Rena Eland, Residential and Community Services Resource Coordinator
For more than two decades, Rena Eland has witnessed firsthand how SCS, and the people it supports, have evolved. Along the way, she says the work has shaped her too.
Rena joined SCS more than 20 years ago after working in group homes and community services while juggling multiple jobs. With a background in sociology, psychology, and developmental services, she knew early on she wanted to build a career supporting people with developmental disabilities.
“My brother has special needs, so I’ve always been connected to the field in some way,” she says.
Her caseload included people experiencing being unhoused, hospitalization, and complex mental health challenges, alongside individuals and families simply looking for community supports and services.
“It was challenging work,” Rena says. “But it was good work.”
Over the years, Rena transitioned into residential and community services, where long-term connections with clients became one of the most rewarding parts of the job. In residential and community services, the focus is on helping individuals build stability, independence and community connections over time.
She points to people she has supported over many years, such as individuals who once required intensive support but are now living more independently, working and building their own lives.
“When I first met some people, they needed two staff supporting them,” she says. “Now they’re employed, living in their own apartment and doing things nobody imagined at the beginning.”
For Rena, those moments represent what community support is truly about. “It’s not just me,” she says. “It’s SCS, schools, families, and caregivers. It’s always a team of people.”
That sense of trust and continuity has also shaped the relationships she’s built over the years.
“Some people I support have known me for a very long time,” Rena says. “They feel safe. If something’s wrong or they’re struggling, they know they can talk to me.”
Looking back, Rena says SCS has evolved significantly over the past 20 years, growing from a small organization into a larger and more coordinated system of support.
“We’ve grown a lot,” she says. “But at the core of it, it’s still about helping people.”
After more than two decades in the field, that purpose is what continues to matter most to Rena.
“I like to work with an individual and see growth,” she says. “That’s really why I stayed so long. The reward of really investing in people and seeing their journey. When you participate and contribute to the growth of other people, you grow as well.”
