“If we want to FEEL BETTER; the only way I know how is to get BETTER at FEELING.”
-Michael Franklin, Companion & Founder
What Is Journey Home?
Embarking on a mission to empower community members, Journey Home Support Services is a beacon of hope and support. Our commitment goes beyond traditional approaches – we are a peer-led organization that collaborates with the communities we serve. At the heart of our mission is the cultivation of connection, the incorporation of compassionate practice, and the development of lasting, thriving relationships centered around wellness, support for conscious living and dying, and assistance with recovery practices.
Our goal is to grow the capacity for healing and care from within the communities in which we serve, and to establish these practices as a way forward in a sustained and equitable manner, being of service to all.
Our Methods
Peer-Led Empowerment
Journey Home operates on the principle that those who have experienced similar journeys are best equipped to offer support. Our peer-led initiatives empower community members through shared experiences, fostering understanding and a sense of solidarity. By harnessing the strength within our own community, we strive to create a supportive network that uplifts and empowers each individual.
Cultivating Connection
We believe in the power of connection as a catalyst for healing. Through educational programs and advocacy, we work to strengthen the bonds within communities. Whether it’s facilitating workshops, hosting awareness campaigns, or providing resources, Journey Home is dedicated to creating spaces where individuals can connect, share, and find common ground.
Compassionate Practice
At the core of our philosophy is the incorporation of compassionate practices. We understand that each individual’s journey is unique, and our companioned support embraces empathy, kindness, and non-judgmental understanding. By weaving compassion into our interactions, we aim to create a nurturing environment where healing can take root and flourish.
Sustainable & Equitable Practices
Our goal extends beyond immediate support – we aim to grow the capacity for healing and care within the communities we serve. By establishing sustainable and equitable practices, we aspire to create a lasting impact. Journey Home envisions these practices becoming an integral part of community life, offering continuous service to all, irrespective of background or circumstance.
Who We Are
Michael Franklin
Founder/Peer Support/Death Midwife
Michael is a dynamic human with many gifts to share. He serves the community in a myriad of ways and you will often find him deep in conversation anywhere you see him, connecting to those around him in need of support.
He is a Peer Support Specialist -Certified Recovery Mentor that has worked within Substance Use Treatment programs and Harm Reduction. He is a trained Death Midwife (by Sacred Crossings) and has a long history of supporting people and families through death and dying, including unexpected deaths with suicide and overdose. Michael trained with many teachers in grief support and group facilitation, including WinterSpring in southern Oregon.
Michael provides wellness coaching and education through meditation, breath-work and mindfulness. Having earned multiple levels of Meditation Teacher certifications through Yogamu, Kevin Ellerton School of Meditation, and many years of “on-the-cushion” practice. Michael has introduced meditation classes as a form of fitness support to Club Northwest, a premier fitness club in Grants Pass, Oregon, where he leads classes and workshops.
Founder of Journey Home Meditation, and later Journey Home Support Services, Michael is ever present in the facilitation of groups, individual sessions, and supporting harm reduction in the Journey Home space.
Angela is a Death Midwife with a passion for end of life support, home funerals, grief support, and advance care planning. She volunteers her time to help community members understand what is needed to maintain sovereignty at the end of their lives, with advance directives and facilitated conversations with family and decision-makers.
Angela offers education, resources and support to those living with life-limiting illnesses and their support systems. She helps people plan ahead for their after-death care, including funerals, ceremony, and final disposition (burials, cremation, aquamation, natural organic reduction, etc). She provides workshops and mentoring for those interested in end of life support and community-based deathcare.
Hannah Sauchyn is from Regina, SK, Canada where she completed a BA. She has lived in the Illinois Valley, Oregon for 9 years. She believes in being of service, and empowering people, at the community level.
Hannah has long been interested in mental health, and what enables people to make positive change. Hannah became a Certified Consulting Hypnotist in spring 2023. She is a Peer Support Specialist – completing her Certified Recovery Mentor certification in November 2023.
Hannah leads groups focused on using hypnosis/trance and nervous system techniques to address experiences like anxiety, habit change and recovery.
Kimberly Berns is a clinical herbalist and Peer Support Specialist -Certified Recovery Mentor who is passionate about helping people navigate recovery. She has 10 years experience working with herbal medicine and loves to educate people about natural healing modalities to empower them to heal themselves.
Working with the non-profit Rogue Herbalism she has helped distribute herbal medicine to the underserved communities of southern Oregon. Rogue Herbalism employed herbal medicine as a means of harm reduction, aiming to improve the health, vitality and safety of those they worked with.
Kayla has a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and is in school currently to obtain the psychedelic facilitator license by summer 2024. Kayla has interests in non-ordinary states of consciousness which includes breathwork, meditation, and psychedelic experiences.
She wants to work by taking the steps to help people integrate what they have learned from their own experiences into their daily lives. But also focus on how coming together and how sharing these experiences can help our community as a whole. She also feels a calling to help the elderly community with finding connections and diving deeper into their own personal healing journeys and facing any anxiety or aversion to the death and dying process.
Kayla has lived in the Illinois Valley for 8 years, and has found a sense of home from all the love and people in this community.
Sharon Rose is amazing and bio coming soon! She is a Peer Support Specialist -Certified Recovery Mentor.
Angie Graves
Companion/Community Health Worker
Angie is a longtime resident of the Illinois Valley. She is a certified Community Health Worker who has returned to school to pursue an Associate of Arts degree with a focus on Community Sustainability. Angie has previously worked in victim’s services, facilitating a women’s support group for overcoming childhood abuse.
Being differently abled has stirred her focus for setting up places of support in the community to help people navigate and focus on ability. Advocating for better mental and physical health access in Southern Oregon is one of her passions.
Ryan “Onion” Hartman is a firefighter, state-licensed Emergency Medical Technician, and certified Mental Health Peer Support Specialist with two decades of experience in serving his community.
He has lived in many places, but has called Southern Oregon his home for five and a half years, with no plans to move anywhere any time soon. In his spare time he enjoys reading, writing, going on long walks with his dog Radish, watching sports (don’t tell anyone), and building community.
Anna is a versatile individual with a passion for creating meaningful connections through digital platforms. As a website developer, she specializes in crafting engaging and functional websites – like Journey Home’s. Her commitment to community building is at the core of her work, where she dedicates her skills to support various organizations by building online spaces that foster connection and collaboration.
Beyond the digital realm, Anna is a multi-disciplined artist, exploring creativity across different mediums. Her journey is a fusion of technology, community, and artistic expression, driven by the belief that impactful experiences can be created through thoughtful design and genuine connections.
