Guest Shannon Smith-Bernardin, Dartmouth '96, knew she needed to get out of Maine, as the only prospects she saw for herself there were nursing and teaching. With two duffle bags and $400 in her pocket, she landed in Los Angeles and then landed a string of jobs that didn’t feed her soul. In supporting a friend through rehab, she learned more about her own past with alcohol and co-dependent relationships that helped her reflect on how her skills and interests in helping others could be realized in a career in nursing.

Ultimately, she found her place within the community nursing space, helping other people find places to land, if only temporarily. In both professional and volunteer roles, she has developed expertise around the care of homeless populations, the social determinants of health, and alternatives to emergency medicine, particularly the management of sobriety centers. // In this episode, find out from Shannon how finding the community you’re drawn to help can provide you with as much as you give on ROADS TAKEN...with Leslie Jennings Rowley.

About This Episode's Guest

Shannon Smith-Bernardin, PhD, MSN, RN, is an expert in the safe and efficient utilization of sobering centers for caring for acute alcohol intoxication. She is an assistant adjunct professor at UC San Francisco, primarily teaching a course on "street nursing" and currently provides consultation to communities who are seeking help with their homeless populations or are looking to establish or manage sobering centers. She also directs the efforts of the non-profit National Sobering Collective. Find out more at nationalsobering.org

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley

Music: Brian Burrows

Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com

Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com

Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley

Music: Brian Burrows

Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

A Place to Land: Shannon Smith-Bernardin on caring for others and determining what is needed

Roads Taken