How Cameo Jones Is Helping People Build Lasting Recovery Through LIV Recovery Sober Living
St. Louis, Missouri - September 29, 2026.
How Cameo Jones Is Helping People Build Lasting Recovery Through LIV Recovery Sober Living
For many individuals recovering from substance use disorder, completing treatment is an important milestone, but it's only one step in the recovery process. Without stable housing, a supportive community, and continued accountability, sustaining long-term recovery can become significantly more difficult.
It's this challenge that led Cameo and Derrick Jones to found LIV Recovery Sober Living. Their motivation was deeply personal. Both had lost family members to substance use disorder. Their decision to found LIV was also shaped by what they witnessed firsthand while working in healthcare. Individuals completed treatment only to return to the hospital weeks later because they lacked the housing and support needed to sustain what they had learned.
"We always said, 'You can't stay healthy in the place where you got sick,'" Cameo said.
Determined to become part of the solution, the couple opened their first recovery home in St. Charles County. They had no grants, no outside investors, and few resources to draw from. Still, they opened their doors, determined to provide the support they believed was missing after treatment.
Cameo recalls one of the first residents they served was a homeless woman living in her car. The house wasn't even fully prepared—there wasn't electricity yet—but they welcomed her anyway, making a pallet on the floor so she would have somewhere safe to sleep. Today, she has eight years of sobriety.
What began as a single recovery house has grown into six locations serving communities throughout the St. Louis region, along with outpatient services, Missouri's first respite program, and nationally recognized CARF accreditation. Yet for Cameo, growth has never been the goal. Every expansion has been driven by the same mission that inspired LIV from the beginning: creating intentional recovery programs tailored to the unique needs of each community.
"We didn’t want to build just a house. We wanted to build a community," she said.
The journey, however, has required tremendous perseverance. Funding challenges, zoning battles, and the need to continually prove themselves as Black founders tested the couple's resolve. There were seasons when Cameo and Derrick made sure their employees were paid while they went without paying themselves, falling behind on their mortgage and other bills to keep the organization moving forward.
Those sacrifices felt worthwhile every time they watched someone rebuild a life that once seemed beyond repair. Cameo often points to a former resident who entered LIV's respite program broken and uncertain about his future. He eventually became a house manager and Peer Support Specialist at LIV, where he now helps others on their own recovery journeys.
Today, he's married, has regained custody of his children, and owns a home—milestones that once seemed out of reach.
"It's those stories that remind us we can't stop," Cameo said. "What we're doing is working."
Looking ahead, Cameo hopes to educate more people about what quality recovery housing requires while challenging misconceptions about sober living. She also wants those interested in opening recovery homes to understand that providing housing is only part of the work. Lasting recovery requires a strong program, intentional support, and a genuine commitment to the people they serve.
"If your first question is how much money you'll make, you're starting from the wrong place," she said. "Your first question should be, 'What's my program, and how am I going to help people rebuild their lives?'"
As communities continue responding to substance use disorders and mental health challenges, Cameo hopes LIV's story will encourage others to see recovery housing not simply as shelter, but as an essential part of helping people reclaim their lives.
About LIV Recovery Sober Living
LIV Recovery Sober Living provides safe, supportive, and sober housing for individuals managing substance use disorders and mental health conditions.
Through its full continuum of care—including Recovery Housing, Respite Housing, and Outpatient Services—LIV Recovery Sober Living is committed to helping individuals build the foundation for productive and meaningful lives.
Its mission is rooted in a culture of equity, empathy, and holistic wellness, ensuring that services are accessible, individualized, and aligned with the unique goals and needs of those it serves.