No sane person chooses the field of social work—there’s always pain behind the passion for the profession. TJ Rumler grew up in West Greenville, SC, seeing first-hand the impacts of poverty, addiction, and racism in his community. Two weeks after 9/11, he enlisted in the US Army. Deploying to Iraq allowed TJ to experience how difficult combat is on soldiers and their families, as well as many failures along the military’s journey towards successful treatment of PTSD. With encouragement from friends and family, TJ left a successful sales career and went back to complete a Master’s Degree in Social Work.
In his career as a social worker he has served fellow Veterans with the Department of Veterans Affairs. At Project Care he served individuals experiencing chronic homelessness and individuals with HIV/AIDS. At PRISMA he worked with children who struggled with behavioral and mental illness. He also worked over 7 years with Greenville County Schools, serving most of that time as the district’s Trauma-Informed Specialist. He currently serves students and families through his role as Director of Leadership Development Programs with the Hispanic Alliance. He also owns a Trauma Informed Consulting Firm through which he provides telehealth psychotherapy, as well as customized trainings for various organizations and schools. TJ takes pride in his community work, as he has been recognized by Greenville Business Magazine as a Best & Brightest, 35 & Under, as well as volunteer of the year awards from local nonprofits. TJ also serves on the Board of Directors for Pendleton Place.
He says one of the highlights of his career was representing children everywhere by delivering a TEDx talk on the dangers of exclusionary discipline. When his social work cape is in the closet, TJ takes care of himself by traveling, writing, cycling, yoga, and chasing concerts. He believes in the saying, “life is short—buy the tickets.”
TEDx Greenville talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0__TbZ89N_w
Trauma-Informed Specialist
tjrumler.com
