Glimmers – the Antidote to Triggers
I had a friend say to me this weekend, “Everything is hard.” We were talking about technology (the ever-changing virtual landscape triggers her anxiety), but it could apply to almost any subject in the year 2024. There is a reason why 1 in 5 U.S. adults live with a mental illness. As a person in […]
Eating Disorder Admissions All-Star Team: Responsibilities and Rewards
At Sanford Comprehensive Treatment for Eating Disorders, we are proud of how we have evolved since we opened the first standalone residential treatment center for eating disorders in Michigan. Our residential program is now two years old. Over the past two-plus years, we have also developed day programs and partial day programs for eating disorders, […]
Spring Cleaning Benefits for Mental & Physical Health!
What is it about spring that makes you want to box up the tchotchkes and embrace an open concept? Nature’s abundance and renewal after the long winter spur us to transform our surroundings, clean out the garage, and cull the sock drawer. This desire to declutter may have additional benefits beyond an empty laundry basket. […]
Therapy Dog Apollonia Inspires Patients at Sanford Behavioral Health
At Sanford Behavioral Health, therapy dog Apollonia (Apol) is a celebrity of sorts. When she trots through the halls with Sanford Founder Rae Green, both patients and team members brighten. She has inspired artwork in art therapy, love letters from patients leaving treatment, and even a set of personalized note cards. Apol also holds the […]
Sanford Behavioral Health – Updates 2024 with Chief Operating Officer Katie Vokes
Rae and David Green founded Sanford Behavioral Health (Sanford House) in 2015 with a mission to elevate the effectiveness and availability of treatment for individuals diagnosed with addiction and mental health disorders. After nine years of intelligent, controlled growth, Sanford Behavioral Health is now a thriving substance use disorder, eating disorder, and mental health treatment center. […]
Hopeful Resolutions – How to Make Behavioral Change Stick in 2024
In less than two weeks, it will be 2024. In your social circles, the “buzz” is probably already about New Year’s hopeful resolutions. Have you made any? According to the Statista Global Consumer Survey, the top resolutions for the coming year are to exercise more, eat healthier, and lose weight. The resolution to deal with […]
What Real-Life Recovery Means to Me
(first published in The Sanford – internal newsletter) Years ago, when Sanford Behavioral Health was a 10-bed women’s facility, we had an alumni event. These days, we have robust alumni programs for eating disorders and addiction, but in 2017, it was the first time our clients had the opportunity to return to the place where […]
Sleep-Friendly Environments & Mental Health
One of the hallmarks of active addiction and other mental health conditions is insomnia. When you wake at 3 a.m. (blood sugar dropping) and rise like a vampire for a glass of cold water, it might be the worst time of day to be wide-eyed. Every problem seems insurmountable, rehashing regrettable behavior on an endless […]
Suicide Prevention – Resources for Loved Ones & Professionals
September is Suicide Prevention Month, and we sat down with Sanford Clinical Liaison Lisa (Murphy) Rector, MA-LPC, NCC, for the Limelight Interview. Lisa has worked in the mental health field since 1997. She is the Co-chair of the Macomb County Suicide Prevention Coalition. Lisa’s career began on the Wayne County Crisis Line, answering crisis/suicide […]
5 Questions to Support Veterans’ Mental Health
September is suicide awareness month, and I sat down with my colleagues at Detroit VA to ask five questions about Veterans’ mental health resources, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and the prevention of Veteran suicides and other accidental deaths. Thanks to Katrina BeShears, LMSW, CAADC, and Christina Mariani, LMSW, CAADC Detroit VA Community Engagement […]
