iowa department of human services
State worker who slapped elderly, disabled woman wants his job back
A former employee of a state-run home for the disabled, fired for having assaulted an elderly, female resident, is fighting to get his job back. State records indicate that on the evening of Oct. 20, 2018, residential treatment worker Derek Krogman was in the dining room of a Woodward building, dealing with an 85-year-old, nonverbal […]
Auditor: DHS worker improperly added $52K to husband’s wages to ‘make ends meet’
For 18 months, an administrative assistant at Iowa’s Civil Commitment Unit for Sexual Offenders improperly routed money from the facility to her husband, according to the Iowa Auditor of State. The unit, known as CCUSO, is run by the Iowa Department of Human Services and is located on the campus of the Cherokee Mental Health […]
More than one-third of Iowa’s state-employed caregivers still refusing COVID-19 vaccine
As state officials continue to encourage Iowans to be vaccinated against COVID-19, more than a third of the workers at state-run care facilities continue to refuse the vaccine. The most recently released data from the Iowa Department of Human Services shows that as of May 7, a total of 36% of state employees at the […]
Lawmakers resurrect child care, public assistance proposals in budget negotiations
House and Senate Republicans have resurrected several policy bills as the session winds to a close and lawmakers work toward budget agreements. Lawmakers began discussion Thursday of the House Republicans’ Health and Human Services budget proposal. Much of the proposal matches with the Senate and Gov. Kim Reynolds’ recommendations: It would allocate over $2 billion […]
Witness’ account of a child’s re-enactment of abuse was allowable, Iowa Supreme Court says
Should Iowa courts allow witnesses to describe a small child’s unspoken re-enactment of alleged abuse, or should such evidence be barred from trials as hearsay? That was one of the questions the Iowa Supreme Court dealt with Friday in upholding the conviction of a day care worker accused of choking a 4-year-old child. Shanna Dessinger […]
Many state-employed caregivers are still refusing the COVID-19 vaccine
Up to 45% of the state employees at publicly managed care facilities are still refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, despite the governor’s ongoing pleas for all Iowans to be vaccinated. Some of those who are refusing the vaccine are health care workers providing direct, hands-on care for individuals, and some are administrators. The six state-run care […]
Reynolds asks all Iowans to be vaccinated but won’t require it of state-employed caregivers
After repeatedly urging all Iowans to get their COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. Kim Reynolds reiterated Tuesday that she will not be requiring health care workers in state-run care facilities to be vaccinated. “Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, and it’s what will allow us to return to living our lives […]
Iowa counselor accused of using child to extort sexual favors from client
An Iowa woman is suing a family counseling service, alleging one of its employees extorted sexual favors from her by threatening to deny her access to her child. Tricia Babbitt of Linn County is suing Families First Counseling Services of Iowa and one of its care coordinators, Quentin Thurmond, in Linn County District Court. She […]
More than 700 state-employed caregivers continue to refuse COVID-19 vaccine
More than 700 public employees who help care for Iowans in state-run facilities are still refusing the coronavirus vaccine. According to the latest data from the Iowa Department of Human Services, of the 660 employees at western Iowa’s Glenwood Resource Center for profoundly disabled individuals, 323 — or 49% of the home’s workforce — have […]
Sex offenders sue state after being denied leftovers from their Satanic feast
A group of convicted sex offenders is suing the state of Iowa, claiming their right to worship Lucifer with a weeklong feast of fried chicken, doughnuts and ice cream is being violated. Lawsuits filed by prison and jail inmates are commonplace, and many of them allege violations of constitutional rights related to religious practices. But […]
Court-appointed monitor says conditions at Eldora home are improving
A court-appointed, independent monitor says the state-run Boys State Training School in Eldora is improving its treatment of the troubled youth who live there. In 2017, a class action lawsuit was brought against the Iowa Department of Human Services, which runs the school, alleging inadequate mental health care services for the youth who are housed […]
Iowa mother sues over state-run facility’s use of ‘torture’ device and isolation
A western Iowa mother is suing the state of Iowa for allegedly subjecting her son to assault and isolation while the boy resided at the state-run Boys State Training School in Eldora. It is the first such lawsuit to follow a federal judge’s finding last year that officials who ran the Eldora home had “tortured” […]