Our Mission 

To improve the learning outcomes and well-being of all children and youth by providing services and leadership in partnership with families, schools and communities. 

Our Goals

• Increase learning growth for students
• Decrease the gap in achievement
• Increase annual graduation rates
• Increase gateways to post-secondary success

As We Enter 2022, Here’s a Refresher for You About COVID

Heartland AEA is committed to your health and safety. We are aware that COVID-19 and its variants remain present in our communities. While the COVID Task Force hasn’t provided a pandemic communication recently, they wanted to provide this refresher as we enter the winter months. We will continue to monitor, evaluate and provide any further information or adjustments if conditions change. 

Heartland AEA continues to follow allowable mitigation strategies under Iowa regulations. Sources for these recommendations include the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH). 

Vaccination 

Heartland AEA encourages all staff to get a COVID vaccination as well as the booster shot where appropriate. 

Face Coverings 

The CDC recommends that everyone two years or older who is not fully vaccinated should wear a mask in indoor public places. Face coverings are available for staff and visitors at agency workspaces; however, per Iowa law, the Agency can not require face coverings to be worn in our buildings and workspaces. Please consider wearing a mask when you can’t safely distance yourself from others. A few reminders: 

• Face masks/coverings should cover the nose, mouth and chin with little to no gap. 
• You can wear a disposable mask until it is wet or soiled. 

Stay Home When Sick 

If you are sick or have symptoms of illness, fever, cough or COVID-19 related symptoms, stay home. Consult with your healthcare provider for more information. If interested, the CDC has a Coronavirus Self-Checker to help you make decisions about seeking appropriate medical care. Their system is not intended for the diagnosis or treatment of disease, including COVID-19. 

Positive COVID 

Test If you test positive for COVID, please notify your supervisor and Human Resources. The HR team will provide guidance from the Iowa Department of Public Health and the CDC on quarantine and possible exposure risk to colleagues and agency sick leave. 

Room Capacities 

Conference/meeting room capacities in our agency offices are gradually returning to their regular pre-COVID numbers. We support social distancing when possible and wearing masks when it’s not an option. 

Visitors 

Visitors who enter our buildings continue to be asked to sign in using our sign-in sheets. 

COVID Task Force 

The Agency’s COVID Task Force that had been meeting since March 2020 to review guidance and provide updates to staff is currently inactive. However, if you have COVID-related questions, please direct them to our Communications Department, and our Communications staff will refer all questions to Task Force members. 

We appreciate the caring attitude of all of you and your continued respect and support of each other as we continue to navigate COVID-19.

Reminder: Jan. 1 Brings New Rules About In-State Lodging and Meeting/Conference Sites

Per Iowa Code Section 80.45a, beginning Jan. 1, 2022, for any public money to be used at an Iowa lodging provider, the provider must certify with the Iowa Department of Public Safety that all of its employees have received approved human trafficking training. 

Hotels for Lodging 

A current list of certified hotels is posted at the Iowa Office to Combat Human Trafficking website. If you are making a hotel reservation and your hotel is not listed, call the hotel to determine if it plans to have staff certified before your date of stay. If you are unable to stay at an approved hotel, contact Mary Heaberlin or Brian Whalen in the Business Office. 

Hotels for Meeting Space 

The new law also prohibits the use of public money to: Procure space or services for a conference, meeting or banquet located in a lodging site, or host a conference, meeting or banquet at a site where lodging is available. If you cannot locate a meeting space from an approved hotel, contact Brandie Gean in the Conference Center.

New Intranet Launches Jan. 5 and The Connection Will Have a New Home!

The Agency’s Intranet is getting a complete makeover! All the information you know and trust in order to be a Heartland AEA employee will now be available on a brand new site with a new design and better navigation. The site will also feature enhanced web accessibility for those who use screen readers and a responsive design that allows the site to be accessible on mobile devices. 

Google Login 

The new Intranet will also be more secure, so it will require you to log in with your Google username and password to access the sections of information below. 

• Benefits 
• Business Office 
• Communications 
• COVID-19 
• Creative Services 
• Emergency Response & Safety 
• Event Scheduling 
• Human Resources 
• Staff Professional Learning 
• Technology 
• Wellness Program 

The Connection Will Have a New Home 

Another change is that the Intranet will be the new home of The Connection. Each week’s update will now be linked from the Intranet, so you’ll need to log in to the site to access the articles. We’ll continue to send an email each Monday with the titles of all the articles listed. We know this will take a little getting used to, but we think it will be beneficial to bring The Connection under the same roof as the rest of our employee content. 

