Her Story
About Bernadette
Bernadette White serves as Care Management Coordinator and case manager at Aetna, representing Riverdale, Illinois. With 26 years in the social services substance abuse industry, she previously worked as a program manager for two and a half years at a facility providing outpatient services for substance abuse and mental health. She earned an associate's degree in Addiction Studies from Kennedy King College, a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Chicago State University in 2013, and is currently obtaining a master's degree in Psychology from Colorado Christian University. White holds CRADC, an international certification, and CODP I, a co-occurring disorders certification, and maintains membership with ICB. She specializes in engaging with members and helping clients, attributing her success to her higher power and family support. White values honesty, follow-up, determination, and perseverance, and she volunteers with the Salvation Army and not-for-profits that operate recovery homes for women. She advises others not to give up, to keep moving forward while remaining focused and prayerful, noting that there will always be someone ahead and someone behind.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Bernadette
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my higher power and my family. My family has been a definite support throughout my journey.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was not to give up, keep moving forward, remain focused and prayerful, because there will always be someone in front of you and someone behind you.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering this field is not to give up. Keep moving. There's always gonna be somebody in front of you, there's always gonna be somebody behind you. Remain focused and prayerful.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges right now are women not being hired for roles they can perform despite having the credentials, and not being taken seriously. There appear to be many job opportunities listed online and on LinkedIn, but employers are not actually hiring, which makes it difficult to find real positions.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are honesty, follow-up, determination, and perseverance.
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