RN, BSN , Masters (Current)
Cherish Nkechi Samuel, RN, BSN, is a passionate and dedicated second-year Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) student at California Baptist University. She currently works with the California Department of State Hospitals-Metropolitan, in Los Angeles County, California, where she serves the adult and geriatric populations mandated for treatment by courts, either through forensic commitments from the criminal justice system or civil commitments under the Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) Act.
With over eight years of experience providing nursing care in various specialties, such as behavioral health, critical care, and medical-surgical units, Samuel brings a deep understanding of the complex needs of individuals living with different mental illnesses, substance use, and co-occurring disorders.
Samuel developed her passion for mental health and substance misuse disorder after experiencing firsthand the devastating impact of mental illnesses and substance misuse disorders in her community and the stigma, misconception, and misinformation associated with it. Working with the forensic population further strengthened her resolve to provide culturally responsive and individualized care to people living with mental illnesses and substance use disorder, especially those who interact with the criminal justice system. She has noticed how structural and system-level barriers, including fragmented behavioral healthcare, lack of stable housing, and minimal culturally responsive supports, undermine recovery and perpetuate cycles of mental illness and addiction, and is dedicated to creating care models that bridge these barriers.
Samuel's advocacy efforts are centered around promoting care models that integrate mental health and substance use treatment, support recovery housing, emphasize nurse-led trauma-informed and culturally competent nursing treatment plans, and build an inclusive behavioral healthcare workforce that serves individuals from communities with unmet needs with dignity and respect.