Jan. 5 Launch 

The new Intranet will launch on Jan. 5, 2022, and the link on the Employee Dashboard will be updated on that day. Note that any bookmarks you have saved to the current Intranet will no longer work after that date. 

If you have any questions about the launch or have feedback after the new site debuts, contact the Communications Department.

Introducing AbilitiCBT: A New Option for You to Receive Guided Digital Therapy to Support Your Well-being

Feeling anxious? Sad? Not yourself? You’re not alone. 

We care about helping you and your loved ones stay healthy. This includes making sure you have the resources you need to manage your mental health. We are happy to offer AbilitiCBT, a digital cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program guided by professional therapists provided through the Agency's Employee Assistance Program, LifeWorks.

CBT is one of the most effective methods of therapy. It helps reduce your symptoms and build your resilience for a variety of mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, insomnia and many others. With AbilitiCBT, you can access the support you need to feel better, anytime, anywhere, from any device. 

AbilitiCBT is offered free of charge to you and your dependents aged 18 or older. 

The AbilitiCBT Journey 

1. Go to the Heartland AEA AbilitiCBT website to sign up. 
2. The first step is a needs assessment: a 5-7 minute online questionnaire followed by a first consultation with your therapist by phone or video. 
3. You then work through structured modules to learn, develop and practice long-term coping skills, while your therapist monitors your progress and checks in with you. 
4. You can connect with your therapist by phone, video or messaging, as little or as much as you want. 

You're in Good Hands 

All AbilitiCBT therapists: 

• Are licensed social workers, psychotherapists or psychologists 
• Have successfully completed an extensive credentialing process with reference checks
• Are well-versed and experienced CBT practitioners 
• Receive specialized inclusion and diversity training focused on mental health services 

Getting the Help You Need 

We encourage you to learn more about AbilitiCBT and to take advantage of the meaningful support it can provide. Remember that taking care of yourself is the best way to ensure you can continue to take care of your family and your community. 

• AbilitiCBT Overview 
• AbilitiCBT FAQ

You deserve to feel better. 

If you have any questions about AbilitiCBT, contact Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist.

Reminder About Positions Coming Open for Reassignment and Transfer

As a reminder, staff can expect to see positions that are open for reassignment and transfer starting in early January. Remember Certified staff must stay in their assignment for two years after being hired or after transferring. In order to assist in the timeliness of the hiring process, staff who apply for transfers or reassignments should be ready to accept or decline an offer of transfer or reassignment within 24 hours of it being offered. 

We also need your help in the hiring process! In order to find top candidates from all career levels, diverse backgrounds and experiences, we need you to spread the word as new positions open up. In addition, each Heartland AEA employee is part of the collective recruiting experience, as the respect provided to teachers, parents, school leaders and the community by Heartland AEA employees and your expressed opinions of Heartland AEA as an employer, will have a direct reflection on the success of our recruitment program. 

With everyone working together, we can make Heartland AEA an employer of choice!

Reminder: Google Learning for the New Year; Don’t Forget to Watch the Session Recordings!

First, we want to thank everyone who has taken time out of their busy schedules to join us for a Technology Lunch & Learn session. We have enjoyed working with you!. We have now held 10 sessions and demonstrated skills in Google Drive and Docs, Google Calendar, Google Groups and Google Contacts. If you missed any sessions, don't worry! You can find all of the recorded sessions, along with lists of practice tasks to accompany each session, on our Technology Professional Learning site. 

We also wanted to let you know that our Lunch and Learn sessions will resume on Jan. 6, 2022. In January we will be learning all about Google Sheets. You can find the skills covered each week in the task list document. 

Please join us if you would like to improve your skills in Sheets!

Zoom Link

This Week’s Mission Monday: Hold the Door for Others This Week

Mission Monday is the creation of Mark Johnson and Sam Stecher. As teachers, coaches and leaders, they desired a way to consistently create connections and a sense of community in their school buildings. 

Heartland AEA and our Development Team for Safe, Supportive, Welcoming Environments want to bring this idea to our settings. Use the “Mission Accomplished” form to indicate when you have accomplished a mission, and you’ll be put in a monthly drawing for cool prizes! 

Mission for Week of Jan. 3: Hold the Door for Others This Week

Mission Accomplished Form  

December Mission Winners
We had 146 entries in December! Congratulations to these winners:

Heather Davis (Occupational Therapist/JO)
Katie Walton Webster (School Psychologist/IN)

Tracy Weber (Teacher of the Deaf & Hard of Hearing/AM)