career ladders Archives - Penn-Mar

Kristen Brookshire Enhances Her Skills with Career Ladders and Frontline Supervisors Credentialling

ggorham — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 13:56:36 +0000

Motivated to advance her career and successfully lead her team.

After Kristen Brookshire graduated from high school, she had no idea what the future would hold. All she knew was that she needed a job, so she found work at a tavern, a pharmacy, and a packing company.

When a friend’s mother who worked at Penn-Mar suggested she “give it a go” there, Kristen applied for a Direct Support Professional (DSP) position and was hired to cover the “awake overnights” third shift at a community home in Stewartstown, PA. Soon to be married and anxious to build a more stable home life, she eventually transferred to a second shift position at the same residence.

Kristen has been a part of Penn-Mar’s Stewartstown home since 2002. Over the years, she’s accomplished a great deal both personally and professionally. While raising four children (now ages 9 to 18) and balancing family life with work, she’s earned two promotions at Penn-Mar: first to Senior Residential Assistant, and most recently, to Residential Supervisor.

Kristen has built lasting relationships with both her team members and the people they support. “I am very motivated to continue my education to advance my career and successfully lead my team,” she said. “When I started with Penn-Mar, I didn’t know I would one day be proficient in CPR, medicine administration, First Aid, and trauma care, as well as Penn-Mar’s person-centered approach to supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).”

In 2022, she embarked on a journey to pursue professional credentialling through the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP). Penn-Mar’s Career Ladders program provides professional development opportunities for DSPs to grow in their careers and ‘move up the ladder’ without having to leave the DSP profession behind.

“I was a little hesitant to start the program since I’m not the type of person looking for the spotlight or recognition,” she said. “But I wanted to challenge myself and everyone around me seemed to enjoy the program and the benefits it provided. Once I started training, I couldn’t stop! I did all three levels in only a year and now have my DSP-III certification.”

This past February, Kristen was up for another challenge. She earned an additional certification through the Frontline Supervisors Credentialling Program (FLSC), a 60-hour instructional program focused on developing the knowledge and skills of Frontline Supervisors.

“Penn-Mar has given me so much knowledge and training to help me lead my team,” Kristen said. “The organization is always doing things to improve the way they deliver supports for people with disabilities, which is extremely important to me.”

Working with people with disabilities has shifted Kristen’s perspective on how society often views people with IDD. “There was a time, before I knew much about IDD, when I might have glanced at someone with a disability out of curiosity. But knowing what I know now, I see beautiful people that are just like you and me. I love learning more about the people I support to help them live the life they want to live.”

Kristen makes sure her children are familiar with what she does every day and why she does it. “I didn’t want to just bounce from job-to-job. Somehow, I always knew I wanted a career in human services. I just didn’t know what that would look like,” she said.

“Penn-Mar is where my heart and passion are. I’ve always been the type of person who wanted to help people, which is a value I’ve encouraged in my children. By sharing with them all the positive experiences of my career, I have no doubt that some of them might eventually consider following me in this field.”

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Detra Craig Overcame a Challenging Childhood to Find Purpose and Career Success at Penn-Mar

ggorham — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 13:49:30 +0000

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.

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DSP Megan McLaren Enjoys the Busy, Diverse Pace of Penn-Mar’s Day Program

ggorham — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 15:12:19 +0000

She wishes everyone could “know what we know” about people with disabilities.

With her helpful nature and love of animals, people were always telling Megan McLaren that she should pursue a career in education or veterinary medicine.

Three years ago, while working in retail management, she knew she was ready for a change when suddenly a “more meaningful job” at Penn-Mar Human Services literally fell into her lap.

Megan started working part-time as a residential Direct Support Professional (DSP) at a community home, then one-to-one, and eventually transitioned to the Day Program at Penn-Mar Central where she is energized by the busy and diverse pace working with people of all different ages, personalities and disabilities.

“I was initially assigned to a group of 12 people, but I go where I am needed,” said Megan. “I wear many hats!”

Her Day Program activities include exploring what the local community has to offer, one-to-one support when needed, and volunteer projects. At the Maryland Line Day Program facility, her group can be found playing sports in the gym or Hangman on the whiteboard, but their favorite activity is arts and crafts.

“They love it and often help me research our projects,” she said. “I am not super artistic, but I enjoy seeing them happy and enthusiastic. Some of the people I support have a hard time showing emotion, so it’s wonderful when our activities bring a smile to their faces. The best part is they don’t have ‘filters’ so I really get to know their unique personalities.”

Megan truly cares about her group and is ready to adapt to whatever their needs are. “I see and recognize who they are and the challenges they are dealing with. It really comes down to me loving what I do, and they know it. That’s what helps me to develop trusting relationships with them.”

She wishes everyone could get to know people with disabilities the way she has. “Unfortunately, much of the outside world doesn’t know what we know about them,” she says. “They are human beings with their own incredible, unique personalities just like everyone.”

Megan wants to learn even more about the field and the person-centered supports that will help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) better engage in their communities. She is currently in Tier II of the Career Ladders development and credentialing program for DSPs. “I was eager to enhance my learning and combined with the financial incentives the program offers I readily said, ‘Sign me up!’”

Megan’s passion for the job earned her the Penn-Mar Leaders in Our Midst Award which “recognizes team members who have demonstrated great leadership through their consistent, reliable and dependable work every day. Team members that receive this award create a positive, collaborative environment that allows the people they support and their colleagues to be their best. Winners of this award display Penn-Mar’s Core Values and through their actions, live out Penn-Mar’s mission each day.”

Megan was humbled and surprised by the award. “I’m not someone who likes the spotlight,” she acknowledged. “But I am grateful and thankful that Penn-Mar appreciates and sees the work that I am doing. Almost daily a manager or team member compliments my work. It helps that everyone is so supportive.”

During her Career Ladders training, Megan was intrigued by the potential of customized employment programs that match people with disabilities to meaningful jobs. “It seemed right up my alley and is something I would like to be involved with in the future,” she said.

But for now, Megan feels lucky to have found her calling as a DSP. “It turned out to be a perfect fit for me!”

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