Her Story
About Carla
Carla Respects Nothing is a dedicated human services professional, Housing Case Manager, addictions peer counselor, and housing advocate whose career has been defined by service, compassion, and empowerment. With more than 15 years of professional experience and the past decade devoted to the housing field, she has focused her work on supporting homeless and unhoused individuals and families throughout Colorado. Known for her trauma-informed and person-centered approach, Carla is passionate about helping people overcome barriers, access resources, and build pathways toward stability, recovery, and self-sufficiency.
Currently serving as a Housing Case Manager for an unhoused family shelter, a role she has held since October 2025, Carla works closely with families to address housing needs while supporting their overall mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Prior to this position, she served as an addiction counselor and peer navigator, primarily assisting individuals experiencing homelessness. Throughout her career, she has developed and facilitated addiction recovery and mental health groups, provided peer support services, and met individuals where they are in their personal journeys. Her work is rooted in the belief that every person deserves dignity, respect, and the opportunity to create a better future. Few moments are more rewarding for her than helping someone move into their own apartment or home and witnessing the confidence and independence they gain along the way.
As a proud Native American woman, Carla is deeply committed to uplifting and advocating for her community. One of her most meaningful accomplishments has been contributing to housing initiatives that support Native populations and help advance efforts toward developing Native-led housing opportunities. In addition to her professional work, she is currently pursuing a Master of Social Work degree at Metropolitan State University of Denver, further strengthening her ability to serve others and lead positive change. Today, Carla is focused not only on helping individuals achieve stability but also on cultivating leadership in others—encouraging people to use their voices, recognize their value, and become advocates who can inspire and support future generations within their communities.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Carla
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to helping single families get into their own apartments or their own houses, knowing that I was a part of helping them help themselves. It's about providing continued support and being there for people on their journey. At this point in my life, I'm focused on creating leadership in others to do the same and help others in the community. My success comes from watching others follow the little basic paths that I have and just helping others, knowing I helped create leadership as well. I encourage others to help and use their voices, and to know that their voice counts.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is to stay true to yourself and honor who you are in the circle. Those values you hold, others don't always know. But when you're in that circle and you share, it really changes a person's perspective.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say have patience and understanding, and again, that empathy and compassion of who you are, as well as what you're giving out. It's a respectable circle, and you take in life what you get back. It's that true passion in your heart and mind that is there to do the work that you want to do. It's a blessing, because you bless others.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
At this point, the biggest challenge is working together and being on the same page with others, having that main goal. Sometimes people have their own agendas, and it's really hard to agree. We agree to disagree, but in the end, it makes the work that much better and stronger and more concrete. I think that's the challenge of what's going on today in this world right now. That understanding of each other is really important, and that's where people get lost.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are integrity, honesty, accountability, empathy, and compassion. All of these things together in a mixture really matter to me. I know someone can be trustworthy once they have those types of values, and you're there for each other and yourself. To me, those are the main points and values that really count.
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