About us
About MHAB
Our Story
Behind MHAB is a team of real people, many in recovery themselves, that are committed to making a difference. Our founder, Mike Carpenter (fondly known as MHAB Mike in the community), is 30+ years in recovery. As he got sober, he promised himself he would find a way to help recovering people get access to the support systems they need. Mike realized this promise in 2019, when the MHAB Life Skills Campus was built in Plattsburgh, NY. The MHAB Life Skills Campus is a transitional, supportive housing community for people in all stages of all types of recovery. Our campus a safe and inspiring environment for people who want to remain drug & alcohol free while getting back on their feet. Everything a resident may need – support programs, transportation, healthy food, laundry, internet, fitness, education & employment advocacy and community – is accessible on campus. We work with several partners in our community to make sure our residents have access to mental health resources, behavioral treatment, and judgement-free support.
MHAB Marketplace
In 2020, we created MHAB Marketplace with intent to help reduce the stigma of addiction, and to give people a way to express themselves, celebrate their recovery, or support a loved one's recovery journey. Our collections are designed by people in recovery at MHAB, and made to empower recovering people. A percentage of profits are donated to United Way, and the rest are reinvested into MHAB so that we can continue our mission of supporting our recovery community. P.S. All of our models are in recovery!
MHAB Mike
The MHAB Mike character represents the story of Mike's decades-long recovery journey, and the values of our brand. Even if he doesn't look just like you, he's shared a similar experience, and like the other folks working at MHAB, knows the hard work that recovery takes.
Our values
Community
We believe that a strong sense of community has an invaluable impact on wellbeing, inside and outside of recovery. Our involvement with several local partner organizations, and our day-to-day support for our residents helps strengthen that sense of community. We strive for inclusivity, and open our doors to anyone who comes to us for guidance or support.
Philanthropy
We strive for benevolence in all that we do, including the community dinners we host, the supportive housing we offer, and the pathways to an improved quality of life we create for our residents and visitors. We also donate a percentage of our profits from MHAB Marketplace to United Way.
Reducing Stigma
The stigma around addiction and mental health can be a big, daunting barrier for people seeking treatment. We try to help reduce stigma by using our voice online and in the community to educate people about the realities of addiction and recovery. We also believe that wearing clothing that symbolizes your sobriety or recovery may help start meaningful discourse, and help normalize recovery.
Individuality
Everyone's recovery journey looks different. At the MHAB Life Skills Campus we personalize the support we give our residents by identifying their strengths. We always try to encourage self-empowerment and individuality in our community by promoting the idea that our strengths are in our differences.
Take a virtual tour of the MHAB Life Skills Campus
At MHAB.org, we offer free online support meetings everyday with certified recovery counselors and peer advocates from our partner organization CVFC All Ways to Recovery. Join a daily recovery check-in, daily reflection, arts & crafts session, music jam session, yoga class and more.