Lutheran Services in Iowa

03/13/2026

New Episode of The Clinical Moment 🎙️

Trauma impacts more than just the individuals we serve—it can also affect us as clinicians. In our newest episode, Amy Davis and Casey Baker sit down with Dhavy Patel, tLMHC, to explore the realities of trauma work and the importance of compassion for both clients and helpers.

In this conversation, Dhavy shares insights on:
• What trauma really looks like in everyday life
• How trauma shows up in the body and mind
• The connection between trauma, ADHD symptoms, and survival responses
• Recognizing and managing compassion fatigue as a clinician
• Creative approaches to healing, including poetry therapy

One powerful reminder from this episode: Healing is possible. It may take time, support, and patience ,but the brain that learned to survive can also learn to feel safe again.

🎧 Listen to the full episode and join the conversation

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-clinical-moment/id1869365874

https://open.spotify.com/show/0mXKLjnZXj9VG5TvVBhjaY
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-clinical-moment-321066106/

https://theclinicalmoment.alitu.com/episode/db3237d4-4421-48fc-9835-d8465ae836ed

Mental Health Podcast · Stories of Practice, People, and Purpose Across Iowa The Clinical Moment is a podcast from LSI that highlights the people behind the work of mental health care across Iowa. With more than forty clini…

03/12/2026

On March 12, 1990, over 60 activists with disabilities left their wheelchairs and mobility devices and proceeded to crawl up the steps of the U.S. Capitol. Known today as the Capitol Crawl, this demonstration showed the hardship faced by millions of Americans in accessing public spaces. This protest put pressure on Congress to pass the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) in July that year, which is a crucial piece of legislation prohibiting discrimination based on disability in the U.S.

Today on the 36th anniversary of the demonstration, LSI recognizes Iowans with various disabilities seen and unseen and are thankful for the contribution and enrichment they bring to our communities.

Developmental Disability Awareness Month
Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month
Brain Injury Awareness Month

03/11/2026

We’re excited to have our CEO and President, Renee Hardmam, speaking at the West Des Moines Chamber Luncheon tomorrow. We’re proud to see our leadership sharing inspiration and encouragement with the community.

03/11/2026

From farming in refugee camps to building a thriving farm in Iowa 🌱
Esta Minani’s journey is one of resilience, determination, and growth. Through hard work and support from the Global Greens program, she has turned her passion for farming into a growing business.

Are you looking to expand your business email: immigrantresources@lsiowa.org

Do you need support starting or growing your small business? LSI’s Small Business Development Program may be for you or someone you know. LSI provides educational sessions, technical assistance and business incubation opportunities as well as access to resources including financial capital connect...

03/11/2026

🤰Expecting a baby in Plymouth County? We'd love to celebrate with you!

Join us for a Community Baby Shower on Thursday, April 9 from 4:30-6:00pm at St John's Church in Le Mars. This free event is open to all expectant and newborn parents looking to connect, learn and pick up helpful baby essentials.

✨What to expect:
- Helpful information and local resources for new families
- Light refreshments and a welcoming space to connect with other families
- Free baby items and giveaways

🍼First 10 registrants to arrive at 4:30pm will receive a diaper bag filled with goodies!

Spots are limited - register today : https://bit.ly/4bfxiol

03/10/2026

The David and Phyllis Murphy Charitable Foundation’s generous donation supports LSI’s home visiting and parent education services in Cerro Gordo and Floyd Counties, ensuring safe and healthy children and families. Thank you! 💙

03/09/2026

March is National Social Work Month, and at LSI we love hearing from our team about the meaningful work they do every day to support children, families, and communities. 💙

“I am Vanessa Lopez and I am a Behavioral Health Intervention Service provider. What we do as providers is create a treatment plan for children based on a mental health diagnosis and behaviors seen at home, school, and in the community. I collaborate with families in several different school districts and with other community agencies to support children and their families so they can achieve their treatment goals. Those goals may include developing skills such as anger management, healthy decision making, and building healthy relationships.

I have had the privilege of working with LSI for over 6 years and genuinely love the work I do. I continue to work for LSI because I believe that providing our service is important and necessary. Our work is vital to our communities because it empowers and guides our families while developing skills. I am fortunate to have amazing coworkers, supervision, and management that support our ideas and value our input. This is essential to me so that we can provide our clients with the best care.

My why LSI is that I believe in advocating for my clients’ well-being and supporting community resilience.”

Thank you, Vanessa, for the care, compassion, and dedication you bring to the families you serve every day. 👏

03/08/2026

March is Women’s History Month, and today we celebrate International Women’s Day. At LSI, we are proud of the incredible women who lead, serve, and uplift our communities every day. Their dedication, compassion, and strength continue to make a lasting impact across Iowa.

We are grateful for the wonderful women at LSI. 💙

03/06/2026

Yesterday our team attended the career fair at DMACC Continuing Education and had a great time connecting with students and sharing more about opportunities at LSI. We were also joined by an adorable furry friend Maggie who stopped by our table and made the day even better.

Special shoutout to Marissa, our new Volunteer Coordinator, who helped represent our team. We had an amazing time meeting so many students and being part of such a great event! 👏

03/06/2026

Today we celebrate our incredible employees. 💙

Because of their compassion and dedication, we’re able to support children and families, youth in foster care, people with disabilities, immigrants & refugees, and individuals receiving therapy services across Iowa.

Your work changes lives every day, and we couldn’t fulfill our mission without you. Thank you for helping make a difference across our state.

03/04/2026

March is National Social Work Month and we are celebrating by sharing a testimony to the incredible work our team does every single day. 💙

“We have been foster parents for 7 1/2 years and have had 36 children in our home. We have adopted one child. We have been blessed by our LSI workers in many ways. At different times I’ve needed advice on how to proceed with a child in care, and they have listened and given me encouragement to help the placement. We have also had other issues come up with one of our kids, and they were able to walk through that with us and guide us in the right direction to places that would help us.

Whenever I have sent a text or called, they have immediately gotten back to me. Our LSI Licensing and Support Caseworkers have believed in us as foster parents and have helped us be successful foster parents. We appreciate our LSI workers so much.”

Sincerely,
M&T – Foster and Adoptive Parents

We are so grateful for our social workers who walk alongside families every step of the way. Thank you for the compassion, dedication, and support you show to children and foster families across our communities. 💙

03/03/2026

THE LEGEND HAS RETIRED! 🎉

After 29 years of dedicated service, Dan Dean, LSI’s Vice President of Capacity and Strategy Development, is officially beginning a new chapter.

We celebrated his incredible career with a retirement party and surprised him with a special word cloud created by our team where everyone shared three words to describe Dan. The top four were Dedicated, Caring, Kind, and Calm, qualities that truly defined his presence in the office and the impact he made every single day.

Please join us in congratulating Dan on his retirement and thanking him for nearly three decades of leadership, commitment, and lasting impact at LSI. We are so grateful for you, Dan! 💙