The HEAL Association
ConferenceThe Hospital Educator and Academic Liaison Association’s Annual Conferences provide opportunities for professional development and ongoing collaboration among multidisciplinary professionals to support our mission of improving the educational outcomes for students with medical and mental health needs. Combining the expertise our members and invited speakers we offer a robust educational program specific to the needs of our membership.

Tentative Conference Schedule – at a glance
(Schedule subject to change)
7:30 am | Registration and Nutrition Bar Opens |
8:30-8:45 am | Welcome and Conference Kick-off |
8:45-10:00 am | Keynote Speaker – Kristy Eaton, EdD, MSW, LCSW, Assistant Director of the Indiana School Mental Health Initiative, Indiana Institute on Disability and Community at Indiana University |
10:00-10:15 am | Break |
10:15-11:15 am |
Breakout Sessions Session 1: Lecture: Using Tiered Intervention to Stretch Resources and Meet the Psychosocial Standards of Care for Children with Cancer Session 2: Lecture: Support Through the Storm: Where School Program and Child Life Meet Session 3: Roundtable: New Member Orientation |
11:15-11:30 am | Break |
11:30 am-12:30 pm |
Breakout Sessions Session 4: Panel: Building a Statewide Educational Support Program for All Childhood Cancer Patients and Survivors Session 5: Lecture: Assessment 101 for Hospital Teachers: Identifying Patient’s Individual Learning Needs Through Formal and Informal Assessment Session 6: Roundtable: Developing a Collaborative Communication Model to Address Absenteeism for Students with Chronic Medical Conditions |
12:30-1:30 pm | Lunch (Regional Connections) |
12:30-2:00 pm | Vendor Showcase |
2:00-3:00 pm |
Breakout Sessions Session 7: Lecture: Understanding Children’s Lived Experiences and Improving Communication During Pediatric Visits Session 8: Lecture: STEM in the Hospital: An Implicit Statement of Hope Session 9: Roundtable: Measuring Our Impact |
3:00-3:15 pm | Break |
3:15-4:15 pm |
Breakout Sessions Session 10: TBD Session 11: Lecture: Healing Hearts Through the Arts Session 12: Roundtable: School Transition Planning for Students Leaving Psychiatric Treatment |
4:30-5:30 pm | Welcome Reception |
(Schedule subject to change)
8:00-8:45 am | Nutrition Bar Opens |
8:45-9:45 am | General Session: When Multiple Systems Fail: Contextualizing Disparities to Inform Interventions for Diverse Youth |
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9:45-10:00 am | Break |
10:00-11:00 am |
Breakout Sessions Session 13: Panel: Microschooling: Meeting Every Student’s Unique Needs in Fully Customized Learning Environments Session 14: TBD Session 15: Roundtable: Holistic Lesson Planning: A Roundtable Discussion of Lesson Planning Best Practices for Hospital/Homebound Students |
11:00-11:15 am | Break |
11:15 am-12:15 pm |
Breakout Sessions Session 16: Helping Schools with Instructional Plans for Students with Acquired Brain Injury and TBI Session 17: Lecture: Partnerships Multiply Teaching Hands Session 18: Roundtable: “Standardizing the Field of Hospital Educator and Academic Liaison |
12:15-1:45 pm | Awards Luncheon |
1:30-2:30 pm |
Vendor Showcase Poster Session
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2:30-3:30 pm |
Breakout Sessions Session 19: TBD Session 20: Lecture: Reframing Late-Effects of Childhood Cancer as a Chronic Medical Condition to Support Educational Attainment Session 21: Roundtable: Bilingual Education in the Hospital Setting |
3:30-3:45 pm | Break |
3:45-4:45 pm |
Breakout Sessions Session 22: Panel: Adapting Educational Resources for Long-Term School Support in Cancer Survivorship Session 23: Lecture: Balancing Care and Commitment: Stress Management for Student Support Professionals Session 24: Roundtable: Better Together: A Collaborative Approach to the Whole Child |
Evening on your own |
(Schedule subject to change)
7:30-8:30am | Nutrition Bar Open |
8:00-9:15 am | HEAL Business Meeting |
9:15-9:30 am | Break |
9:30-10:30 am |
Breakout Sessions Session 25: Lecture: Bridging the Gap: Using Research to Better Support the Reintegration of Mental Health Patients Back into School Session 26: TBD Session 27: Roundtable: Creation and Implementation of an Academic Discharge Summary |
10:30-10:45 am | Break |
10:45 am-12:15 pm | Closing Session: Panel Discussion- Peace Rounds: Enhancing Educational Success Through Whole-Person, Palliative Care Rounding |
12:15-12:30 pm | Closing Remarks and Evaluation |
Due to circumstances beyond our control, conference content, speakers, and schedule may change unexpectedly.
We will post any changes as soon as we are made aware of them. Thank you for your patience.