"With four words, Korina Barry sums up her teens, the times and impetus that helped put her in the chair where she sits today, aiding others.

“It’s been a ride,’’ she says.

Those were make-or-break years. “I struggled with school and [home life] not being stable. I didn’t really know how to deal with my father being in prison and my mom really not being in my life because she had her own issues going on. I just kind of rebelled,’’ she can see now.

Now 25 and a social worker in the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) long-term foster-care unit at Hennepin County, Barry brings her experiences as a child in turmoil and her life experiences as an American Indian to those who need help."

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Benefits of social workers who come from tribal community (MinnPost 8/8)