PODCAST · society
Let’s Talk Iowa!
by Chad Benson
A serious, honest, and critically needed podcast exploring how Iowa’s policies—especially those around foster care, adoption, mental health, education and other family-impacting systems—play out in real life. f0e6d5ea5028c4d8de2ca1e2344da5f970f232aa
Episodes
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Episode 11: The Reality of FASD that Iowa ignores
This episode of Let's Talk Iowa follows one family's fight to care for a son with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), explaining the medical realities of the condition and how Iowa's system often mistakes neurological injury for willful misbehavior. The host calls out state failures, the...
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Episode 10: The $7 Billion Leak
Episode 10: The $7 Billion Leak Host: Chad Benson Recording Date: January 4, 2026 Overview "It’s like Mr. Belding from Saved by the Bell trying to take on a Terminator." Recording from his living room in Sioux City, host Chad Benson moves from the "Base Kid Mentality" to a surgical strike on…
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Episode 9: The Base Kid Mentality & The Standard of Care
Episode 9: The Base Kid Mentality & The Standard of Care "Duty isn't a suggestion—it was the baseline." As we step into 2026, we aren't making resolutions—we’re establishing resolve. In this high-stakes deep dive, host Chad Benson pulls back the curtain on his own "operating system" to explain…
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Episode 8: The War Room – 2026 Legislative Intelligence
Episode 8: The War Room – 2026 Legislative Intelligence "Hope is not a strategy." With just three weeks until the gavel drops on January 12, 2026, the halls of the Iowa Capitol are quiet—but the War Room is just heating up. In this high-stakes deep dive, host Chad Benson sits down with...
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Episode 7: Iowa's Healthcare Dons: An Offer You Can't Refuse
Keywords mental health, Iowa, managed care organizations, MCOs, healthcare, advocacy, family support, bureaucratic challenges, accountability, reform Summary In this conversation, Chad shares his personal struggles with the mental health care system in Iowa, particularly focusing on the…
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Episode 6: Trapped in the Gap: When the State Forces a Fight, But Denies a Voice
Summary In this episode of Let's Talk Iowa, Chad shares a raw and unfiltered account of his struggles with the Iowa legal system regarding his son's mental health needs. He discusses the hypocrisy of the system, the burdens of navigating the CINA process, and the lack of legal representation.…
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Episode 5: Building Stronger Communities with Ryan Adams
In this episode, Chad Benson interviews Ryan Adams about his journey from Norway to San Francisco, his work in residential care, and his efforts to strengthen family resource centers in Iowa. They discuss the challenges of the foster care system, the importance of community-based solutions, and…
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Episode 4: The Bigfoot Division: Senator Mike Zimmer on Iowa's Elusive Mental Health Services
What if the state agency responsible for children's mental health had a secret "Bigfoot Division"—specializing in blurry photos and anecdotal evidence of services that are always just out of reach? For too many Iowa families, this frustrating search for care is a daily reality. Despite a landmark...
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Episode 3: Rep. Ken Croken on Broken Promises and Iowa's Path Forward
After a long silence, host Chad Benson returns with the deeply personal story of his own family's grueling battle with Iowa's Health and Human Services. In this raw and emotional episode, Chad shares his firsthand experience navigating the state's "ghost network" of care and questions the…
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Episode 2: Schools Can't Do It All with Rep. Robert Henderson
In this episode, Rep. Robert Henderson joins us to talk about Iowa's growing mental health crisis and the impossible position schools have been placed in. With services lacking, teachers are expected to be mental health providers, disciplinarians, and caregivers- on top of educating. Henderson...
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Episode 1: A Mother’s Fight to Get Help in Iowa
What happens when a parent does everything right—and still hits a wall? In the premiere episode of Let’s Talk, Iowa!, host Chad Benson speaks with Nina Richtman, a mother who was forced to transfer legal custody of her son to the state just to access the mental health care he needed. Together…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
A serious, honest, and critically needed podcast exploring how Iowa’s policies—especially those around foster care, adoption, mental health, education and other family-impacting systems—play out in real life.
f0e6d5ea5028c4d8de2ca1e2344da5f970f232aa
HOSTED BY
Chad Benson
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Let’s Talk Iowa! have?
Let’s Talk Iowa! currently has 11 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Let’s Talk Iowa! about?
A serious, honest, and critically needed podcast exploring how Iowa’s policies—especially those around foster care, adoption, mental health, education and other family-impacting systems—play out in real life. f0e6d5ea5028c4d8de2ca1e2344da5f970f232aa
How often does Let’s Talk Iowa! release new episodes?
Let’s Talk Iowa! has 11 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Let’s Talk Iowa!?
You can listen to Let’s Talk Iowa! on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Let’s Talk Iowa!?
Let’s Talk Iowa! is created and hosted by Chad Benson.
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