ROOTSTOWN, Ohio- - In our ongoing effort to tell stories about life after addiction, we heard about a woman named Regina Mitchell.  

Mitchell is a recovering addict who walked away from a successful business to start a drug recovery center.

Later this month that center will open, helping Mitchell achieve her dream of helping others. 

At one time Mitchell was the co-owner of Warren Fabricating and Machining Company in Trumbull County and received national attention.  

She even appeared on CNN and was interviewed about the difficulty of finding qualified workers who could pass a drug test.

Last summer she told CNN, "It's this opioid epidemic we're experiencing here in Ohio and in our Mahoning Valley."

But ironically, few people knew at the time that Mitchell herself had actually been in drug and alcohol recovery since 2005.

Now 12 years clean, the business executive has left Warren Fabricating to start Hope Village Recovery Center at 3975 Kenneth Drive in Rootstown., her own way of helping combat the opioid epidemic.

"This is an opportunity where I'm not stuck here being helpless. I can go and do something about this, so it was like the perfect scenario came into my life at just the right time and I discussed it with my family and my brothers running the facility now, and I've been able to do something of my own," said Mitchell. 

Mitchell determined to get rid of the stigma around addiction and open this outpatient facility on April 23rd.

It's focused on long-term recovery for those struggling to get clean.

"We're going to individualize their treatment plans according to them.  One of the really cool things about Hope Village is that we are honoring all pathways to recovery, so we don't have one protocol, one treatment protocol where everyone subscribes to," said Mitchell. 

Mitchell is living proof that you can do something with your life after addiction, and she believes that while addiction isn't always a choice, recovery is.

"There comes a point in time where the freedom you gain from recovery is like an amazing feeling, so I had enough. I think my family had had enough.  I went away to a 30-day treatment program came back and got the help in long-term recovery with the help of the 12-step program and church. My faith-based recovery program has been immeasurable to my staying clean," said Mitchell. 

Hope Village Recovery also hopes to eventually offer more than just outpatient services, and they welcome patients from any of the surrounding counties.