initially established in the summer of 2021.

Experts during a June 2 Board of Regents presentation expressed concern that the K-12 mental health crisis in Iowa and across the country is getting worse, and is affecting students and teachers alike. The Iowa Board of Regents, Iowa Department of Education, The State of Iowa and the University of Iowa’s college of education have partnered to address K-12 school mental health, an increasingly prevalent issue, for each school in Iowa by forming the Iowa Center for School Mental Health.

On this episode of Talk of Iowa, Iowa Public Radio host Charity Nebbe speaks with two parents about their son’s struggle with serious depression and suicidal ideation and how they found resources for their son. Then, Dr. Laura L. Gallo and Dr. Jacob Priest, affiliate research faculty for the Iowa Center for School Mental Health, […]

May is about YOU, Iowa educators! From May 3-31, 2022 enter the “Educator Wellness” giveaway to win hundreds of dollars of health and wellness prizes. In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, we are applauding the amazing work educators do in supporting students’ mental health and well-being. Even more, we are using this month to megaphone the importance of educator […]

Today, the Iowa Center for School Mental Health announced the launch of the inaugural Iowa School Mental Health Awards.  The awards program celebrates individuals who have made significant contributions to cultivating a positive mental health culture within an Iowa PreK-12 school, district, college/university, or community organization.  Nominations are now open until June 30, 2022, in three award […]

Gerta Bardhoshi is passionate about social-emotional-behavioral health (SEBH) and its impact on holistic student success. Bardhoshi, associate professor in Counselor Education and director for research and training in the Iowa Center for School Mental Health, carries this passion into her research, which looks at designing and implementing school-based interventions to improve social-emotional and mental health outcomes for diverse students. She also does research on counselor burnout and evaluating counseling instruments that measure a range of clinical outcomes.

In this Office Hours podcast episode, Dr. Gerta Bardhoshi, director of research and training for the Iowa Center for School Mental Health, shares her expertise about social-emotional behavioral health, the Center's role in supporting K-12 students and teachers, and why school counselors are leaders in creating systemic change and promoting positive learning environments.