This month, we wanted to help you get to know a few of the thoughtful and talented members of the Sage Home Board of Directors. Keep reading to learn more about Marca McCallie, Nevitta Mason, and Jennifer Butler.

Our stories are sacred. They communicate so much about who we are and how we act. Our backstory informs why we might tense up or relax, cry or embrace.

The American Counseling Association has designated April as Counseling Awareness Month. This observance aims to raise awareness of this beneficial service that benefits people all over the world.

Andrea Meronuck is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and the owner of New Moon Facilitation in Flagstaff. She is working as a trauma informed care consultant to Sage Home. Andrea is also the Clinical Director at Northland Family Help Center, and teaches Mindful Self-Compassion in the community and to counseling master’s students at NAU.

There are plenty of problems in the world. There are many in our small community, nested in the mountains of Northern Arizona. Sometimes, to think about them feels overwhelming as solutions seem so evasive and complicated. Do we even know what problem we’re trying to solve?

It’s pretty incredible to think about how much children learn is such a short span of time. By the time children are 5 they have acquired a good working understanding of human language along with getting their arms, legs, eyes, ears, speech, hands, etc to all move in a coordinated and directed fashion. Also, by age five, they grasp the overt and covert rules of how to act in their culture and society. It’s a massive intellectual feat!

Education is imperative to understanding addiction and helping people to get the help that they need. The videos linked below will alter your perspective and challenge what you know about addiction and recovery. As we prepare to launch Sage Home, we wish to educate, inform, and shine a light on the truths behind addiction.

When we think about the kids of parents struggling with addiction it’s important to consider how our treatment interventions can have the most impact on the most amount of people. The schools, for example, have a very large impact on children, parents, and the community. Schools make it possible for parents to work which impacts how the community functions.

September 6th is “Read a Book Day,” and we wanted to share with you some of our favorite books on addiction, recovery, trauma, and overall well-being. The right book at the right moment has the potential to change people’s lives. The books mentioned below are impactful, well written, and have the ability to change how you think.

It got me thinking about how much cooperation, organization, and human intention it took for me to have the opportunity to sit here, type at my computer, and drink my coffee. Who were the people that took the time to craft my coffee mug? Who was the person who harvested my coffee beans? What sort of incredible collaboration contributed to the technology I use? Who built the balcony? The chair? How many people did it take to create enough safety for me to sit here and enjoy this lovely morning?

Our vision is to strategically begin to give life to those ideas through trauma-informed practices to help pregnant and parenting women. Families need several layers of support to sustain change. Job training, housing support, health, and mental health care to name a few.

Have you ever seen geese fly in formation to create a perfect V? Or watched bees and ants move as if they were one organism with one consciousness? It’s mind-boggling to notice how from a group of individuals, something emerges that is more than the sum of its parts.

When we have conversations about change, it’s important for us to keep these clients’ stories close to our mind and heart. It’s tempting to think, “Why can’t they just stop”, “Don’t they care about their kids,” “They’re being lazy,” or “They don’t care about their recovery.” It’s easy to blame them as a way to distance ourselves from their reality. We don’t want to think that we could ever be in their shoes.

Recently, Marca, the founder of Sage Home, and Marilee, one of the original board members, sat down to discuss the origins of Sage Home and how it all began. They discussed breaking generational cycles, mothers feeling pressure to hide their addictions, and the ultimate goal of healing while keeping families together.

Who are you? Who is the person sitting in front of you? What does it mean to know ourselves and to be open to our experiences? What does it mean to know another and to be open to their experiences? These are the questions that have sparked my curiosity for the past several years.

Recently, I’ve been trying to squeeze 14 years of math knowledge into just a few months while studying for the GRE. In my studies, I have completed a series of online lessons discussing probability. The main take-away of these courses was this: If you are looking for the probability of this event happening OR that event, you add the 2 probabilities together.

Through my personal life and adoption training, I have become fiercely passionate about the mission of Sage Home. To be honest, when I first learned about its mission, I had quite a few questions about the effectiveness of Sage Home.

Recently, I was able to sit down (socially distanced, of course) with a friend who is a professional in the child welfare system. We chatted about Sage Home, the pandemic, child welfare, how those things are connected, and where Sage Home can intervene.

It’s that time of year again! Giving Tuesday is right around the corner and we wanted to let you know how you can help Sage Home this Giving Tuesday!

Yesterday I watched as my two youngest children were interacting with one another. My youngest was sitting very still on the couch while his sister carefully studied him for her drawing. She focused on his face and how the shadows landed so she could accurately capture him in her art.