Today we’d like to introduce you to Brisa Samudio.
Hi Brisa, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I am a licensed clinical social worker and have worked in behavioral health since 2004. I started pre-law but loved my behavioral science classes so much that I changed paths and earned bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Criminal Justice. My first role out of college was as a case manager at a child & adolescent treatment center in Germantown, TN. I harassed the owners – who would later become two cherished mentors – into hiring me.
Daybreak set me up with solid clinical experience before pursuing my master’s in social work at UT Health Science Center. Shortly afterward, I moved to Los Angeles. I grew up traveling to California with my parents, so this coupled with the advanced training California’s behavioral science board offered decided to move easily. I worked in the non-profit sector for roughly 5 years where the vast majority of child and adolescent clients had open abuse cases. Those are some of the most difficult situations I have ever worked with, and they occasionally still wake me up at night. (Shout out to my foster kiddos! You know who you are, and you know I’m here).
I landed in Memphis again but this time with both California and Tennessee licensure. This made me an ideal candidate for a California-based community health center launching in Memphis. Our work required high-touch case management. We met our patients at group homes, abandoned homes, hospitals, skilled nursing, gas stations – wherever we could. People cannot stabilize much less self-actualize if their basic needs aren’t being met. If you want to help someone manage their diabetes or CHF, you have to support them in finding housing and food first.
Currently, I work in private practice and non-profit mental health with a focus on trauma resolution and social determinants of health. My team is solid clinically and fun to join forces with. I’m so grateful to have this lovely array of humans around. There are these beautiful family and neighborhood systems who have trusted me to help navigate their relationships and needs. I love being able to shift from an afternoon with veterans to a teen group later in the week albeit with a sharp change in trajectory!
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My clients and patients are by far the easiest part of this work even in the most distressed state. Bureaucracy, red tape, predators, and toxic environments are the problem. In fieldwork and many mental health spaces, safety is almost always a concern.
I’ve been in some dicey situations like most of my fellow social workers, and I think certain work experiences in this career can alter your worldview. I feel like this is ok as long as we keep looking for the good. Fieldwork in Memphis is tough. It’s a different beast from California in many ways. For what my two cents are worth, I don’t think our crime crisis will be resolved until we address poverty and systemic problems in our educational system. I work with some amazing educators whose hands are often tied by one or all of the challenges listed above.
My work style isn’t for everyone, but I think this heavily depends on who you ask. I don’t tend to sugarcoat, but there’s always room for improvement in my delivery. Sometimes I find it challenging to regulate myself when there is abuse taking place, but there are at least a few clients who say this is what kept them safe. One company called it “relentlessly resourceful”…I’ll take it.
If I don’t plug self-care here, am I even a social worker? Music – especially live music, Bikram, a strong natural support system, travel, hugging pets, and staying aligned spiritually are the tools that work for me.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Samara Center (of the Samara Group) and E3 Community Health?
I feel successful when I’m able to intervene or throw someone a lifeline. We often find ourselves in need of protection from others as well as ourselves. Being able to watch a bad situation shift to something healthier or more stable is priceless. A good portion of this job involves planting seeds & hoping for the best. My heart melts every time a kid I worked with years ago tracks me down and lets me know they’re ok.
I’ve had many coworkers over the years but have successfully been able to find my true team members in the process. I still talk to my Daybreak colleagues weekly in our group chat. The Caremore/Anthem project treating some of the city’s highest cost and highest utilizer Medicaid members reduced mortality rates AND medical spending per patient.
So cool; and I am so fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time with leadership who saw I was up to the task. That work set me up for new projects now in the works. The credit goes to my mentors, my clients, and my patients. I’m just a vessel with some well-timed dark humor and a relentless desire to help people find their better space.
Our bottom line is quality healthcare for all – regardless of status or circumstances. That’s what we strive for. Hospital systems are necessary due to the large need of intensive mental health services; but I grew up professionally in a smaller day treatment setting and know there is a place for this in the community. E3 will soon launch day treatment services on a smaller scale. Our goal is to merge the high-touch team findings with the small day treatment concept. Siloed healthcare is not effective, so if there are providers who want to collaborate, connect with us!
What does success mean to you?
The interventions on the edge – suicide, trafficking, near-death, elder or child abuse – all blend as the defining success. When a client gets settled in their new home, too. It’s hard to choose one clinical success.
On the more professional or business side, I was delighted to see the hard work with the Caremore/Anthem project recognized. I was the social worker on that team, but I was set up for success with my team members and the physicians leading the research.
https://hbr.org/2020/02/how-to-improve-care-for-high-need-high-cost-medicaid-patients
Contact Info:
- Website: www.samaracenter.com
- Instagram: @welcometosamara
- Other: https://hbr.org/2020/02/how-to-improve-care-for-high-need-high-cost-medicaid-patients
Image Credits
Heather Horton
