A landscape with a rainbow arching over rolling hills and mountains, with a partly cloudy sky.

The Power of Sagebrush

The Sagebrush plant can be seen in various ways: as a symbol of healing and resilience in Native American culture, a sign of letting go of the old and welcoming the new in New Age spiritual practices, and as a crucial component of the western ecosystem. Its deep roots stabilize the soil, preventing erosion, while providing shelter and food for hundreds of species. It is truly nature's embodiment of community.

Individually, Sagebrush may not seem beautiful with its shaggy appearance and lanky limbs. However, when viewed as a vast landscape of grey, green, and blue hues forming a carpet-like expanse, it commands admiration and praise.

What better example of "recovery" is there? Just as Sagebrush may seem rugged on its own but reveals its true beauty when seen as a collective expanse, we too might appear rough around the edges as we face our daily challenges. Yet, when we come together, find our community, and support and uplift each other, we create something truly beautiful.

Clinical Team

  • A woman with glasses, red hair, and pearl earrings smiling outdoors near green pine tree branches.

    Liz Pierce, MA, LAC, LPC, CCS

    CLINICAL DIRECTOR

  • Clay Markwell, MS, LAC, MAC

  • Christine Giulani, MA, LPC, NCC, CNTP

  • Ron Arner, M.A., M.S., LAC, LPC

  • Jen Arhin, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC

Care Team

  • Monica

    LEAD SUPPORT SPECIALIST
    Garfield County, CO

  • Stephen

    LEAD SUPPORT SPECIALIST
    Park County, CO

  • Savannah

    LEAD SUPPORT SPECIALIST
    Denver, CO

  • Kristy

    CARE TEAM SPECIALIST
    Chaffee County, CO

  • Brandon

    CARE TEAM SPECIALIST
    Garfield County, CO

  • Joseph

    CARE TEAM SPECIALIST
    Denver, CO

Nadia Walker
Community Engagement & Client Relations Manager

Nadia Walker serves as Sagebrush Recovery’s Community Engagement & Client Relations Manager, bringing a strong background in fitness, wellness, and recovery-oriented programming. She previously developed and led a nationally recognized, dance-based group fitness model centered on confidence, connection, and community.

In the behavioral health and recovery space, Nadia has supported program development, peer leadership, and innovative approaches that integrate physical wellness with emotional healing. She has completed peer support training through CHOICES and holds her Qualified Behavioral Health Assistant (QBHA) credential, equipping her with a grounded understanding of recovery systems, client needs, and the importance of meeting individuals where they are.

Nadia is also the creator of a job readiness curriculum recognized by the City of Denver, reflecting her commitment to practical skill-building, empowerment, and long-term stability. She brings strong relational skills, empathy, and a natural ability to create welcoming, inclusive spaces where people feel seen and supported. Nadia is passionate about helping individuals reconnect with themselves, build confidence, and move forward with intention and purpose.

Woman in sunglasses with a hat and life vest paddling a kayak on a river with green trees and hills in the background.

Carrie Pernice
Founder/Executive Director

Carrie brings a deep commitment to ethical, compassionate, and person-centered recovery work to everything she does. Her approach is shaped by lived experience, years of professional leadership, and a clear belief that recovery support should be done with care, integrity, and respect for the whole person.

Born in Vail and raised near Leadville, Carrie’s roots in Colorado’s High Country fostered a strong connection to community, creativity, and social justice. Her personal journey through addiction, loss, and trauma led her to long-term, sustainable recovery and continues to ground her work in empathy, accountability, and hope.

Before founding Sagebrush Recovery, Carrie worked across multiple levels of the behavioral health system, including detox programs, peer coaching organizations, and outpatient treatment settings. She began her work in outpatient care as an intake coordinator and progressed into program leadership, gaining a comprehensive understanding of client experience, operations, and clinical collaboration. Through these roles, she gained firsthand insight into both what helps people heal—and where systems often fall short. These experiences strengthened her resolve to build something different: a recovery organization centered on dignity, transparency, and doing the work the right way.

Carrie is a Certified Peer and Family Specialist and a Qualified Behavioral Health Assistant (QBHA), and is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Social Work at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Her work is guided by a belief in meeting people where they are, honoring all pathways to recovery, and creating spaces where individuals feel truly supported as they build lives rooted in connection and purpose.