NASW – Iowa Chapter

Newsletter

July 2025 EDITION

Land Acknowledgement:

“We acknowledge that the NASW Iowa Chapter is located on the ancestral land of the Ioway and Meskwaki Nations. We recognize these Indigenous peoples long-standing presence and ongoing contributions to our community. As an institution, we are committed to decolonization and supporting Indigenous rights in our education programs and community partnerships.”

NOTE FROM THE NASW IA CHAPTER

Hello, and welcome to another month with NASW Iowa. My name is Nolan Vitzthum and I wanted to share some information about myself and my goals for NASW Iowa as President Elect. First and foremost, I want to thank NASW Iowa and all its members for this opportunity– I am ready to learn and grow in this new role. Secondly, I want to take the opportunity to introduce myself.

I earned my Master of Social Work in 2016 from the University of South Dakota and a graduate certification in Play Therapy from the University of Wyoming in 2018. I am a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) and Registered Play Therapist Supervisor (RPT-S) living and working in Humboldt, Iowa. I am the owner of The Heart of Play, LLC in Humboldt, Iowa. I enjoy working with all ages from infancy to adulthood using play therapy, EMDR Therapy, Theraplay, and sand tray therapy. I also provide supervision and consultation to master level clinicians seeking clinical licensure and play therapy supervision.

I am passionate about rural social work and helping social workers and mental health professionals alike feel empowered to advocate for both themselves and the clients they work with. Outside of my role as a Social Worker, I enjoy spending time with my husband, two children, and three dogs.

As President Elect, it is my hope to connect with NASW members across Iowa and hear what draws them to the national organization and our local state chapter. I hope to increase my understanding of what members in our state would like to see from their chapter and work with our amazing board to assist in helping our members to feel connected. Now more than ever, we are seeing the power of connection and how it can inspire and affect change. I look forward to this next chapter with you all.

Sincerely,

Nolan M. Vitzthum, MSW, LISW, LCSW, ACSW, RPT-S

NASW-IA President Elect

IN OUR COMMUNITY

Iowa Social Work Licensure Compact:

What You Need to Know

In May 2024, Governor Kim Reynolds signed the bill officially enacting Iowa's participation in the Social Work Licensure Compact. This agreement facilitates multistate licensure, enabling licensed social workers in Iowa to practice in other participating states. As of now, 29 states have enacted the compact, with several more in progress.

While the compact has been activated, the implementation process is ongoing and is expected to take 18 to 24 months. During this period, a compact commission will be established, rules and bylaws will be developed, and a shared data system will be created to support multistate licensure.

Licensed social workers in Iowa interested in practicing across state lines should stay informed about the compact's progress. Regular updates and resources are available at: swcompact.org or socialworkers.org

Please note that while the compact legislation has been enacted, social workers cannot yet practice in other member states under the compact. The implementation process must be completed before multistate licenses can be issued. 

IOWA NASW NEWS

Chapter office hours

Our executive director, Denise Rathman, is the Chapter’s only full-time employee, which means our staffed office hours are somewhat irregular.  The best way to reach her is to send an email and let her know the best times to call you.

Exec.naswia@socialworkers.org

Now that the 2025 Iowa Legislative Session has adjourned, she is in the office more often, and more available to answer the phone. If you get voicemail, please be sure to leave a message , so she knows how she can be of assistance.

MEMBER BENEFIT

Did you know… Some CEU events hosted by your Iowa chapter are recorded and available from the Social Work Online CE Institute. As a member you qualify for a discount on these AND the proceeds go directly back to our chapter. If you have had to miss a recent event, check out https://naswinstitute.inreachce.com/. Several of these wonderful trainings are presented by your colleagues here in Iowa.

IOWA EVENTS AROUND THE STATE

Iowa Social Work CEU Events

7/16/25 - 12:00 - 1:30p - Loneliness Epidemic: A Social Work Call to Connection. Facilitator: Lauren Gil Hayes - Zoom

8/5/25 - 5:00p - 845p - Honoring Invisible Messengers: The case for integrating Pain management into practice -

8/15/25 - 1:00 pm – 4:15 pm - The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Disorders - with Greg Nooney, MSW. ACSW, LISW - Zoom

9/18/25 & 9/19/25

Iowa Chapter Symposium - Ankeny, IA

**Be on the look out for more social events as the newest branch members start their term July 1, 2025 and will begin planning events in your area!**

To register and find more events visit: https://naswia.socialworkers.org/Events/Events-List-View

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Jan Abendroth, LISW, obtained her MSW from the University of Iowa School of Social Work in 2003. She started her social work journey working part-time at NASW, Iowa Chapter (1991-2003) as the Office Manager, which was the perfect job because she was raising her two sons alone. She continued to work part-time there as the Financial Manager from 2003-2007.  

Jan’s first job post-graduate school was at Moulton Elementary School as a School-Based Mental Health therapist with Orchard Place/Child Guidance Center. In 2007 she became one of two supervisors for the fast-growing School-Based Mental Health Team.

In June 2023 Jan retired from Unity Point Counseling and Psychiatry as a Senior Therapist/Behavioral Health Consultant located in a family practice/internal medicine clinic. She currently works part-time in private practice and part-time as a professional Uber driver for her five grandchildren. She is trained in EMDR and the focus of her private practice is trauma and maternal mental health.

Jan was a member of the NASW Professional Review Committee (2007-2010). She became a member of the Ethics Committee for NASW, Iowa Chapter in 2014, becoming Chair in 2020 upon Bruce Buchanan’s sudden death. She is the first to admit that no one can fill Bruce’s shoes but she’s honored to follow in his footsteps to the best of her ability.

Jan has served in multiple roles with NASW, Iowa Chapter, including being a member of the Training/Education Committee (1991-2015), Iowa-PACE (1999—2007) and Treasurer (2006-2008). She also worked tirelessly year after year after year at the Capitol to get the social work licensing bill passed.

During Jan’s time at Orchard Place she was a member of Polk County DECAT providers and was Vice Chair at the time she left Orchard Place. She also served as a Peer Reviewer for the Iowa Social Work Board (2012-2016). This included being an expert witness and reviewing occasional cases opened by the Iowa Board of Social Work.

Jan is a founding member of her 18-year-old book club, she loves to travel (especially to Maine) and has been going on annual fall trips with her best friends from college for over 20 years. By far the best thing in Jan’s life is being an active and loving grandmother to her grandchildren.

HONOR YOUR FELLOW SOCIAL WORKERS

We are currently accepting nominations for:

• Emerging Social Worker - an individual who has been a social worker for 5 years or less.
• Catherine G. Williams Diversity Award -an individual social worker who has demonstrated and made a commitment to the advancement of diversity in the social work profession.
• Social Worker of Excellence Award - an individual who demonstrates exceptional professional qualities, which make them stand out beyond the expectations of their job.
• Public Citizen of Excellence Award - someone who, though not a social worker, has an understanding of social work and a personal commitment to support social work goals and ideals.

More information on who may qualify and how to make a nomination can be found at: NASW Award Nominations.

2024 Award Winners

Contact Us              

515-277-1117

Nasw.naswia@socialworkers.org

Naswia.socialworkers.org

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