Dr. Cacciatore may be at the Selah Carefarm at various times. However, she’s a full-time professor with ASU and is often in research meetings, analyzing data, grading papers, meeting with students, or taking some too- rare ‘down time’ when she can find it, and the few clients she sees are booked well in advance. She’s also regularly out of town for speaking engagements. If you do see her, feel free to say hello or wave! Our counselors and staff are highly trained and follow Dr. Cacciatore’s model. We are confident you will find the compassionate support you need from our staff and counselors during your stay. Although Dr. Cacciatore would love to visit with each attendee and honor your loved one with an open heart, please understand that she may not be available during your stay due to her ongoing commitments throughout the year. Thank you so much for understanding.

While we would like to be able to help everyone who is grieving, sadly we lack the available resources in land space, housing, counselors, and finances. Our primary focus, thus, is for those who have lost a child at any age and from any cause or those who have lost a primary family member (spouse/partner, sibling, grandchild, parent) to homicide, suicide, Covid-19 or prolonged illness, or other untimely death at an unexpected age. We hope one day a carefarm that uses our model will have the resources to provide aid to anyone who has lost a loved one.

For our group and individual programs, the check-in time is between 3-5 pm. Dinner will be served at 5pm on the first evening, followed by a group introduction and meeting at 6pm. If you will arrive late, please contact us to let us know so we can plan accordingly.

For personal grief visits, the check-in time is between 3-5 pm. No meals will be prepared but you are welcome to prepare your own meal or leave the carefarm during your stay.

If you’d like to spend more time with the animals than scheduled in your program or private schedule, please let one of the counselors know. Chores take place in the morning and evening, and we can get you started with one of our farm hands to help care for the animals during your stay.

For personal grief visits, the check-in time is between 3-5 pm. No meals will be prepared but you are welcome to prepare your own meal or leave the carefarm during your stay.

Check-out times on the day of departure are at 11am. This allows our staff to prepare the rooms for our next guests. We ask that the morning before you depart, you wash all sheets and towels, then remake your bed before departure. If you have an early morning departure and are limited on time, please put your laundry in the washer and start it. Then let a staff person know so they can ensure it is dried and returned to the room.

For personal grief visits, the check-in time is between 3-5 pm. No meals will be prepared but you are welcome to prepare your own meal or leave the carefarm during your stay.

We do allow for extended stays in Andy’s Sanctuary. Please let the Family Services Coordinator know you would like to arrive early or stay longer. If there is space available in the house, the coordinator can extend your stay.

Yes, this is a great option for those who wish to bring an animal or other family members (especially children) with them who will not be participating in the programs. We just ask that you plan to attend the full scheduled program and recommend additional time after the structured schedule to connect with other grievers staying in the house.

No. We love animals but for the safety of all humans and animals, we cannot allow grievers to bring pets with them. Our large guardian dogs are not friendly to new animals. Staying offsite in a nearby AirBnB that allows pets may be a great option. If you would like help finding one, please let us know and our staff may be able to help.

No, this is not permitted. Our core spiritual principle is Ahimsa, the practice of non-violence to all living beings. We love our grievers and our animals alike, so we ask that you strictly adhere to our guidelines and read your food labels if you bring anything onto the carefarm. If we find non vegan food in the pantry or refrigerator, it will be discarded.

Yes. We ask for your full participation during the scheduled program or appointments, but you are free to come and go as you wish. There are several recommended restaurants, hikes, and activities around our local area and our staff can help you decide which is right for you.

We aim to maintain a clean and eco-friendly environment on the carefarm. Therefore, we do not permit smoking onsite. However, you are free to leave the carefarm as needed. As a reminder, we do not allow alcohol or non-prescription drugs onsite either. We find that is most helpful to allowing grievers to inhabit their grief through fully accessing their feelings.

We often have program participants who bring a spouse or other family member to participate. However, there may be limited space for a larger number of participants during a scheduled program. If you would like to schedule a private group program with four or more members and there is not availability on our current schedule, please talk with our Family Services Coordinator about scheduling a private group program.

Because of our open waterways and animals, we can only allow children over 7 visit the carefarm for their safety. We also realize that some grievers may be sensitive around children, therefore we do offer family week programs and personal grief or day visits that can include children between 8 – 17 years of age.

We are a non-profit organization that depends on donations and sponsorships to help maintain our carefarm, care for our animals, keep costs affordable for grievers, and provide scholarships to grievers who need financial support to participate. Therefore, if you feel moved to donate or create a sponsored memorial, we would be grateful for your generosity. You can donate directly on our website homepage through the link provided here. If you wish to create a sponsorship, you can contact our Executive Director, Kelli Montgomery, to determine what opportunities are available.

We have a Compassionate Bereavement Care (CBC) provider training program where we train medical and mental health professionals from around the world. If you are looking for a trained grief-sensitive counselor near you, please visit our CBC Provider Directory. If there is not one in your area, you may widen your search and find someone in your state that will work remotely with you. We also offer online support groups that many who have been to the carefarm attend.

Our HOPE Mentor program is a group of bereaved parents and family members who are further along in their grief journey and wish to help new grievers navigate their grief. If you are interested in a mentor, please contact our Executive Director, Kelli Montgomery, kelli.montgomery@missfoundation.org. It will be helpful to share a few details about your own story that may be important in matching you with a mentor who may share similarities with their own story.

Yes, many participants want to go home with merchandise after spending several days with us. Currently, we do have t-shirts, tumblers, hats, calendars, workbooks, and books available for purchase onsite. This will save on shipping costs if you prefer to pick it up in person rather than online.

Dr. Cacciatore may be at the Selah Carefarm at various times. However, she’s a full-time professor with ASU and is often in research meetings, analyzing data, grading papers, meeting with students, or taking some too- rare ‘down time’ when she can find it, and the few clients she sees are booked well in advance. She’s also regularly out of town for speaking engagements. If you do see her, feel free to say hello or wave! Our counselors and staff are highly trained  and follow Dr. Cacciatore’s model. We are confident you will find the compassionate support you need from our staff and counselors during your stay. Although Dr. Cacciatore would love to visit with each attendee and honor your loved one with an open heart, please understand that she may not be available during your stay due to her ongoing commitments throughout the year. Thank you so much for understanding.