Social worker accused of negligence and unethical conduct

A Boone County social worker has been charged with negligence and unethical conduct by state licensing officials.

According to the Iowa Board of Mental Health Professionals, Abigail Doerder, 43, who practiced social work in Nevada and currently lives in Boone, is charged with negligence in the practice of the profession, unethical conduct, and violating the terms of an agreement or contract with the Impaired Practitioner Review Committee.

As is usually the case when charges are filed by Iowa’s licensing boards, the Board of Mental Health Professionals has not publicly disclosed the nature of the alleged conduct, or when it may have occurred.

It’s not clear what impact the charges might have on Doerder’s licensing status since, according to the board, her license expired in December 2024.

A hearing on the matter is scheduled for July 9, 2025. The Iowa Capital Dispatch was unable to reach Doerder for comment.

Court records show that in 2022, Doerder was arrested and charged with driving while barred as a habitual offender. Boone County prosecutors later amended the charge to the misdemeanor offense of improper taillights and Doerder was fined $30.

That case followed a 2018 incident in which Doerder was arrested in the parking lot of the Boone County Hospital and charged with third-offense drunken driving. The charge resulted in a guilty plea, a five-year suspended prison sentence and 18 months of probation.