2018 DSP Week vol. 3 - Shen Hollcraft

To celebrate Direct Support Professional (DSP) Recognition Week, each day we are highlighting a standout DSP employee from one of Imagine!’s several service departments.

Imagine! owns and operates six group homes in Boulder and Broomfield counties. We shine the spotlight on DSP Shen Hollcraft, who works at our Santa Fe Group Home in Broomfield. Shen has
worked there for a year and a half and is responsible for safety of residents, transportation duties, house chores, direct care, and more. Along with working 30 plus hours a week at Imagine!, Shen is in her third year at Naropa University earning her master’s degree in Contemplative Psychotherapy and Buddhist Psychology.

“Some advice I was given is that ‘working in direct care is essential if you want to be a psychotherapist,’” said Shen. She took this advice and sought out a job at Imagine!. “I’m exposed to all levels of human experience as opposed to just sitting across from someone an hour a week.”

Shen desired an intimate setting in the direct care field, which is what led her to the Santa Fe Group Home, which houses eight individuals. “It’s a mutual experience, I call it mutual healing,” she said. “I could be serving someone breakfast and at the same time get a little side hug or a sweet comment. It’s a natural sharing that nourishes both people.”

Shen appreciates how this job has taught her to slow down and take time to connect with the residents. A residential counselor can be stretched thin in a day’s work, and Shen likes to challenge the “always be busy” routine by finding ways to balance both the chores and human connections.

“Yes, the laundry needs to get done and the dishwasher needs emptying, but that can come second to slowing down and having a conversation,” said Shen. “Those pieces in letting people know that they are valued are important.”

Shen spends time with her sister, Rachel, at the
Shambhala Mountain Center this summer. 

“She always seems present in the moment while at work,” said Chantelle Tweten, Assistant Site Supervisor at Santa Fe Group Home. “I watch her while interacting with individuals we serve and she always listens mindfully and without judgement.”

Shen didn’t always know she wanted to dedicate her life to connecting with people. Her first go of undergrad was for English and Writing at University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN, which lasted one semester. She left college and enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves. She completed boot camp, followed by an eight month period of combat and job specific training.

 “My time in the military made me curious about why we do what we do and the human experience, and got the ball rolling in my pursuit of a career to helping people.”

After boot camp, Shen chose to balance military training and school simultaneously. She moved to Colorado and pursued a bachelor’s degree in Contemplative Psychology at Naropa University, which meant flying to Minnesota once a month for military duties. “There was a lot of friction for me during this time, finding where I fit between two seemingly opposing value systems – and I am so grateful for it,” said Shen.

At the completion of this school year, Shen will have a masters in Mental Health Counseling and plans to focus on counseling in an intimate setting. Thank you Shen for bringing your experience and mindfulness to the Santa Fe Group Home. Your passion and dedication is an important asset to Imagine! and we are grateful!