This course satisfies the Safety, Support & Wellness requirement for the School Culture Advocate Certification. Learn more at www.safeschoolsacademy.org/csca.

Course description: Schools are increasingly becoming spaces for students to find social, emotional, and mental health supports. Anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns can hinder peer relationships, academic success, attendance, and overall future success. As educators, it is our role to create safe environments for all students, and we need to ensure that our students have the supports necessary to thrive in their learning environments.

The purpose of this course is to address the urgent need of school mental health supports and to stop the stigma surrounding mental illness. This nine-week course will outline the current state of youth & adolescent mental health in the nation, and the biological & environmental factors affecting it. It will also describe the signs of symptoms of mental health concerns, including focused attention on self-harming behaviors and suicidal ideations. This course will dive into describe the signs and symptoms of anxiety, depression, ADHD, ADD, and bipolar disorder.

This course will bring focused attention to the importance of positive relationships and communication in student mental health, and it will also highlight the unique needs of people with marginalized identities who also experience mental health concerns. At the end of the course, participants will then learn about the best practices for address school mental health systems, including MTSS frameworks, social-emotional learning competencies, and other classroom supports.

Click here to access the course syllabus.

This is a 3-credit course.

*Participants taking Drake graduate credit can enroll in a maximum of 12 graduate hours per academic semester.  If you take more than 12 credit hours, not all of your credits will be issued nor will your money be refunded. 

Upcoming sections:
January 26, 2025 - March 29, 2025
May 25, 2025 - July 26, 2025

Course Fees (🎮🎲♟️ Game Night: 55% OFF License Renewal Credit and 35% OFF Grad Credit now through 11/21/24! Prices automatically applied—NO CODE REQUIRED! 🎮🎲♟️):

License Renewal - $285 $127.50
Para credit - $285 $127.50
Graduate Credit - $525 $420
Audit - $105

If you have questions, check out our FAQ page! You can also email academy@iowasafeschools.org or call 515.381.0588 if you’d prefer to pay by check.

Cancellation/Refund Policy
All course cancellations or requests to change credit type must be received in writing or electronically at least fourteen days prior to the class start date. All refunds requested before this deadline will be subject to a $40 cancellation fee per course credit cancelled. No refunds will be issued on cancellations received after this deadline, however, we can move you to a future session of the same course if possible. Iowa Safe Schools reserves the right to cancel any course in the event of insufficient registration, in which case our Registrar will contact you to make alternative arrangements. Cancelled courses may be rescheduled at a later date.

Minimum Registration Limit
Beginning 8/1/2021, the minimum registration limit for a class will be three (3) registrants. If your registered class does not meet the minimum registration limit one week prior to your course start date, our Registrar will contact you about future transfer options.

Transcripts
Please allow up to two weeks for transcripts to be processed following a course end date. Request your transcripts by going to http://www.safeschoolsacademy.org/transcripts.