If you’ve seen Kyrsten Schaefer working at Dove House, you’ve probably wondered, “How does she do all of that? And how does she do it with such grace?” For Kyrsten, the multifaceted components of the job and constant interaction with the clients were exactly what drew her to the role—so it’s no wonder she does it so well.
Her passion for recovery comes from a deeply personal place. In 2012, Kyrsten’s mother died after years of fighting her addiction.
“She was my role model, my best friend, and the most amazing mother a girl could ever ask for,” shared Kyrsten. “Her recovery meant everything to her, and she worked so hard every single day during her recovery journey! I saw her strength and her growth. I saw her passion for helping people.”
After her mother passed, Kyrsten began educating herself about substance use disorder. As she continued learning more, she knew she wanted to work in the field of addiction treatment and recovery and began by pursuing human services associates degree from Ivy Tech. While she was studying for this degree, Kyrsten learned about an internship opportunity with Dove House and applied.
“Once I was able to meet the team and officially get started, I knew right here was where I belonged,” she said.
From that internship, Kyrsten was sold. She continued to further her education in the field by completing a peer recovery ethic course and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Social Work Degree at IUPUI, majoring in social work and minoring in psychology with a specialty in addiction.
Recently, Dove House advanced Kyrsten from intern to resident advocate and peer recovery specialist/case manager. She wears many hats, assisting clients daily by distributing medications, facilitating meetings, coordinating schedules and helping with their recovery plans.
“Helping people is all I have ever wanted to do. So, knowing that I can be someone that assists them when necessary is very exciting,” Kyrsten said.
And while completing the day-to-day functions of the job is important, Kyrsten hopes that, above all, she can be a safe and comfortable person for the residents and someone they can trust.
“The clients mean a lot to us here at Dove and helping them with the steps they are taking to their success is the job I strive to do daily,” she said. “They are all inspiring women.”
According to Kyrsten, Dove House is special to her for many reasons. She appreciates the support and encouragement the staff and clients have shown her. As a result, she says she has grown tremendously professionally and personally—something Kyrsten’s mother certainly wanted her to experience.
Before her mother passed away, she wrote Kyrsten a letter and included lyrics from one of her favorite Reba McEntire songs. It’s something that motivates her each day.
“You are going to fly with every dream you chase. You will cry but know, that’s okay. Sometimes life is not fair but hang in there. You are going to see that sometimes bad is good. Just believe things always work out the way they should.”
