Who We Are
Brian W. Sims, CRPS-V, VSR, CEI
Army Infantry Veteran & Emergency Manager
Brian Sims is a person in long term recovery from Substance Misuse, MST, and Co-Occurring Disorders acquired while serving his country during the campaigns and operations in support of the Global War on Terrorism as a US Army Infantryman. He is also a suicide attempt (2015) and street-level homelessness survivor.
Mr. Sims has held Director Level positions and Board Seats in multiple Veteran focused non-profits, establishing programs and training for over 30,000 volunteers. He is also a FEMA certified Emergency Management Professional and has deployed at the request of the US Government to work with State and Local governments to rescue citizens and save lives and property over a dozen times, including during the Global COVID Pandemic.
In 2016, he established and implemented a similar Veteran Recovery program for Fellowship RCO in Broward, County, FL, becoming a main contact and consultant for multiple Broward County Law Enforcement agencies for Veteran Crisis Intervention and training.
He is a Certified Recovery Peer Specialist (Veteran) for the Florida Certification Board, a Veteran Supported Recovery Professional Peer for the New York State Certification Board, and a NAADAC Certified Event Interventionist. He also holds training certifications for dozens of accredited courses, including ASIST, WRAP, Mental Health First Aid, CASAT First Responder trainings, PsychArmor, IAFF Peer Trainings, Trauma-Informed Recovery Coaching and more. Brian is also the Service Officer for American Legion Post 19 in Orlando, FL.
Current Boards & Committees:
Chair - Peer Based Services, FL DCF Recovery Oriented System of Care (ROSC) Southern Region
Member - Southeast Florida First Responder Support Coalition
Member - Florida RCO Toolkit Development Working Group
email: Brian@ProjectRebirth.us
Emil Caron, CRPS-V
US Navy Veteran - Central Florida
Emil Caron is a person in long-term recovery from substance use and mental health challenges. He began his recovery journey in 2017. Upon entering treatment through the drug court program in 2019, Emil acquired the tools he needed for long-term success. Emil is a U.S Navy veteran who has experienced housing displacement and criminal justice involvement. All these experiences have added value to his role as a Certified Recovery Peer Specialist (CRPS). Emil is a seasoned peer recovery specialist who lives by recovery principles and thrives in an environment where he can help others. Although his home is in Orange City, Florida, peer support has taken him throughout the state. Emil is grateful to be a part of the family at Recovery Connections of Central Florida. In his free time, Emil enjoys gardening, raising chickens, and cooking with his lady.
email: emilc@rccfhelp.org
Stephon A. Moore
US Navy Veteran - Tampa Bay Area
Stephon A. Moore was born in Manhattan, New York in October of 1991. Both parents are from the Caribbean Island of Barbados. He is married and has two children. He is a U.S Navy Veteran who joined the military as a Hospital Corpsman from Tampa, Florida in 2012 and was discharged in 2020.
Now he is currently he is working at Bay Pine Veterans Affairs Health Care System, St. Petersburg Florida as a work supervisor in sterile processing technician. He is a peer specialist for Recovery Epicenter Foundation in Clearwater, Florida.
Through his time in the service, dealing with substance abuse personally and seeing firsthand the ordeals of those who served in the military and how they don’t receive the outreach that is required drove him to his passion for peer support outreach. He has wants to be of service for all people who suffer from dependency of any kind and has a complete resolve to helping those who want or need help and meet them at their need.
John B. Floyd III, BSW
US Marine Corps Veteran - Broward County, FL
John B. Floyd III, Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Florida Atlantic graduate. From 2005 to 2010, Floyd served in the United States Marine Corps as a meteorological and oceanographic observer. Floyd learned the Corp's core values of honor, courage, and commitment throughout his enlistment. After various deployments to Iraq, Kuwait, Germany, Ireland, Spain, and Greece, Floyd received an honorable discharge from the military and returned to civilian life.
John currently works for South Florida Wellness Network in Broward County, FL as a Family Support partner in the Broward Federation of Families.
Shalliea Mitchell
US Army Veteran - Volusia County, FL
Shalliea Mitchell is a US Army Veteran who enlisted in 2011. She deployed to Afghanistan for a year during Operation Enduring Freedom. She is a person in recovery from substance misuse and co occurring mental health disorders. She is also a survivor of suicide attempts, as well as military sexual trauma and domestic violence. Her journey in recovery began when she was diagnosed with a mental health condition that lead to her honorable discharge from the military in 2018.
She is now a Peer Support Specialist for the Volusia Recovery Alliance in Ormond Beach, FL. She is passionate about helping family members who have loved ones struggling with substance use disorders. Shalliea is determined to make a positive impact in her community by leading a family outreach support group called an Invitation to Change.
Koda Sanders, CPFS
US Air Force - Colorado Springs, CO
Koda Sanders is a certified Peer Recovery Coach with the Justice team, at Springs Recovery Connection. She suffers from PTSD that was gained from deployments in the military. In 2018 when separated from the military, she fell into a life of addiction and crime, never thinking she would be someone that suffered from the disease of addiction. “It happened so fast, and I felt like I was going at warp speed with little to no control over it, down a deep dark rabbit hole. It consumed me and changed me into a shadow version of my former self.” In 2019 Koda got arrested for possession and by the end of 2020, OD’d in the bathroom of a trap house. The very next day she took herself to peak view detox, where she spent 7 days and has been clean and sober ever since.
Koda is originally from Pennsylvania then moved to Colorado for the Air Force in 2011 as an 11-year Veteran of the military. As well as having been to 10 different countries and over 30 states. Getting clean and sober not only saved her and her 2 puppies' lives, but now she is blessed with a gift of understanding, knowledge, and drive, to help others get to the other side of addiction. This has all assisted her with the ability to graduate veteran’s trauma court at El Paso county courts, completed PRCA courses, became a sponsor, and is currently a sober house manager at Next chapter Transitional women’s houses.
Adam Holt, MSW
US Army Veteran - Hays County, TX
Adam Holt is a former US Army Officer in Long Term Recovery, and the Founder and Executive Director of Outsiders Anonymous in Texas.
Jeff West, CPS-AD
US Marine Corps Veteran - Athens, GA
My name is Jeff West, a person in long-term recovery who struggled with addiction and weight gain. As a Marine combat veteran battling PTSD and depression, I found it challenging to address my unhealthy habits. During rehab, I started walking daily, gradually swapping bad habits for healthier ones like cutting sugar and eating better. Over 4 years, I've shed 200 pounds, making fitness and art integral to my recovery journey. My dream was to create something impactful in Athens, where my recovery began, leading to the birth of Recovery Warriors—a non-profit uniting recovery and fitness. I'm grateful for my experiences, as they've brought me here, thanks to Athens and the potential of Recovery Warriors.
Garret B. Biss, CRPC, MRED
US Marine Corps (RET) - NC/Nationwide
A Certified Professional Recovery Coach, RIM® Practitioner, and Human Potential Trainer. Garret’s own journey from the Marines to finding joy, purpose, and confidence makes him uniquely positioned to guide fellow veterans. Through ValiantPath, he’s committed to helping you transform challenges into strengths, paving the way for a fulfilling future.
Book as session with Garret: https://calendly.com/garretbiss
PLUS OVER 150 MORE CERTIFIED PEER SPECIALISTS IN OUR AFFILIATE RCOs ARE SPECIALLY TRAINED AND READY TO WORK WITH OUR VETERANS & FIRST RESPONDERS.
OUR NETWORK IS NATIONWIDE!