Staff and Program Partners

Keiko Ratcliffe is the Founder, President and CEO of Skye’s the Limit Foundation.   She founded Skye's the Limit Foundation in 2019 after her daughter died of a trauma-related overdose in 2014.  Keiko has been resilient in turning her grief as a bereaved parent into a life-long mission to educate and bring attention to trauma, substance misuse and to assist others in building empowered lives.   "Our Story" is a page on our website where you can learn more about the inspiration behind the founding of Skye's the Limit Foundation.   

Keiko has Bachelor’s of Science in Art Education with an emphasis on community engagement.  She has received certifications as a Trauma Support Specialist and a Trauma and Resilience Life Coach both from the Trauma Institute International.  Keiko continues her education through various trauma and resilience trainings, art, kayaking and safety workshops, and engages in various community coalitions on mental health, substance abuse and the arts.  Her firm belief is that it takes a village to raise a child and she is continually seeking partnerships and collaborations because she knows that it takes all of us together to raise and build empowered lives, families and communities.  

Keiko is currently developing Skye's the Limit Foundation's Resilient Youth & Trauma Informed Community Program utilizing a combination of substance abuse prevention strategies and trauma Informed arts and resilience engagement methods which mirrors the spirit of Skye's life, love, passions, and hope - the spirit of grabbing onto life and smiling, sharing and bringing about the best within us all - the spirit of empowerment and resilience.  Programming addresses mental health, building resilience and empowerment through:  creative and mindful explorations, the arts, kayaking and the arts, trauma and substance overdose education, internship and leadership development.  

Keiko has a vision of establishing S.K.Y.E. * L.I.F.E Creative Engagement & Empowerment Center aimed to provide a place for those Seeking Knowledge through Youth Engagement projects and programs for the purpose of Living In Full Empowerment.  The idea for the center is intended to honor Skye's legacy by providing a place where youth and young adults can come and not feel alone, have hope, build leadership skills, build peer support, and receive mental health resources for their overall wellbeing.   

"My daughter Skye, 03/07/1995 – 09/30/2014,  faced incredible challenges with trauma.  She died of an overdose at the age of 19 in 2014. Awareness on trauma informed care/response/approach was not readily available for her or myself at the time.  I strongly believe that it's important and life-saving to understand trauma and how to live life and respond with an intentional, trauma-informed and empowered mindset.  An integrated, trauma-informed approach for substance abuse and suicide prevention programming through arts engagement, kayaking outings and trauma education are a few ways in which we can build peer support, resiliency and empower our minds." - Keiko Ratcliffe

Substance Use Overdose Prevention & Arts Engagement Specialist, Skye's the Limit Foundation

Skye’s the Limit’s provides an after school program filled with trauma-responsive art activities that help prevent substance use overdose.  

Kara Jean Brei, MC, NCC, CPSS, founder of ALT Mental Health  

Program Partner

Kara Jean has an undergraduate degree in Interdisciplinary and Performance Art, as well as a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from Northern Arizona University.  Kara Jean provides mental health education at Asylum Advocates that specializes in developmental trauma, substance, misuse, and relationships.  She brings this knowledge with her into the Skye’s the Limit after school program.  Some of the activities that will be engaged during this after school program include painting, puppet making, multi-media arts, collage, sculpture, mindful music, and psychodrama.  Students engaged in this program will learn that art is a modality that leads to mindfulness, improved self-concept, and heightened self-esteem.  Emphasis on connection, culture, and relationship will create bonds that enhance trauma-resilience and reduce the likelihood of substance use disorder and substance-related overdose deaths.  

Program Partner

The substance misuse prevention team at ALT Mental Health has partnered with Skye’s the Limit Foundation to prepare harm reduction programming around fentanyl and fentanyl-laced drug use.  This program will include a comprehensive training on the facts around fentanyl, various harm reduction approaches that reduce danger for fentanyl users, a Narcan administration training, and education on stigma and how to combat it in communities.  This program will provide training to local organizations that serve people who use substances.  After this training, an individual will understand how to implement harm reduction practices in their organization, and be a distributor of harm reduction materials in the community.  These materials include Narcan nasal spray for overdose reversal, fentanyl test strips to detect lacing, condoms, and resources for obtaining clean needles. 

It Takes a Village Grant program partners:  Trauma Informed Substance Abuse and Primary Prevention Grant:

Neighborhood Ministries, Phoenix invited Skye's the Limit Foundations to develop, direct and implement the Trauma Informed Arts and Resilience Engagement Program through the Trauma Informed Substance Abuse and Primary Prevention grant program with the Arizona Governor's Office of Youth, Faith and Family.  

Arizona Trauma Institute provides various trainings through a partnership with Skye's the Limit Foundation on Trauma Informed Care as well as various certificate programs.  Dr. Rhoton, CEO of the Arizona Trauma Institute educates about the Salutongenic approach to building resiliency and in supporting others.  

ACEs Consortium, in partnership with Skye's the Limit Foundation, builds trainers to educate about adverse childhood experiences to the general public, schools, and with various organizations servicing youth and families. 

Arizona Recovers, in partnership with Skye's the Limit Foundation, provides a trauma informed care course specifically for teens. 

Ser-Kallai and Skye's the Limi Foundation has partnered to provide social-emotional resources and education through cognitive and emotional development, physical and spiritual wellness, and mental health. 

Asylum Advocates aka Asyluma.org Asylum Advocates centers its recovery model firmly in harm reduction to reduce the stigma around getting treatment and improve outcomes.   Skye's the Limit Foundation has partnered with Asylum Advocates in providing overdose prevention strategies through their Harm Reduction trainings.