Shannon Brinkley, BSW

Shannon is a seasoned social worker and registered yoga teacher with over 30 years of experience serving children and families across North Carolina. Her career has been rooted in the child welfare system, where she has consistently demonstrated strong ethics, professionalism, and compassion in her efforts to support and protect vulnerable families.

Specializing in high-risk cases where children’s safety is at risk and potential removal from the home is imminent, Shannon has spent decades walking alongside families in crisis. She utilizes the Six Principles of Partnership in every family encounter—engaging in respectful, honest, and collaborative relationships to reduce risk, enhance safety, and strengthen family systems.

For approximately 10 years, Shannon worked with Appalachian State University at the community-based agency Bring It All Back Home (BIABH), later rebranded as Appalachian Family Innovations (AFI) in Morganton, NC. There, she was instrumental in implementing and delivering Intensive Family Preservation Services based on the evidence-informed Teaching Family Model. Her roles included Family Specialist, Supervisor, Evaluator, and Trainer, working with families at the highest risk of losing custody of their children without significant, rapid change.

Through these experiences, Shannon has become deeply rooted in values-based practice. Her work continues to be grounded in a commitment to partnership, community engagement, and trauma-informed care—all of which are supported by her integrative approach that combines social work and mind-body wellness.