Staff Spotlight: Sean
Team Newhouse
From Shelter to Stability
Sean Helps Survivors Build Brighter Futures
Two years ago, Sean moved to Kansas City and quickly became a vital part of the Newhouse team. Starting as a teacher and children’s advocate in the Early Learning Center, he now serves as a CoC Housing Advocate, connecting survivors of domestic violence to safe, stable housing and supporting them every step of the way.
In his current role, Sean represents Newhouse as a member of the Greater Kansas City Coalition to End Homelessness’s HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) program, acting as a coordinated entry point for survivors of domestic violence to potentially access and receive Transitional Housing and Rapid Re-Housing Rental Assistance.
“In addition to doing intakes and referrals to the CoC,” Sean explains, “I receive clients back from the CoC to assist in navigating the many challenges and barriers vulnerable populations face in finding and securing housing. I also provide ongoing case management support to achieve self-sufficiency.”
Sean’s experience has opened his eyes to just how devastating the financial impact of domestic violence can be. “Survivors may not be allowed to work. They may have debt or utilities taken out in their name and then not paid, or abusers refuse to pay child support. It’s hard to rebuild when economic abuse has stripped you of resources and independence.”
Whether he’s assisting a client with housing applications or supporting a survivor through a major transition, Sean brings a deep sense of compassion—and a clear sense of purpose.
“My worldview is shaped by a theology of liberation and anti-violence. All forms of violence are connected, and domestic violence is one part of that. We must both believe another world is possible and be the ones to build it.”
That drive for justice and equity also shows up in his leadership beyond client services. Sean serves on Newhouse’s Inclusivity and Equity Action Team, the Pride Committee, and represents the agency on multiple regional committees, including the HMIS Committee for the HUD CoC and MOCADSV meetings.
“I’m really proud of the work we’ve done to make Newhouse a place where both staff and clients can feel celebrated for who they are,” he says.
One memory that stays with Sean is from a client who recently transitioned from the CoC program into more permanent housing. “She always jokes that I’m ‘just another one of her kids’ when I visit,” he shares. “That kind of connection means everything.”
To survivors, Sean offers this wisdom: “No two people’s trauma, healing, and journey to self-determination are the same; that overcoming the cycle of DV and reclaiming their power is possible; and that self-care is not selfish, we drink from our own wells.”
Outside of work, Sean enjoys discovering new music, thrifting, going to trivia nights with friends, and playing basketball, softball, or kickball. He also likes collecting Pokemon, baseball, and basketball cards, and never misses a day of the NYT crossword. Sean’s close-knit community includes family in Oklahoma and a chosen family of friends spread across the country—from Lawrence and Chicago to Portland and beyond.
And in everything he does, Sean holds close the words of Paulo Freire:
“Love must generate other acts of freedom…otherwise it is not love.”
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