Supervision of Shelter Care Educational Program

Education: Bachelor’s degree, psychology; Master’s degree, special education; Ph.D., school psychology

Certifications: Certified instructor for Restorative Practices & Restorative Conferences, trained facilitator for Restorative Circles & Restorative Conferences, certified trainer for Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA), certified trainer for Iowa Building Strong Brains (trauma-informed care curriculum)

Experience: School psychologist; Professional learning consultant; Agency-wide social, emotional & behavioral health lead
Joined Heartland AEA in 2009

Expertise: PBIS; local behavior expectations, routines and procedures; positive and corrective feedback; system-wide data analysis; data-based decision-making and progress monitoring; MTSS evidence-based classroom practices – academic and behavior; active engagement; explicit instruction; data analysis; drill down; data-based decision-making with outcome and fidelity; data intervention match and design; progress monitoring; social-emotional learning

Professional affiliations: Association for Positive Behavior Supports

How I’ve made an impact: I worked with a district to provide Restorative Practices training to all staff. Working within their professional development schedule to provide one full day of content during a pre-service day and then following up with two half days to finish the remaining content onsite within their buildings, allowed all staff to engage in the same content on the same timeline, and in a way that met their specific district calendar. The district found it beneficial that each staff member had the foundational knowledge needed to move forward with district-wide implementation for the remainder of the school year.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, elementary education with reading endorsement; Master’s degree, teacher effectiveness & professional development

Experience: Elementary teacher; Instructional coach; Social, emotional & behavioral health lead
Joined Heartland AEA in 2023

Expertise: Exploring and sustaining implementation of initiatives with development and coaching around the areas of MTSS, instructional coaching, trauma-informed practices, student engagement and connection to school, student and staff well-being, chronic absenteeism, project-based learning, embedded skills for learning into instruction, managing effective evidence-based classrooms, formative assessment process, standards-referenced grading, curriculum and program review, PBIS, child and adolescent development, Science of Reading

How I’ve made an impact: I assisted a district team by building a cohesive and systemized response to student behavior that provided clarity for everyone across the district on the definitions of problem behaviors, as well as a consistent response to problem behaviors for teachers and administrators. This helped the district have more alignment in its behavior reporting system to have accurate data to reflect upon the unique successes and challenges of the district. 

Education: Bachelor’s degree, psychology and women’s studies; Master’s degree, educational psychology; Ph.D., educational psychology

Experience: School psychologist; Independent educational consultant; Professional learning consultant; Social, emotional & behavioral health lead

Expertise: Systems support; MTSS; PBIS; crisis response; mental health literacy; suicide prevention and intervention; implementation support through coaching, consultation, collaboration and data review; supporting instructional practices for individual students, groups, classes and systems; supporting diverse learners; instructional practices – evidence-based practices; conditions for learning; behavior expectations and routines; assessment/data-based decision-making; chronic absenteeism/attendance; classroom management; student engagement; Restorative Practices; trauma-informed practices; crisis prevention intervention; resource integration; technical assistance with data management and analysis; adult professional learning; educator wellness; Child Find/evaluation; coaching and consultation to support students with educational disabilities

Professional affiliations: Certified trainer for The Growing Brain, Zero to Three; PBIS Tier 1 and Building Strong Brains

How I’ve made an impact: I had the opportunity to assist school partners with establishing a model MTSS approach at their building. While MTSS continues to evolve in the district and the building, this building’s system is often used as a district example of how to deliver a tiered system of supports to all students. I continue to collaborate with and support this building as it embraces the continuous improvement approach and engages in ongoing improvements to its system.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, family studies; Educational specialist degree, school psychology

Experience: School psychologist, Social, emotional & behavioral health lead
Joined Heartland AEA in 2015

Expertise: Certified trainer for CPI, Youth Mental Health First Aid and Restorative Practices; MTSS for SEBH; co-developed Heartland AEA’s Critical Incident Response Plan & Emergency Reunification Plan

Professional affiliations: Nationally-Certified School Psychologist

How I’ve made an impact: In collaboration with a district’s elementary administration, leadership team and fellow AEA colleagues, I provided support to identify social social-emotional system needs to inform professional learning and to create the Trauma-Informed Schools framework they currently use.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, psychology; Specialist degree, school psychology; Pre-doctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship, behavior pediatrics; Ph.D., school psychology; Board Certified Behavior Analyst

Experience: School psychologist; PBIS trainer; Assessment consultant; Agency-wide social, emotional & behavioral health lead
Joined Heartland AEA in 2002

Expertise: MTSS for social, emotional & behavioral health; implementation science; early warning systems and systems development; implementation and sustainability; PBIS Tiers 1, 2 & 3: local behavior expectations, routines and procedures; positive and corrective feedback; system-wide data analysis; MTSS evidence-based classroom practices: academic and behavior; Tier 2 & 3 intervention; data intervention match and design; progress monitoring; data-based decision-making with outcome and fidelity data; summative evaluation

Certifications: Trained facilitator for Restorative Circles and Restorative Conferences; certified trainer for Youth Mental Health First Aid and Iowa Building Strong Brains (trauma-informed care curriculum); trainer for PBIS Tiers 1, 2 & 3

Professional Affiliations: Association of Positive Behavior Supports

How I’ve made an impact: I am currently working with a district to build capacity among its staff to implement MTSS for social, emotional and behavioral health. I have enjoyed assisting them in bringing their good work written on paper to life as support for students and staff.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, psychology; Master’s degree, social work

Experience: Extensive experience in the mental health field: diagnosis, treatment and mental health systems work including as a school social worker and a social, emotional & behavioral health regional lead. I serve as a primary trainer for Mental Health Crisis Protocol; as support and follow-up for Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG) coaching and consultation; as a primary trainer for Critical Incident Point Person responses; and as a primary trainer and on the leadership team for Heartland AEA’s Emergency Reunification, Response & Recovery Team.
Joined Heartland AEA in 2014

Expertise: Licensed as a clinical-level social worker with expertise in the area of mental health; trainer for Mental Health Crisis Protocol, Youth Mental Health First Aid, PBIS and Building Strong Brains; trauma-informed schools; evidence-based classroom practices; systems of support for SEBH including support to leadership teams for data reviews; needs assessments; early warning systems and gap analysis; support and coaching for leadership teams and student support teams made up of school counselors, school-based mental health providers, school nurses, etc.; mental health consultation; support for mental health crisis and student safety

Professional affiliations: Iowa School Social Work Association, 2023 Iowa School Social Worker of the Year

How I make an impact: I roll up my sleeves, meet districts where they are, build long-term relationships and bring evidence-based resources and compassion to support the very difficult work of mental health crises, school threats, critical incident responses and systems support.