Healing Addiction in Our Community

About Healing Addiction in Our Community

Healing Addiction in Our Community (HAC) is an Albuquerque nonprofit that runs Serenity Mesa Recovery Center, a CARF-accredited treatment program for young people ages 14 to 20 struggling with drugs or alcohol, including those with co-occurring mental health conditions. A group of parents and grandparents founded HAC in 2010 out of concern over rising heroin use among local teens, and they still do prevention and awareness work in schools and at community events. Serenity Mesa offers a continuum of care that starts with 3 to 14 days of inpatient medical detox in their on-site Crisis Triage Center, continues with a 90-day inpatient treatment and transitional living program, and extends to supportive housing for young adults up to age 24. Their philosophy holds that recovery means more than abstinence; the goal is to help young people build purpose, healthy relationships, and a life where substances no longer fit.

Each resident follows a personalized plan that blends evidence-based treatment with alternative therapies, delivered on-site and through community partners. Days include individual and group therapy, case management, medication management, life skills training, experiential learning, job readiness, and high school or GED preparation. Residents move through five program levels that unlock more privileges over time, and they share cooking, cleaning, laundry, and yard work to build responsibility and a sense of home. Admission requires a diagnosed substance use disorder and genuine readiness to engage, and they accept NM Medicaid, Presbyterian, Blue Cross Blue Shield, UnitedHealthcare, TriWest, and Molina, while also working with probation officers and drug courts and offering rental assistance for 17- to 24-year-olds facing housing instability.