Helping the unheard be heard

Breeanna Bellinger (SAS ’16) has built her career around advocacy—especially in the moments when people feel overlooked, unheard or outmatched by the systems meant to help them.

Since graduating from CWRU, Bellinger has worked in child protective services, crisis and psychiatric social work in hospitals, forensic social work in the Juvenile Division of the Public Defender’s Office in DeKalb County, Georgia and is currently with the Federal Public Defender’s Office in California. Across those roles, she has advocated for youth and families navigating difficult circumstances, applying her training in social work and law to promote support and broader systemic change.

That commitment to service has earned Bellinger the Young Alumni Award from the Alumni Association of Case Western Reserve University. The award honors an alumna or alumnus age 40 or younger who has demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and service to the community, the public or humanity.

Bellinger and four other alumni will be recognized at the Alumni Awards Luncheon as part of Homecoming and Reunion Weekend, Oct. 8–11, at Tinkham Veale University Center.

Bellinger is most proud of her ability to step into systems with imbalances of power and help “the unheard be heard.”

Bellinger’s career path has been reaffirmed through the cases she’s been able to positively influence. Early in her career, she received a case of an 11-year-old client in juvenile court who had been labeled a problem and steered toward punishment. After spending time with him, Bellinger recognized signs that something deeper was occurring and advocated for a mental health referral. The child was ultimately diagnosed with bipolar disorder—dramatically changing how his family and the system responded to him.

That case has stayed with her—and reminded her of the difference she can make.

“Because I ignored the label and got to know and understand the child, we were able to put him on a very different trajectory,” she said.

Bellinger credits her time at Case Western Reserve with shaping that approach. She said the university’s emphasis on micro, mezzo and macro social work taught her to advocate at every level, while study abroad experiences in India and the Netherlands deepened her curiosity about culture and community.

“During my time at Case Western Reserve, there was always this idea of cultural competency,” she said. “I think it’s one thing to learn about that in books, theory and the classroom, but being able to travel abroad gave me practical, in-depth understanding of how theory and practice come together.”

That global perspective has continued to inform her work both professionally and in service. In addition to volunteering with social work organizations—including time in Ghana, where she held trauma training for both young girls and domestic violence investigators, and Jamaica, where she trained both parents and teachers to care for children with disabilities—Bellinger founded Living Beyond Time, a nonprofit focused on holistic health education and community wellness. Through that work, she helped connect community members with mental health services and other local resources, while also providing practical support such as transportation, food and supplies for students in need.

Looking ahead, she hopes to continue expanding access to services and building connections that help people heal and thrive.