School leaders are looking for ways to expand mental health services to schools across Iowa. Now one nurse says she has a way to bring those services straight to the classroom. In 2019, Sue Gehling launched Classroom Clinic. It’s a program allowing students to connect to mental health professionals from the classroom. It also provides students with mental health evaluations, therapy, and medication management. Gehling says she started Classroom Clinic when she noticed a lack of mental health services in her community. She believes it can not only reduce stigma surrounding mental health but help make it easier to access.
“It kind of dawned on me, you know what, the calvary is not coming,” Gehling says. “And if the calvary is not coming, then I need to stand up and help my families. Because if I don’t help them, then who will?”
Classroom Clinic now serves over 40,000 students across the state. Gehling says she’s looking to reach out to more educators and administrators at the Iowa Association of School Boards Convention this week.