OUR STORY
Lisa Scimens
Sarah Mackay Lynch
Founders
The Family Sanity team was founded by two Piedmont, CA moms who have first-hand experience with the challenges and obstacles families face when their child is diagnosed with a mental health issue.
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Founder Lisa Scimens has spent the past 20+ years nurturing, managing, and losing sleep over a child who suffers from Anxiety/Depression and a number of learning differences. In her parent journey, she has dealt with numerous therapists and mental health professionals; special ed directors; an educational consultant; boarding and therapeutic schools.
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Sarah MacKay Lynch, M.A. co-facilitates the Family Sanity Young Adult meetings for parents of complex children aged 18 to 38. She is a certified Parent Coach, former high school teacher and the mother of a 24 year old daughter. From 2018 to 2023, Sarah was also a regular facilitator of Willows in the Winds support groups for parents of teens. While Sarah's coaching draws on a wide range of perspectives, her parenting credo always starts with “connection before correction.” That may sound like a sound bite, but as a parent coach, Sarah understands that it is hard for parents to implement--and that's why she offers her unique support. In addition to being part of the Family Sanity team, Sarah co-facilitates a parent group in Utah at a residential treatment center and has taught the nationally recognized Family Connection Course, at NEABPD, a DBT-based class. Sarah is a member of the International Coaching Federation.
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Priscilla Call Essert, MBA helped to co-found Family Sanity when living on the same block in Piedmont, CA as Lisa Scimens. She has recently served as Executive Director of the Bear Valley Music Festival and before that Executive Director of Vintage House, the senior center in Sonoma County, California.
Priscella Call Essert
Current Leadership
Lisa Scimens continues to be at the helm of Family Sanity. Her personal experience in combination with her non-profit and MediaSavvy leadership, along with her media background are getting Family Sanity firmly established in the San Francisco Bay Area and poised for growth beyond the Bay.
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Scimens spent nearly 20 years as a Producer and Executive Producer at the ABC television station in San Francisco. Over the years she received numerous awards for her programs, including several for “Straight TalknTeens”, a weekly show that discussed hot topics of adolescent life.
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Since her departure from television she founded MediaSavvy, a high-level media relations company that specializes in helping non-profits receive more media exposure and increase their public awareness.
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Scimens has served on many non-profit boards. She was elected president of the Golden Gate chapter of American Women in Radio and Television and PAINTS, Promote Arts in the Schools, Inc., an organization that raises money and supports art in public schools. Under her leadership at PAINTS, she transitioned the organization into a 501c3.
In 2013, Scimens founded Family Sanity. In 2014, she started the first of two monthly Family Sanity parent support groups in Oakland and San Francisco, California, area. The groups are for parents of teens and young adults, and like this website, offer support, insight and resources to parents.
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Scimens lives in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area, is happily married, and is the mother of two grown children. She practices yoga, and enjoys painting and gardening in her spare time.
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Family Sanity is a 501c3. Its Tax I.D. number is 82-3381906.
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