Our Story
SAGE Counseling, Inc. was formed in 1998 to provide evidence-based services to the criminal justice system and court-referred clients. We utilize Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, the Stages of Change Model, Interactive Journaling, and empirically-validated assessment tools. Almost all of our clients are under court supervision, in a diversion program, incarcerated, or referred by the Arizona Department of Child Safety.
Currently, we have multiple contracts with the Arizona Department of Corrections, the Arizona Department of Child Safety, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, Maricopa County Attorney's Office, and the City of Phoenix.
Our high level of customer service is grounded in a strong administration structure through the development of a comprehensive infrastructure that enables us to efficiently provide the accurate tracking and reporting that criminal justice systems require. This includes a secure online case management system that provides our customers with immediate access to essential data concerning their defendants/clients that have been referred to SAGE.
SAGE Counseling’s treatment programs were developed for criminal offenders and our overall philosophy and clinical approach are grounded in the empirically validated standards for that population. As is recommended by the leaders in the field of offender treatment, our programs have focused, structured counseling groups that are supplemented by individual counseling, utilize multiple treatment components and methodologies, and emphasize specific skill development, e.g., conflict resolution, anger management, positive coping, positive self-talk, refusal skills, stress management, and lifestyle balance.
In our 8 clinics located throughout Maricopa County, we currently provide:
- More than 130 outpatient groups per week for Substance Abuse Treatment, Domestic Violence Offender Treatment, Cognitive Skills, Anger Management, Underage Drinking, and Parenting Skills
- Regularly scheduled DUI Education and Treatment Classes
- Multiple groups in the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office jail system
- Multiple groups in Arizona Department of Corrections Prison--Perryville
- In-Home Family Preservation and Family Reunification services to families referred by the Department of Child Safety.
We also have 10 additional outpatient clinics throughout Arizona where we provide a variety of clinical services.
SAGE Counseling, Inc has earned a reputation as a leader in our industry. We are successful because of the individual contributions made by each of our employees. We have always held to a very simple philosophy: exceptional service for our clients in order to serve our customers. We want to ensure that these relationships continue well into the future.
Vision
SAGE Counseling will set the standard for services that promote positive choices, skill development, personal growth, and accountability, one individual at a time for safer families and communities.
Mission
To advocate for clients, customers, and staff. We do this by promoting responsible, ethical choices that will lead to long term success.
Values
At SAGE Counseling :
We value the inherent worth and dignity of every person.
We conduct ourselves in an ethical manner with integrity-we do the right thing, even when no one is watching.
We are authentic and genuine.
We honor, support, and respect spirituality.
We demonstrate responsible concern and understanding for the psychosocial needs of our clients.
We are committed to serving our clients with respect and dignity.
We value doing our job well to help our clients, customers, and staff succeed.
We lead by example and are accountable for our actions.
We manage and lead with evidence-based practices and data.
We are fiscally responsible and seek to achieve a reasonable profit.
We honor our fiduciary responsibility.
We are easy to do business with.
We are innovative and always open to efficient and effective ways of achieving our goals.
We actively seek input and open dialogue on agency operations from staff, clients and customers
We value a supportive, empowering work environment
We seek a healthy balance between personal and professional life.
We understand that work and fun are not mutually exclusive.
One of SAGE Counseling’s key objectives is to implement evidence-based practices in our clinical services. Providing the highest quality services to our clients is always a driving force here, and our commitment to evidence-based practices helps us continually improve our treatment outcomes. SAGE has been given the opportunity to collaborate with researchers from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) on their “Leadership and Organizational Change for Implementation” (LOCI) project, which is a study of organizational change in agencies providing substance use treatment services.
The specific evidence-based practice in this study is the utilization and fidelity of Motivational Interviewing (MI). We’re very excited about this project, since MI is so important in our work with clients.
Several of our counselors and clinical supervisors participated in a 2-day training on Motivational Interviewing that was provided by the research team from the University of San Diego. Those clinicians are now participating in ongoing coaching and data collection by recording and scoring client sessions in which MI is utilized. The clients who are involved in the recorded MI sessions will not be identified and remain completely anonymous.
In addition to their training and coaching, the UCSD research team is evaluating the fidelity and effectiveness with which we implement MI with our clients. They are also supporting SAGE’s leadership team as we enhance the agency’s culture for utilizing this evidence-based practice.