Areas of Expertise
Alcohol Use & Public Intoxication
Related work focuses on the use of sobering centers as an alternative to the ED and jail for acute intoxication, coordination with emergency medical services, public alcohol and drug intoxication, and alcohol harm reduction
Homeless Health Care
I have extensive experience in implementing clinically-based homeless outreach teams, the provision of medical respite/ recuperative care for medically frail adults suffering from homelessness, and efforts to stabilize individuals suffering from co-occurring homelessness and alcohol use disorders
Education
My education experience is based in nursing education, primarily graduate-level students, as co-faculty for didactic and clinical coursework in street-based homeless health care, harm reduction and alcohol use disorders, and homeless health care
Select Media & Publications
Interviews
SocialEMpact Podcast – Episode 8 “Alcohol”: https://www.socialempact.com/announce-podcast/2020/6/22/episode-8-alcohol
A Place to Land: Shannon Smith-Bernardin on caring for others and determining what is needed. https://roadstakenshow.com/episodes/place-to-land-shannon-smith-bernardin-032
Select Media
UCSF Alumni Week 2020 (Virtual) panel presentation on Managed Alcohol Programs and Sobering Centers (approx. minute 2 to 16): https://vimeo.com/427457247
University of California, Grad Slam (2016): https://healthforce.ucsf.edu/blog-article/san-francisco-sobering-center-model-nation
AMERSA Conference 2020 (Virtual): Plenary Panel - Caring for People who use Substances in the Context of COVID-19: Challenges, Opportunities and Lessons Learned
https://amersa.confex.com/amersa/2020vc/meetingapp.cgi/Session/1000
Select Publications
Smith-Bernardin, S. (2021) Sobering Centers Explained: An innovative solution for care of acute intoxication. https://www.chcf.org/publication/sobering-centers-explained/
Smith-Bernardin, S., Carrico, A., Max, W. & Chapman, S. (2017). Utilization of a Sobering Center for Acute Alcohol Intoxication. Academic Emergency Medicine, published online May 2017. doi: 10.1111/acem.13219 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/acem.13219
Smith-Bernardin, S., Kennel, M., & Yeh, C. (2019). EMS Can Safely Transport Intoxicated Patients to a Sobering Center as an Alternate Destination. Ann Emerg Med 2019:X:107. doi: doi.org/10.1016/j.annemergmed.2019.02.00 https://europepmc.org/abstract/med/30926186