Our Origin Story
Why lived experience became the foundation of everything we do.
My name is Ross Miller. I founded SafeSide Recovery in 2019 with my dad, Rob Miller. For us, this work is deeply personal. In 2011, I became addicted to prescription opioids, and quickly my life spiraled out of control.
Like many families, we turned to the conventional addiction treatment system for help and found ourselves lost in a maze of disconnected programs and short-term fixes. My family did everything they could to help me, but what we saw was a system that often treated people as numbers, not as human beings.
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Through that experience, we discovered a type of support that had been missing: peer support. The voices of people who had lived through addiction themselves and could walk beside others through the process were missing in many agencies. That’s where the idea for SafeSide came from: a belief that people with lived experience could help others recover in a more real and lasting way.
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When we started SafeSide, we didn’t have offices or big investor funding. We just had passion and a mission. We first started by sending peer coaches (certified Peer Support Specialists with lived experience) into homeless shelters, food banks, and treatment centers. Our job was to listen, support, and help connect people to housing and recovery resources.
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Over time, the impact of that approach became clear. People trusted us because we spoke their language. We weren’t preaching from a podium… we’ve walked the same road. Many of the people we met were trapped in cycles of homelessness and addiction. But when they had someone to believe in them and hold them accountable, they started to believe in themselves too.
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As SafeSide grew, so did our vision. We realized that long-term recovery required more than just encouragement, it required stability. So we began developing a model that integrated housing, peer support, clinical services, and life skills into one continuum of care.
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Today, we operate two sober living homes in Denver, where residents participate in structured recovery and life-skills programming. Our approach focuses not just on sobriety, but on rebuilding confidence through real-world achievements: getting a job, reconnecting with family, earning a driver’s license, or starting school. Watching residents hit these milestones reminds me daily of why we started this work.
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In 2024, SafeSide took a major step forward when we were chosen by the City of Pueblo to operate The Pueblo Shelter, the only city-run homeless shelter in Pueblo, Colorado. Taking on that responsibility has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. We’ve restructured the shelter into a place where people are not just given a bed, but are provided all the necessary onsite resources to regain their independence. Our team provides housing advocacy, case management, daily life-skills programming, pop-up primary healthcare clinics from local providers, clinical mental healthcare, peer-led recovery support, and other essential services to hundreds of residents and outreach clients every month.
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For many of the people we serve, this is the first time they’ve ever felt safe enough to start thinking about change. We help them apply for IDs, food assistance, jobs, and housing. We connect them with recovery programs, medical care, and mental health support. And, most importantly, we treat them as human beings, with respect and compassion.
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What started as our family’s journey has grown into a statewide mission. SafeSide now employs over a dozen peer specialists who have all overcome addiction themselves. They are the heart of everything we do. Their lived experience gives them the ability to reach people in ways that clinical systems often can’t.
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Our programs have evolved to meet people at every stage of recovery; from street outreach and shelter to sober living and employment. But our purpose has never changed… to help people rebuild their lives with dignity, structure, and community.
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Looking back, I see SafeSide as the product of both my greatest struggle and my greatest blessing. Recovery gave me a second chance at life, and SafeSide has given me the opportunity to help others find theirs. My dad and I started this work because we believed things could be done better, and every day, we’re proving they can.
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At SafeSide, we believe recovery isn’t just about stopping substance use, it’s about rediscovering purpose. Whether it’s someone finding a job, reuniting with their kids, or simply sleeping in a safe bed for the first time in years, every success matters. That’s what keeps me going.