Crosswinds Recovery founder transforms lives in Missoula

MISSOULA, Mont. – At Crosswinds Recovery in Missoula, the path to sobriety is both clinical and deeply personal. The clinic, led by founder Stephen Ferguson, is making a significant impact on the lives of former addicts.

Ferguson, who turned a 20-year prison sentence into a mission to help others, shared his journey. "Truth be told, I got out and I still struggled for that first year," Ferguson said. "I got out in February of 2015. I didn't get sober until February of 2016. I was just looking around at my environment and saying, you know, I'm worth more than this."

Crosswinds Recovery offers both residential and outpatient services, assisting hundreds of people each year. Many staff members are former clients, hired for their lived experience, which is central to the clinic's mission. The goal is to build trust through shared understanding and demonstrate that recovery is achievable.

Danielle Garrett, a peer support member at Crosswinds Recovery, emphasized the strength found in recovery. "I live off of that old Japanese philosophy of broken pottery," Garrett said. "When a piece of pottery gets broken, they don't just throw it away, they reinforce it and it's stronger than it was when it broke. So they use like gold and silver, different metals to piece it back together…And recovery is that gold and silver."

Both Ferguson and Garrett believe that recovery is an ongoing process. They stress that with support, honesty, and community, it can become stronger over time.