Tonja Myles is an ordained minister, community activist, peer counselor, veteran, subject matter expert in mental health, untreated trauma, a faith based approach to substance abuse recovery and sought after counsel for community based and system approaches. She promotes mental health awareness and rehabilitation with sharing her life experiences being in recovery from addictions for over 36 years, suicide survivor, victim of childhood and adult sexual abuse and diagnosis of PTSD. Her story is shared in published books, magazines, documentaries , featured talk show guest and national television series. She is a passionate advocate of humane and ethical treatment of individuals with mental illness, substance abuse, sexual trauma, domestic abuse and those formally, and or incarcerated.
Unlike a clinical counselor, Tonja can openly care her lived experience in recovery while helping others change their lives. She is trained in mental health first aid for both adults and youth. Her role of a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist which is an evidence based best practice approach to treatment and recovery. Her role of peer specialist has emerged from reconnecting substance abuse and mental health treatment to the provision of ongoing supports in recovery. She has moved thousands of people to sobriety and healthy self-sustainable lifestyle, with her resourcefulness, passion and peer support services.
As a result of her long-time work in social services, Tonja has developed an extensive network of community leaders, public officials, law enforcement, and community resources. Tonja was recognized by President George W. Bush, during his 2003 State of the Union speech to the nation. He acknowledged her perseverance and expertise in faith- based recovery, and went on to become the face of the faith-based approach to substance abuse treatment for his administration for 6 years. Tonja has worked on several transitions teams under Governors.
In 2004, Tonja founded Free Indeed, which was the first licensed faith-based outpatient
treatment center in the state of Louisiana. Free Indeed provided intensive outpatient treatment and support recovery services for individual and group therapy. The model was used to open many other faith based treatment center in the state of Louisiana and around the country. This program also enabled ex-offenders to receive transportation, transitional housing, job placement, and life skills through the Access to Recovery grant. Tonja also initiated the Set Free Indeed community support program, which also services those who struggle with addiction and provides support for their families, which was duplicated across the country.
Tonja served in The Louisiana Army National Guard for 9 years as a military police. Her military training and dedication to serve her state and country enhanced her servant leader skills and ability to mobilizes to action quickly is a part of what makes her so successful today.
She continues to used her powerful and passionate voice for advocacy and has testified on Capitol Hill numerous times, in front of Louisiana state leaders, and a highly sort after subject matter expert on mental illness, substance abuse and trauma. Tonja has served on several community boards. In 2016, she served as a social service and mental health advocate on Mayor Sharon Weston Broom’s Transitional team. She currently continues her mission on the boards of The Baton Rouge Crisis Intervention Center and Aging With Dignity. The Mayor’s mental health advisory council, Baton Rouge City Police Chief's Advisory Council, Louisiana Behavioral Health Advisory Council and Louisiana Department of Health/Office of Behavior Health Crisis System Implementation Plan Council.
She is one of the founding members of The Bridge Center of Hope board, which is the first crisis stabilization center in the city of Baton Rouge. She is also trained in some of the country top suicide prevention programs such as ASSIST and Safetalk.
Tonja gets her “hand on the pulse of the community “in her role as a weekly radio talk show host for Cumulus media in Baton Rouge called The Tailgate Show. She discusses topics related to her listeners concerns, with her “real and raw” communication style. Her audience is empowered by resourceful conversations with expert guests, politicians and community leaders. For 7 years she also hosted a TV talk show called "Choices, empowering you to make better choices so you can live a better life". She mentors woman and empowers them on how to walk in their purpose and shares her successes and challenges, so that they too can truly be a change agent in communities. Tonja believes "it is vital to educate and encourage others so that they can do greater works than I have accomplished in my lifetime".
Tonja is a well known local and national speaker. She has spoken on topics related to addiction, trauma, sexual abuse, mental health and suicide in schools, prisons, faith-based conferences, churches and business training's. She is open and honest about her own life experiences in these areas and her path from victim to survivor. Tonja’s message is that with proper treatment, family, friends support, faith and self-care together it can equal to living a productive life. Her goal is to reduce stigma and bring hope that recovery is real. Tonja has a list of accomplishments, including her 2023 book "From the Crack House to the White House" and a host of awards. She says that her greatest accomplishment is being married to her husband Darren, of twenty-eight years.
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
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DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INC COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD 1999
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BUSINESS REPORT TOP 40 UNDER 40, 2001 HONOREE
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VOLUNTEER BATON ROUGE: WHERE SERVICE MATTERS AWARD 2003
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SPECIAL GUEST RECOGNIZED BY PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH DURING HIS 2003 STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS FOR HER “AMAZING WORK IN HELPING PEOPLE WITH ADDICTIONS.”
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WAFB WHERE SERVICE MATTERS 2003 HONOREE
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THE DAILY POINTS OF LIGHT AWARD IN 2004
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THE LOUISIANA STATE PENITENTIARY MUSEUM FOUNDATION VOLUNTEERS FOR JUSTICE AWARD 2005
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JOHNS HOPKINS SUBSTANCE ABUSE INNOVATORS AWARD 2005
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LOUISIANA HALL OF FAME’S VOLUNTEER FOR JUSTICE AWARD 2005
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THE PRESIDENT’S CALL TO SERVICE LIFETIME VOLUNTEER AWARD (75,000 HOURS)
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THE BUTTERY SOCIETY: BUTTERFLY AWARD FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 2018
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CENTER FOR WOMEN VETERANS 2019 TRAILBLAZERS AWARD
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BLACK BALL ROUGE 28 HONOREE 2019
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YWCA GREATER BATON ROUGE SOCIAL JUSTICE
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2022 NAACP BR CHAPTER COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AWARD
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2023 AUTHOR OF "FROM THE CRACK HOUSE TO THE WHITE HOUSE”
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STAR, SEXUAL TRAMA AWARENESS & RESPONCE, CHAMPION OF CHANGE 2023
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C.H.A.N.G.E. AVOCACY AWARD FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES 2023
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EAST BATON ROUGE DISTRICT ATTORNEY COMMUNITY CHAMPION 2023
"AS A PRE-MATURE BABY I CAME OUT OF MY MOM'S WOMB FIGHTING. MY DAD WHO WAS A VIETNAM VETERAN TRAINED ME TO FIGHT WHILE WOUNDED. AND MY MILITARY TRAINING TOOK FIGHTING TO WIN TO A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL."
