Let’s Talk Iowa!
Chad Benson
Publishing Details
About This Podcast
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.
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Recent Episodes
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
S1E1 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…
Frequently Asked Questions
Let’s Talk Iowa! has published 11 episodes since May 2025, covering topics in Documentary, Government.
Let’s Talk Iowa! is currently active with new episodes monthly. Average episode length is 42m.
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