Posted on July 22, 2025
Credits Godmother for her influence and “voice of reason.” 
Detra Craig, a Residential Supervisor at one of Penn-Mar’s community homes in Baltimore County, spent her early years in foster care. When she was 7, she and her brother and sister went to live with their grandfather, who used a wheelchair due to Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Together, the three children took on the responsibility of caring for him.
Detra attended the local public school when one day a teacher found her in tears waiting to be picked up. “I was a crybaby back then because of all my childhood trauma,” Detra said. “I had issues with neglect and abandonment when I was dropped off at school and was afraid my grandfather wouldn’t come to get me.”
A kindhearted teacher named Kenyatta approached Detra to console her, and from that day on, Kenyatta would take Detra “under her wing” and consider her a member of her own family.
That relationship has only deepened over the past 20-plus years, and Detra refers to Kenyatta as her Godmother. “She is my mentor, my go-to person, my voice of reason,” she said.
Both Kenyatta’s influence and Detra’s work ethic and commitment to continuing education have contributed to the incredible success she has achieved in her career.
Before joining Penn-Mar in 2016 as a residential assistant, Detra was employed at Baltimore City Community College for three years in the career development department. During that time, she acquired her certified nursing certificate and considered working for a hospital.
In 2016, a residential supervisor Detra knew at Penn-Mar suggested she consider working there as a residential assistant. “I knew I could take care of people given my experience with my grandfather, but I was initially nervous because I had never supported people with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” Detra said. “This was a new ballgame for me.”
In just two years, Detra discovered a deep passion for her work and was promoted to Senior Residential Assistant. She quickly became known for her strong understanding of her role and the people she supported — and in 2022, she was promoted again to her current role as Residential Supervisor.
During this time, Detra continued her education. She earned an associate’s degree in general studies from Baltimore City Community College and her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Morgan State University.
“While pursuing my master’s, I interned with ARC Baltimore in their clinical department. I developed behavior plans and assisted clinicians in the residential group homes to show staff how to effectively implement behavior plans for the people they supported. I also did work in the ARC’s foster care department.”
As if that wasn’t daunting enough, Detra simultaneously completed Penn-Mar’s Career Ladders program and earned her DSP III certification, which is the highest level of credential DSPs can achieve in the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP). She is currently enrolled in the Frontline Supervisor Training program to enhance her leadership skills. In May, Detra was honored with Penn-Mar’s Excellence in Supervision Award.
“Training is so important at Penn-Mar,” she said. “The organization always allows room for growth and really makes an investment in their team members. And I love their leadership philosophy; it’s not just for managers and supervisors, but for our teams as a whole.”
Even with opportunities to step into new roles, Detra has chosen to stay close to the work she loves. “It would take me away from the one-on-one work I do with the people I support,” she said. “I would miss that.”
Her dream is to assist Residential Supervisors with behavior plans to improve the lives of the people they support. Given Detra’s past track record, it seems likely that dream will come true.