Brian Chaney ‘91, CEO of Chane Reaction Counseling Services, returned home to Catholic Central on Wednesday, February 8 to share his life journey and provide students a glimpse into the world of social work and counseling. The talk was part of the Career Conferences series sponsored by the Counseling and Advancement Offices.

Mr. Chaney shared stories with students on his experience attending Catholic Central as a Detroit native in the 1980s, taking public transit and walking to and from school each day.

“I had to be disciplined, be resilient,” said Mr. Chaney. “I had to persevere when times were hard.”

Recounting a pivotal moment visiting a fellow Shamrock’s house as a student, Mr. Chaney described the surprise he felt in his classmate’s mother ordering pizza and salad for the young Shamrocks without expecting anything in return. 

“To me that was love, and it came from a lady that didn’t look like me,” said Mr. Chaney. “She showed me love, and from what I saw on TV, I didn’t think that was supposed to happen. Throughout my career at Catholic Central, I ended up having many, many brothers that didn’t look like me, and that’s a beautiful thing.”

These experiences and others drove Mr. Chaney to pursue a career in social work specialized in providing culturally sensitive mental health services to underrepresented populations. Mr. Chaney attended Eastern Michigan University, earning his Bachelor of Social Work and continuing on to complete his Master of Social Work work at Wayne State University.

Working as a school social worker for over 20 years within the Detroit and Pontiac school districts, Mr. Chaney has handled complex situations with students at risk of social or academic failure.

Passionate about the intersection of physical and mental health within athletics, Mr. Chaney promotes social justice and social change by focusing on the unique needs of athletes at both an individual and team level. 

The Catholic Central Career Conference series brings alumni to campus to speak to sophomore and junior students interested in particular career paths. The alumni share valuable insights about their profession, their story, and recommendations to students seeking a career in a similar field. There are career conferences on medicine, business/entrepreneurship, finance, engineering, law/law enforcement, marketing, and journalism. If you are a student interested in attending a career conference, please contact your counselor.