“These moving, untold and unheard stories are an important part of our collective history and deserve to be shared and preserved. I am honored to be a part of this talented and committed team to bring the experiences of these women to the screen. I am committed to helping this film reach the widest possible audience to foster awareness and understanding leading to support for families shaped by war.”
Norma Jaeger has spent more than 30 years developing and managing public mental health and substance abuse programs throughout the Northwest. She directed public substance abuse treatment and prevention efforts in the ten counties of northern Idaho. In Portland, OR, she was the administrator for substance abuse treatment and prevention services and Operations Manager for Multnomah County Behavioral Health and in Seattle, WA, as county administrator for substance abuse prevention and treatment services and Director of Treatment and Rehabilitation for the county behavioral health division.
Returning to Idaho in 2000 she served as Manager of Offender Programs for the Idaho Department of Correction. She then became the Idaho Supreme Court’s statewide drug court and mental health court coordinator, providing support to 65 drug and mental health courts, where she continues to provide support to that program. She served three terms on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals. Norma led efforts to establish Idaho’s six veterans’ treatment courts, worked to establish the Idaho Military Legal Alliance, providing free legal assistance to service members and veterans, as well as a founding member of the Joining Forces for Treasure Valley Veterans, a monthly networking organization.
She has served as a consultant to the Department of Justice, American University, the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, and the Center for Court Innovation. She taught on the Graduate Adjunct Faculty of the Department of Criminal Justice at Boise State University for 15 years, and is currently completing a doctoral degree in Public Policy and Administration at Boise State University.
In 2018 she was recognized for her contributions to the development of the nation’s treatment courts with the Stanley M Goldstein Hall of Fame award. In 2014, she was recognized for her work in behavioral health with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Idaho Conference on Alcohol and Drug Dependency. In 2006, the Women’s Center of Boise State University honored her with a “Women Making History” award for her behavioral health, criminal justice, and teaching work.
Norma has recently been engaged in research and providing professional education on the impact of trauma and effective strategies for its healing and recovery. She currently serves as the Executive Director of Recovery Idaho, a statewide recovery advocacy and educational organization.