Bridie Johnson, LMSW, CAADC, QMHP

Protecting Our Sacred Bundles: The Intersection of Indigenous Birth Work and Doula Legislation

Bridie Johnson, LMSW, CAADC, QMHP, is Canadian Chippewa of the Garden River, First Nations, also known as Ketegaunseebee. This is an Ojibwa band located at Garden River #14 near Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. Bridie is an Indigenous breast feeding counselor, Indigenous full spectrum doula as well as an Indigenous Trauma Certified Instructor. Bridie was the Clinical Supervisor of the Behavioral Health Department at American Indian Heath and Family Services, in the city of Detroit. Bridie has been an advocate for homeless shelter services for youth in four counties across the state of Michigan for over 20 years. Bridie has supervised multiple community-based foster care and juvenile delinquency programs for youth as well as several different residential treatment centers in Michigan and Georgia. Bridie is the former Director of Programs at Ruth Ellis Center and served on the Board of Directors there for over ten years. Bridie had the honor of meeting Ruth Ellis, a Matriarch in the community.  REC is an organization servicing LBGTQIA2-S homeless youth in Highland Park, Michigan. Bridie has an associate degree in Business Law from Delta, Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Saginaw Valley State University, and a master’s degree in Social Work from Wayne State University.  She also received a post master’s certificate in Marital and Family Studies at Wayne State in 2002. She most recently obtained a certificate in Addictions Studies from the University of Michigan’s program in 2018.  She recently acquired her ICAADC and is now working toward her CCS. In this certificate program she focused heavily on the co-occurring aspects that trauma and substance use disorder share. Bridie has taught undergraduate studies in the social work department at Saginaw Valley State University and is currently an active member of the state of Michigan’s Human Trafficking Task Force. She also currently sits on the Board of Directors for Motor City Pride Board in the city of Detroit.