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About Us

The McShin Foundation is Virginia's leading authentic peer-to-peer Recovery Community Organization (RCO).

About Us Our Story

The McShin Foundation was founded in 2004 by husband and wife duo John Shinholser and Carol McDavid to fill a void they saw in the care of Richmonders seeking recovery. John left a lucrative painting business to start the foundation and Carol is a veteran lobbyist for mental health and drug policy at the federal level. Hatcher Memorial Baptist Church opened their doors to The McShin Foundation, offering office space when no one else was receptive to the idea of a recovery organization. From two offices in the basement of a church, The McShin Foundation has grown into the organization it is today, including a 15,000 square foot recovery center and over 100 recovery residence beds in Richmond and the surrounding areas. Both in long-term recovery themselves, John and Carol continue working daily to combat Substance Use Disorders and help people start their recovery journey.

Testimonials

I came to McShin from Manchester, NH with next to no money and a severe heroin addiction. I needed to stop using but did not necessarily want to stop using; not at first. Through the patience and guidance of the McShin staff, I was taught what recovery was. I was introduced to a 12-step fellowship which has become my family, my support network, and my best friends. I am ever so grateful to The McShin Foundation for showing me different pathways to recovery and to 12-step fellowships for giving me the literature and the tools to grow as a woman in recovery.

Rachel M.

In my years with McShin, I have learned confidence and willingness, but more importantly a great deal of open-mindedness. I've also learned that if I take it easy and give myself a break, I can use my newfound motivation to accomplish anything I choose, as long as it's the right thing for myself and others.

Joey B.

McShin has helped me reverse the destructive path my life had turned upon. Instead of spinning my wheels, going from one dead-end job to the next, living off my parents, and basically just using drugs all day long, I found a new way of life. McShin immersed me into the local recovery community so I was surrounded by and living with people who were turning their lives around. When I started to hang out with the recovery herd and actually began working an active program of recovery, positive changes quickly began to occur.

Taryn K.

Did you know?

The McShin Foundation currently serves, but is not limited to, three peer populations:

Re-Entry individuals from jails, prisons, or institutions, Recovery resistant individuals with a history of reoccurrence of use, and individuals seeking aftercare from treatment centers

Recovery Community Organizations

The McShin Model

The McShin Foundation is a Recovery Community Organization (RCO). An RCO is defined in part as having resources such as: Halfway Houses, Transitional Recovery Houses, linkage to Medical Detox Services, and being connected with alcohol and drug rehabs, substance abuse treatment and aftercare. The McShin Foundation offers a social model recovery program that implements authentic Peer-to-peer delivered Recovery Support Services (PRSS).

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