Leading Through Experience to Support Survivors

For School of Social Work alumna Katie Harmon, stepping into the role of executive director at Courage Connection marks a meaningful return to the place where her path in social work first began.

Once an intern exploring her future, she now leads the organization, bringing her journey full circle. Harmon’s path to social work began as an undergraduate at Illinois, where a course on social inequality deepened her understanding of systemic challenges and sparked a desire to make a difference. “I feel like that (class) led me to really be committed and ask ‘what can I do as a professional and just as a member of the community to give, to help in some way,’” she said. That experience set her on a course toward a career centered on supporting individuals and families during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

Her commitment to this work is also personal. As a survivor of domestic violence, Harmon leads with empathy and insight, shaped by her own experience navigating uncertainty and isolation. Today, she guides an organization that provides critical, life saving services, including a 24 hour hotline, counseling, and both emergency and transitional housing for individuals and families in need of safety and support.

After earning her Master of Social Work from Illinois, Harmon began her career at the organization, working as an outreach case manager supporting individuals and families facing housing instability. In that role, she connected people to essential resources such as employment, child care, and financial assistance, helping them regain stability and independence. She later advanced into leadership roles within the organization, including program director and interim executive director, gaining experience in program oversight and service delivery.

Following her time there, Harmon spent nearly a decade with the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission. Her work included overseeing community services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and later serving as the Continuum of Care coordinator, where she led regional efforts to address homelessness through collaboration, planning, and resource alignment.

Now back at Courage Connection, Harmon draws on both her professional expertise and her lived experience to lead with purpose. She remains focused on ensuring that individuals and families have access to the resources they need to achieve stability, recognizing that meeting basic needs such as safe housing is essential to building a stronger future.