I wasn't given healthy traditions. I was given cycles to break. I chose recovery, healing over survival, and created a legacy where hope is passed down instead of hurt.
Amber Marie Grimes · In Her Own Words
Her Story
About Amber
Amber Grimes is a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist and Adult Peer Support Specialist with roughly five and a half years of experience serving individuals affected by substance use disorders and serious mental illness. Currently working as an Adult Peer Support Specialist with a provider in the Hopkinsville, Kentucky area, as she serves clients in personal care homes, many of whom live with physical and/or mental disabilities. In this role, she provides transportation, facilitates daily group sessions for up to a dozen participants at a time, and offers hands-on emotional, mental, and physical support—all while helping clients build the coping strategies, hygiene habits, and community-integration skills needed for day-to-day independence. Her career path has taken her through several respected organizations in the behavioral health space, including Cumberland Heights in Nashville, where she worked with both women and adolescents through programs like ARCH Academy, and Centerstone, where she supported clients in medication-assisted treatment and recovery court programs as a Peer Wellness Coach. Across these roles, she has consistently focused on helping people rebuild their sense of identity, navigate available resources, and strengthen the communication skills that support lasting recovery. Her approach centers on walking alongside clients rather than ahead of them, offering support only where and when it's welcomed. What sets Grimes apart is that her professional work is deeply rooted in her own recovery journey of more than five and a half years, during which a peer's compassion taught her how to love herself and inspired her to break generational cycles of struggle. She stays connected to the field through CPRS-affiliated training and conferences, as well as active participation in 12-Step (N.A/A.A) communities. In recognition of her contributions to the field, she has been selected for feature by Influential Women representing Tennessee for 2026. Guided by service, compassion, and a refusal to let fear dictate her path, Grimes continues to extend the same support that once changed her own life to the clients and communities she now serves.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Amber
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my ongoing recovery, the sustained peer support I've received along the way, and my commitment to continual learning. More than anything, I credit my willingness to keep pushing past fear in order to choose a different path for my life. Having someone love me enough to teach me how to love myself made all the difference, and that same drive to break generational patterns keeps me challenging myself every day.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I've ever received is not to let fear be what keeps me from growing and to remember “Progress Over perfection”. I ask myself “is this God’s will or is this my will?”
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell young women entering this field not to let fear or self-doubt hold them back. The only thing that truly limits us is what we're willing to do to make change happen. Build genuine peer connections, pursue training and education, and be willing to put in the hard work of healing—both for yourself and for those you'll go on to support.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Some of the biggest challenges in my field include resources for peer support roles, heavy caseloads, ongoing stigma, and systemic barriers that make it harder for clients to access the help they need long-term. At the same time, I see real opportunity in expanding peer-led programs, growing community education efforts, and building larger community-based initiatives that support long-term recovery.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Service to others is at the core of everything I do, alongside a deep commitment to my own self-care and recovery. I also place high value on spiritual connection, healthy communication, and education—both continuing to learn myself and helping others learn along their own journeys. Empathy and compassion guide how I show up for the people I support.
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