Hello!  I'm Bri!

Hi, I’m Bri!  I am ROAN’s Team Administrator.  I joined the ROAN team in May of 2021 as a Bachelor's-level intern; I loved it so much that I’ve stuck around since then.  Although I’m still fresh into my social work career, I’ve been working with children and families since 2015.  I have my bachelor’s degree in human development with a minor in children’s studies from Illinois State University and am currently working on my Master of Social Work at Aurora University.

I’ve always wanted to work with children and families, but never had any specific idea of what I wanted to do.  I took a Human Development course during my undergraduate program and absolutely loved it.  I learned some more about foster care and adoption through my courses and was fascinated by it.  When I discovered ROAN, I was intrigued because it was such a different approach – I’d never realized that working with children involved in DCFS included helping them build a relationship with their biological parents.  I started my internship with ROAN and fell in love with the children, their families, and helping them continue to strengthen their bonds.

My favorite part of being at ROAN is the close-knit team we have.  We’re like a little family.  I also enjoy having the opportunity to work with children and families that are in need.  Watching families flourish in our environment is a constant reminder of the good work that the team does.  ROAN offers a non-judgmental approach to the families we serve, as well as a supportive environment.  ROAN is here to help support families strengthen and encourage their bonds.  Throughout my work here, I’ve noticed that there is a lack of changes for families involved with DCFS to reconnect.  Some of the families we serve have gone months without seeing one another.  When we come across this, it is our goal to get them together as soon as possible, in an environment that they’ll feel comfortable in. 

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Empathy plays a large role in my life.  I think an important component of the helping relationship is kindness and understanding – everyone has their own story.  No one is “perfect,” and we’ve all done things we aren’t particularly proud of.  With the families we serve, it’s important to be non-judgmental and understand that many of them are wanting to make a change for the better.  I want to help people work towards that change.

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Fun Fact: In my free time, I enjoy watching true crime documentaries and hanging out with my two dogs and my cat.  The most special roles I play in my life are being a daughter, sister, and friend.

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Email: brianna@roanfamilysolutions.com 

Phone: (815) 522-1719 ext. 101