The Iowa Department of Corrections has declined to say how or why it hired an unlicensed mental health counselor at a time when the man was facing disciplinary charges.
State records show that in August 2023, the Iowa Board of Behavioral Professionals fielded a complaint of an undisclosed nature about Keith R. Keller, whose social work license had expired in December 2022.
The board alleges that one year after receiving the complaint, in August 2024, an investigator checked the website of Keller’s employer in southeast Iowa and saw the organization was promoting Keller as a currently licensed social worker specializing in therapy related to individuals, couples, adolescents and substance abuse.
According to the board, Keller acknowledged his lack of license and explained to the investigator he was concerned about his ability to pass an examination for licensure.
In May 2025, the board charged Keller with falsely representing himself as a licensed social worker, practicing with an expired license, and failing to cooperate with a board investigation.
On Jan. 5, 2026, the board held a hearing on the matter and concluded Keller was guilty of all three charges. The board suspended his still-expired license for at least 90 days.
But state records indicate that two weeks before the suspension took effect, while the charges were still pending, Iowa’s Eighth Judicial District’s Department of Correctional Services hired Keller as its new community corrections program coordinator.
Asked why it had hired an unlicensed counselor who was facing disciplinary charges at the time, the Iowa Department of Corrections’ media contact stated, “This matter involves personnel-related information that we are currently reviewing. Due to the nature of personnel matters, we are not able to provide additional details at this time.”
The department did not acknowledge several subsequent inquiries about Keller’s current status as a state employee.
The Department of Corrections oversees eight separate Judicial District Departments of Correctional Services that provide community-based corrections across Iowa. Each district operates independently under the accreditation and funding of the DOC.
