Tell us in your own words a little about your business, Step up from grace
Step Up From Grace is a substance use disorder treatment and recovery organization committed to helping individuals build stable, healthy, and productive lives in recovery. What began with one women’s residential house in 2022 has grown into a comprehensive treatment program providing both residential and outpatient services.
Today, Step Up From Grace operates four ASAM Level 3.1 residential treatment houses specifically for women. Our residential program provides 24-hour structure and support, clinical services, substance use disorder counseling, recovery and life-skills development, medication monitoring, drug screening, community involvement, and assistance with developing the skills necessary for successful independent living and long-term recovery.
We also operate an outpatient substance use disorder treatment center that serves both men and women in our community. This allows us to help individuals who may not require residential treatment but still need professional treatment, counseling, education, accountability, and continued support in their recovery.
Our goal is not simply to help someone stop using substances. We want to teach people how to live in recovery. That means helping them develop coping skills, rebuild relationships, become productive members of their communities, pursue employment and education, establish stability, and begin believing in themselves again.
My favorite part of Step Up From Grace is witnessing the transformation. I get to see people come to us during some of the most difficult times in their lives and begin to recognize their worth and what they are capable of accomplishing. Recovery is about more than sobriety—it is about helping people build a life they no longer feel the need to escape from.
How did your business get started?
Step Up From Grace started with a passion and a dream. I knew I wanted to help individuals struggling with substance use disorder, especially women who needed more than treatment. They needed a safe place, structure, support, and someone who truly believed that recovery and a different life were possible.
I had the passion and the vision, but I also had to learn how to turn that vision into a successful and sustainable business. That is where MCE played such an important role in my journey. Through their classes, education, guidance, and access to funding, I gained the business knowledge I needed not only to open Step Up From Grace, but also to build it on a foundation that would allow it to succeed and grow.
With the help and encouragement of Tanya and Maurice, I was able to take something that began as a dream and bring it to life. In 2022, I opened my first women’s residential house. Four years later, Step Up From Grace has grown to four ASAM 3.1 women’s residential houses and an outpatient treatment center serving both men and women in our community.
I found something I was truly passionate about, and MCE helped give me the tools, knowledge, resources, and confidence to turn that passion into what Step Up From Grace is today.
What are some of your long-term goals for your business?
My long-term goal is to continue growing Step Up From Grace so that we can reach and serve more people in our community. I want to continue expanding both our residential and outpatient services while maintaining the quality, compassion, and personal connection that make Step Up From Grace different.
As we grow, I want to continue developing programs that address the real-life barriers people face in recovery, including housing, employment, education, family relationships, life skills, mental health needs, community involvement, and long-term recovery support.
Ultimately, my vision is for Step Up From Grace to become a place where individuals can receive support throughout the different stages of their recovery journey. I want us to continue filling gaps in our community and creating opportunities for people who may have felt that they had run out of options.
Most importantly, I never want growth to cause us to lose sight of why Step Up From Grace was created. Every new program, service, or location should mean another opportunity to change someone’s life.
How has MCE and/or the Women’s Business Center helped you?
MCE truly opened the door for me, especially when it came to funding and believing in the vision I had for Step Up From Grace. Without their support, resources, and continued belief in both me and my business, I don’t believe I would have the success that I have today.
What makes MCE so special to me is that they didn’t just help me open a business and send me on my way. They have walked alongside me throughout this journey. They were there when I opened my very first house in 2022, and now, in 2026, Step Up From Grace has grown to four residential houses and an outpatient treatment center.
That growth represents so much more to me than expanding a business. Every house and every service we add means another opportunity to help someone receive treatment, find stability, and build a life in recovery.
Having an organization believe in you when you are still trying to build your vision can make all the difference. MCE believed in Step Up From Grace early on and continued to support me as that vision became a reality. They didn’t just provide funding—they provided education, guidance, encouragement, and opportunity. I will always be grateful for their continued belief in me and in what Step Up From Grace is building in our community.
What is the best way to get in touch with you and access your services?
The best way to learn more about Step Up From Grace and our residential and outpatient treatment services is through our website at stepupfromgracellc.com & follow our Facebook
We welcome individuals seeking treatment as well as families, treatment providers, community organizations, and others looking for information about referrals, resources, partnerships, or ways to support our mission.
Whether someone is looking for help for themselves, trying to help a loved one, or simply wants to learn more about the services available in our community, we encourage them to reach out. Sometimes making that first call or asking for help is the beginning of an entirely new life. 410-831-1577
What advice would you give to someone who is starting a new business?
My biggest advice would be to do something you genuinely have a passion for, not just something you believe will make you money.
A lot of people are drawn to entrepreneurship because of the financial opportunities, and of course making money is important—you need revenue to sustain and grow a successful business. But money cannot be the only motivation.
There will be difficult days in entrepreneurship. There will be challenges, setbacks, long hours, and times when things don’t go according to plan. If money is your only motivation, it can become very easy to lose your drive when those challenges come. Passion gives you a reason to keep going.
I have a genuine passion for the work I do and for the people we serve. I believe that passion is one of the reasons Step Up From Grace continues to thrive and is different. This isn’t simply a business to me. I care about the people we serve, I believe in our mission, and I genuinely want to see people succeed in recovery and in life.
My advice is to find something you truly care about. Then learn the business side, take the classes, ask questions, find mentors, use the resources available to you, and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Find your passion first. Learn how to build a business around it second. When purpose, passion, and good business come together, you can build something that not only becomes successful but truly makes a difference.
Latisha Milbourne, LCPC/LCADC , Clinical Director
Step Up From Grace, LLC
410-831-1577
https://stepupfromgracellc.com/
