The Iowa Department of Corrections is facing questions after hiring a counselor who was later disciplined for practicing without a valid license.
State records show Keith R. Keller had a master’s-level social work license issued in 2015, but it expired in December 2022. The Iowa Board of Behavioral Science began investigating Keller in 2023 and later charged him with practicing without a license, misrepresenting his credentials, and failing to cooperate with the investigation. In early 2026, the board found him in violation and suspended his already-expired license for at least 90 days.
Despite the pending charges, the Eighth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services hired Keller as a community corrections program coordinator just weeks before the disciplinary action took effect. A department announcement at the time described him as a licensed social worker with experience in mental health and substance abuse counseling.
The situation may have been influenced by delays in public reporting. Although the licensing board approved charges in May 2025, they were not publicly posted until October, part of a broader pattern of delays since oversight of licensing boards shifted to the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing in 2023.
