Case Manager Grants for the Benefit of Homeless Individuals
Centerstone of Illinois
Marion, Illinois
Rachel Berner received her master’s in criminology and criminal justice from Southern Illinois University in 2019. She has worked with police departments in the past as an intern and a non-sworn officer. She originally went into criminology and criminal justice with the idea that she wanted to be there for people who were having potentially the worst day of their lives. Within police work, she found that while she was able to do that to some extent with some people, this was not the main focus of her employment and she wanted more.
In Fall of 2019, Berner began a doctoral program at Southern Illinois University in the Criminology and Criminal Justice Department. She was awarded and accepted a doctoral fellowship. While she did well and enjoyed research, she felt that she again wanted to do more, and this time in direct service to people in her community.
In 2020, she sought and took the opportunity to switch career paths. She became a case manager for the grants for the benefit of the homeless at Centerstone Illinois. She has been there since and has been able to meet people where they are and with a person-centered approach. She has worked with individuals and been successful at assisting them in finding employment and housing as well as working on projects with her team.
Berner is passionate about the individuals who reside in her community and the community as a whole. She takes part in community action groups and outreach frequently to give voice to the challenges faced by those she serves and share in problem-solving.
Disclosure information not submitted.
Tuesday, April 12, 2022
1:00 PM – 1:30 PM
