The 1 st Iowa SMH Coalition presented by Please Pass the Love is designed to strengthen school mental health systems across Iowa. Currently, Iowa has a very ad hoc approach to school mental health with a variety of agencies and entities doing amazing work, but a lack of an organized system to maximize on best practice as well as communication and understanding. The intention of this opportunity is to bring together a large number of diverse stakeholders, beyond just decision makers, to have a better understanding of what school mental health in Iowa looks like, what is currently being done, assess target goal areas, develop a sustainable statewide action plan, and to create an ongoing community of practice to progress the school mental health work.

This by-invitation only event to start with the hopes of being able to create this as an annual workshop with ongoing practice groups designed and led by you. Each practice group will develop goals and create organizational structures that allow for ongoing meetings and increase of participants throughout the year. We know that this work needs to be done with the input of many not just a few, but it needs to be done in an organized, systemic matter.

Objectives
1. Decrease fragmentation of school mental health efforts by developing a common statewide vision and strategic plan.
2. Create a sustainable community of practice, representative of diverse groups and populations from across the state, to develop sustainable school mental health systems.