.png)
ABOUT US
Set Free Indeed Ministry is a life transforming approach to breaking the addiction cycle, addressing mental and emotional wellness and untreated trauma. Our Support Meetings and Programs involve the entire family and loved ones, as this problem has dramatically affected not just the struggling individual, but also everyone in the path of the addiction and or destructive behaviors.
We have support meetings and healing circles that teach proper boundaries and effective approaches to stop the progression and begin the process of recovery and healing.
Because faith often plays a vital role in healing, people experiencing addiction and mental health concerns often turn first to a faith leader. Faith community leaders are gatekeepers or “first responders” when individuals and families face mental health or substance use problems. We believe that faith and evidence based and best practices can function together, and the two shall become one to reduce stigma associated with mental illness and addiction. We promote awareness, prevention, resources, and facilitate access to treatment for those in need.
Our staff and volunteers are mainly trained peers, who share their lived experiences, in order to encourage others that recovery is real and healing is their God given birth right.
The Addiction Outreach Program provides information, support and referrals to individuals and families seeking treatment and recovery services. We work with area providers and service organizations who offer services and support to people in need, including peer support and recovery programs. The integration of services and supports outreach’s, healing spaces and trainings, helps individuals and families who experience substance use and misuse, feel more connected and part of the community recovery resources on their recovery journey.
Faith gives people something to believe in, provides a sense of purpose and typically offers a group of people to connect with over similar beliefs. These facets can have a large positive impact on mental health.
• Initiates social connections with other members
• Creates a sense of belonging to a group
• Offers trustworthy and safe social engagement.
• Helps people to cope with difficult life situations (i.e. the loss of a loved one)
• Provides guidelines to live by (i.e. the importance of making healthy choices)
• Teaches compassion, forgiveness and gratitude
• Identifies life lessons, even from challenging situations
Peer support counseling duties can vary widely, but they are all based on the effectiveness of assistance and support from people with shared life experience who are living in recovery. Peer counselors use their own stories in helping others develop hope and improve their lives. By sharing their own lived experience and practical guidance, peer workers help people to develop their own goals, create strategies for self-empowerment, and take concrete steps towards building fulfilling, self-determined lives for themselves.
They have helped thousands of people experience sobriety and healthy self-sustainable lifestyle, by providing hope and resources so that they can live in free everyday.
ABOUT TONJA AND DARREN
Darren and Tonja Myles are both licensed ordained ministers and serve as as outreach pastors. Darren also owns Myles Plumbing Repair which has been in business for over 25 years. They also own Set Free Addiction Recovery Services, LLC, which provided consulting services and programs implementation for organizations locally and across the country. They have been married for over 29 years.
.png)
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. Louisiana and around the country. This program also enabled ex-offenders to receive transportation, transitional housing, job placement, and life skills.
24 years ago, the couple started a Day of Celebration. It is an event that is held at a local park in the highest crime area in the city. They provide fun activities, food for needy families, counseling for addictions, motivational speakers and gospel music. This event has grown so much that the Governor’s office, the Mayor-President’s office, area businesses and local law enforcement have partnered with Darren and Tonja for this event.
Aging with Dignity was founded in 1996 by Jim Towey when he was legal counsel to Mother Teresa of Calcutta, whom he first met in Calcutta in 1985. During her lifetime she wrote in support of Aging with Dignity and urged Towey to “defend and protect life, the most beautiful gift of God and to bring God’s love and compassion to the elderly poor.”
Tonja has always had the ability as a great leader to bring together people from different walks of life to work towards a singular goal. Tonja started the WHEN YOU ARE READY campaign in which she supervises a team that consists of eight peer support specialists and other staff. Giving back to keep her community Over the past 7 years she has hosted hundreds of healing circles, both in person and virtually. She also founded the NO JUDGEMENT, NO STIGMA campaign with 20 members which is a peer-life movement focused on eradicating stigma around mental health and substance abuse disorder.