// Track a custom event AMI.track('button_click', { button_id: 'signup' }); // Identify a visitor when they sign up AMI.identify('user@example.com', { name: 'John Doe' }); Meet Our Recovery Coaches | Gold Standard Denver
Talk to a Coach

The Team Behind The Gold Standard

Real people. Real experience. Ready to walk with you.

Ever feel like no one really gets it?

We do. So many of us have faced addiction, hit the hard times, and built our lives back up, one day at a time. We're not just trained to help. We've lived it.

So when you reach out, you're talking to people who have experienced what you're going through and walked your road. We're here. We get it.

Licensed Professionals

Lived Recovery Experience

Medicaid Accepted

Serving Denver Metro

The Gold Standard Difference

A lot of places say they care. We do it differently. Here is how.

We have walked it. Many of our team have lived recovery, not just studied it.

A plan built for you. No cookie cutter program. Your plan fits your life.

Whole life focus. We coach all 8 Dimensions of Wellness, not just one piece.

We meet you where you are. Fresh out, early in, or starting over. No judgment, ever.

This is what earns the name Gold Standard.

Our Approach

We don't run one program and push everyone through it. We build a plan around you. Our coaching follows the 8 Dimensions of Wellness, so we look at your whole life, not just one piece of it. We meet you where you are. Then we walk forward together.

Lived experience first. Many of us have been where you are.

Trained and professional. Real skill, not just good intentions.

Built for you. No cookie cutter plans.

No judgment. You set the pace.

Our Philosophy

What we believe:

  • Recovery is not a finish line. It is a life you build.
  • Everyone deserves a fair shot at a fresh start.
  • Support beats shame, every time.
  • Small steps, done daily, change everything.

Meet Our Team

Alec Hackney

Owner & CEO

Read Bio

Alec Hackney is the owner of Gold Standard Recovery. After four trips to prison and a decade lost to active addiction, he built the kind of support he wished he'd had. Raised in Denver, Alec spent years chasing street life before learning that real belonging comes from within. Today he's a husband, father, business owner, and recovery advocate who helps others find their own path forward. Hear more of his story on “The Devine Salerno Podcast” - available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple, Amazon, iHeartRadio and all other podcast platforms.

"I built Gold Standard Denver because I know what it's like to need support and not find it. Now I get to be that support for others."

Jesus Ojeda

Executive Director

Read Bio

Jesus Ojeda serves as Executive Director, guiding people through reentry and addiction recovery. He faced legal trouble starting at age 11 and battled addiction through his teens into adulthood, a path that led to prison and a halfway house. Facing sobriety meant facing his past honestly. He stopped seeing his time in confinement as punishment and started seeing it as a chance to redirect his life. Since his release, Jesus has built real stability and now dedicates himself to walking alongside others into their next chapter.

"Recovery gave me my life back. Helping others find their path is the most meaningful work I've ever done."

Deborah Morrison

Lead Clinician

Velvet Chavez

Administrative Assistant

Justin Edwards

Operations & Development Director

Read Bio

Justin Edwards knows firsthand that no matter how far down the path of addiction and incarceration you go, a complete turnaround is possible. After spending years navigating the justice system, compounding personal loss, and battling severe active addiction, Justin reached a turning point during an 18-year sentence in the Colorado Department of Corrections. He chose to utilize that time to rebuild his life from the ground up, earning college degrees and pioneering peer recovery work while behind bars.

His dedication led to an early release in 2024 to the Arapahoe County Residential Center (ACRC). Today, Justin has successfully completed parole and serves as a vital resource within the ACRC facility, offering authentic, judgment-free guidance to individuals walking the same path he once did.

A testament to the power of discipline and faith, Justin is a Recovery Coach and the Director of Business Development for Gold Standard Recovery, as well as the co-owner of Empower Reentry. He utilizes his unique blend of sharp business acumen and lived experience to show others that recovery isn't just about stopping a behavior—it’s about building a thriving, successful life.

"Recovery isn't about what you stop doing, it's about what you build. I did the work to rebuild my own life from the inside out, and now I help others do the same."

Don Stookey

Peer Recovery Support Specialist, QBHA

Read Bio

Don Stookey brings a lifetime of grit to his work as a Recovery Coach and Qualified Behavioral Health Assistant. Raised in Fairbanks, Alaska and later North Idaho, Don spent his teenage years and the next 15 years in and out of Idaho prisons before rebuilding his life. He went on to earn multiple degrees, summa cum laude, along with credentials including QBHA, CPRS, and Recovery Coach Professional. Now based in Colorado, Don facilitates 8 Dimensions of Wellness groups and helps clients build stable, purposeful lives through practical skills and real community connection.

"Recovery is possible. I'm living proof. Showing up for someone on their hardest day and watching them find their strength, there is nothing like it."

Take the Next Step

Ready to talk to someone who actually gets it?

Reach Out Today