When a school experiences the death of a student or staff member, the ripple effects can be profound. A structured postvention response helps stabilize the community, reduce the risk of further trauma and support mental health. This isn’t just about coping — it’s also about preventing additional crises by addressing the needs of ALL affected individuals. This is accomplished through a well-planned systematic response with organization strategies to promote calm and reduce chaos in the midst of tragedy. Heartland AEA’s Critical Incident Response Services can help stabilize your school community, support mental health and prevent further trauma.
Why sign up now?
It’s much more affordable to enroll your district in our service than to pay for individual providers during a crisis. You’ll have immediate access to expert support, proven strategies and peace of mind—all at a predictable, lower cost.
Take action today
Request Critical Incident Response Services
Questions? Contact Jadie Boens, Director of Social, Emotional & Behavior Health Services
Specially Designed Literacy Instruction for Students with Significant Disabilities (SWSD SDI) professional development provides educators the foundational knowledge and skills to expand language, communication and comprehensive literacy skills for early emergent readers and writers. It supports IEP teams in developing their interprofessional collaboration knowledge and skills in order to diagnose, design and deliver high-quality, specially-designed literacy instruction encompassing language, communication and text comprehension.
Who Should Attend
- Elementary, middle and high school teachers who provide instruction to students with significant disabilities
- Professionals who support students with significant disabilities (e.g., Speech-Language Pathologists, Instructional Coaches, School Improvement Leaders, Behavior Interventionists, Autism Specialists, Consultants, TVI, TDHH, OT/PT, etc.)
Affordable
Free: Districts designated as Tier 2 or Tier 3 for IDEA-DA
or
Tier 1 districts: $75 per teacher per day
(license renewal credit $50 additional per credit)
Dates
Aug. 5-6, Oct. 24 and Nov. 21, 2025; Jan. 23, Feb. 20, March 27 and June 8-10, 2026
8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Heartland AEA Johnston Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Dr, Johnston
Registration
4 credits/10 days: Register Here
- $750 for participant only or $950 for license renewal credit
- Includes 3 group coaching sessions
- Coaching included for districts designated as Tier 2 or Tier 3 for IDEA-DA (Tier 1 districts: Contact your Heartland AEA Regional Director for options)
Contact
Kristi Upah, Chief Student Services Officer
kupah@heartlandaea.org
(515) 473-6794
- Competitive & Cost-Effective Pricing
- Collaborative Relationships
- K-12 Experience
- Consulting/Professional Development
- Local commitment to all school sizes, all needs
For more information on services: Iowa AEAs Technology Support and Services
Inquiries?
Contact Amy Wichman, Director of Media, Technology and Digital Learning
