Corey Allmendinger (’24) is an example of what taking advantage of a second chance looks like.
“I've struggled with addiction. I've been in recovery for 11 years now,” he says. “Most people who go into recovery realize, after three years, that they want to be a counselor. That’s what I wanted to do, and it could’ve been a lot different for me had I not turned my life around.”
Allmendinger's story is a testament to personal transformation, resilience, and a commitment to making a positive impact.
He is a behavioral health practitioner supervisor at the Reception and Treatment Center for the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services. Allmendinger supervises counselors and manages the residential treatment unit, providing support to 58 incarcerated individuals. He’s also enrolled in Nebraska Wesleyan University’s Master of Social Work program. And he interns with Methodist Hospital in Fremont.
He says he wants to help provide inmates the skills to be able to make positive changes when they reenter the workforce. “I’ve known a lot of people who’ve struggled with mental health challenges, who’ve gone to prison, who’ve gotten out and then spiraled because they weren’t prepared to reenter society.”
Allmendinger says it can be a challenge to balance work and personal life with a daily commute from Fremont and eight children. “They're a motivator for me. My wife is also in recovery. Our kids have seen us at our lowest and they see us now. They help inspire me to push myself and do better.”
Allmendinger says he wants to leverage the skills he’s learned at NWU for something bigger: establish a residential treatment center outside of Fremont to serve individuals leaving incarceration. "The dream is to get a little piece of land right outside of Fremont, about five acres. We'll build a brand-new facility from the ground up." It will have residential services, co-occurring treatment beds, mental health respite beds, and transition planning to support successful reintegration into society.
"Being able to come into this environment and help individuals like that is just a rewarding thing. It's what I feel I'm called to do."