Bophar Soum

Name, Role, Tenure at SSC

Bophar Soum, I’m currently a traveling nurse for Crownsville and Chantilly locations. I have been with Sandstone Care going on four years plus.

What first drew you to Sandstone Care, and what felt important to you about joining this team?

I truly believe that Sandstone Care has an amazing value in their mission statement as a company that clearly resonates with me as a substance abuse and mental health nurse. I felt compelled to join Sandstone Care where changes are empowering for the client and staff. It’s rare to work in a place where your voice as a nurse is valued.

What new opportunities have you discovered during your time here?

Since working at Sandstone Care, I have been given many opportunities to grow as a person whether it’s a nurse, mother, coworker etc. In the beginning of my career at Sandstone Care, I was able to work different schedules to help me familiarize with the program. I became a lead nurse in the progress which was very rewarding since I was able to grow in my field of specialty. During my most awarding time as a lead nurse, I was also faced with a challenging position in my personal life as a mother.

I’ll always be grateful to Sandstone for giving me space to process my thoughts and supporting me in my decision to step away from a wonderful position to be a better mother to my own children. I never felt less than as a person while working here for stepping down. It was the opposite; it gave me the opportunity to build confidence and inner peace. With me stepping away from Sandstone for a year, I came back with a vengeance as an empowered woman. I felt welcome back with open arms. I would like to thank the leadership teams for their support and guidance.

What moments stand out to you as especially meaningful in your career at Sandstone Care?

One moment that stands out as especially meaningful in my career was being promoted from Assistant Regional Clinical Director to Regional Clinical Director in CO. It was a moment of personal growth, but more importantly, it reflected the trust and support of a team and organization that values leadership development.

Stepping into this role gave me the opportunity to have a broader impact supporting our talented clinical teams and program directors.

I have had many eventful moments at Sandstone that have left me joyful at the end of the day; or it left me crying in my car questioning my insanity. At the end of the day, I regrouped and reminded myself that this is the job I wanted and the most awarding in the long run. On September 11, I can recall posting on the giving gratitude channel that I’m truly blessed to have amazing colleagues to work alongside me.

It reminded me of the core principles why I became a nurse in our field of substance abuse and mental health. Reflecting on how we as a team prevented a client from leaving AMA with MOC on site after we managed to do our mini-interventions. Our line of communication was extra extraordinary from our BHTs all the way to our leadership crews. We were able to show our clients our commitment to them to stay focused on their sobriety. We truly stand union as a team but hold the line.

How has the team or culture at Sandstone Care contributed to your development?

The culture at Sandstone is all about empowering oneself to help better care for our clients. They help me challenge myself to be a stronger nurse and mother by seeing myself as I truly am, which is being flawed. It helps me develop my interpersonal skills with my colleagues and clients. I became humbled in the process and comfortable with myself to be vulnerable.

If you could share advice with a new team member just starting out, what would you want them to know about opportunities at Sandstone Care?

My advice to new team members joining Sandstone Care is to give yourself some grace period and it’s okay to fail in the process. Through your time of feeling helpless please remember that we, as a team, are truly here for one other. Never be fearful to ask us for help or letting us know your boundaries. You’re not a bother nor a weak link to our team. You’re where you need to be. Another important thing to remember is self-care is key to help you develop work and life balance. You will be challenged in this line of work with clients who have lost their way in humanity. We has as a staff are here to remind them that their lives matter just as much as our own lives.