Bear River Health

About Bear River Health

Nestled on a serene five acre campus by Walloon Lake in Boyne Falls, Michigan is Bear River Health at Walloon Lake. They are a Joint Commission accredited sanctuary for adults seeking recovery from substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders. This tranquil lakeside retreat offers evidence based care that blends nature and holistic healing to foster long term sobriety. They accept Medicaid and private insurance but they allow for self pay too.

Detox and Residential Rehab in Northern Michigan

The center’s comprehensive services begin with medically supervised detoxification. You will be supported by 24/7 nursing staff using SAMHSA protocols to safely manage withdrawal from alcohol, opioids or other substances.

Their residential programs are separated by gender. Your length of stay will be determined by your individual needs and can be from 2 weeks to 90 days.

The evidence based therapies that will be incorporated into your treatment plan will be cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing and 12 step facilitation. I do like that they have specialized tracks for veterans, first responders and those with trauma or dual diagnoses.

Flexible Treatment With Holistic Therapy

Their outpatient program offers partial hospitalization programs (PHP) and intensive outpatient programs (IOP). Both of these programs are thorough outpatient programs that allow for treatment flexibility for those balancing daily life with their recovery.

Medication assisted treatment (MAT) is available if needed. They may prescribe buprenorphine or naltrexone to support opioid and alcohol recovery.

I like all the holistic therapies that are offered. You may attend yoga, acupuncture, art therapy, equine therapy, kayaking and hiking. These therapies are meant to nurture your mind, body and spirit.

Word On the Street

Some reviews did note staffing challenges. Clients praise the empathetic staff as many are in recovery themselves. Clients also praised the transformative impact of this rehab, with one graduate noting that they were three years sober.

Edited by: Nikki Wisher, BA

Addiction Treatment Programs

Alcohol Rehab
The goal of an alcohol rehab in Michigan is to give you the tools and skills you need to achieve long-term recovery. Whether you need detox, inpatient treatment, or outpatient care, an alcohol program will help you build a new lifestyle based on healthy coping mechanisms, better relationships, and a new way of thinking about life.
Dual Diagnosis
Mental health concerns and substance use are often linked, which is known as a dual diagnosis. The right rehab in Michigan can help you break free. Whether you need detox, inpatient treatment, or outpatient care, a dual diagnosis program will offer specific support for your mental health needs alongside traditional substance use treatment.
Opioid Addiction
In Michigan, rehab provides a combination of therapy and education to help clients overcome opioid addiction. During this program, you’ll work with professional counselors to deal with the psychological, emotional, and physical issues that opioid misuse can cause. Over time, you’ll learn how to live without substance use long-term.
Adult Program
An adult program in Michigan addresses the recovery needs of clients in this life stage and gives them the tools they need to succeed. Whether you need detox, inpatient treatment, or outpatient care, an adult program will offer specific support for your emotional, mental, and social needs.
Senior Rehab
A senior rehab in Michigan will understand the unique issues older clients face that can make recovery harder. Whether you need detox, inpatient treatment, or outpatient care, a senior program will offer specific support for your physical, emotional, mental, and social needs.
Men's Rehab
Men’s rehab programs in Michigan address the unique needs of men in a safe, gender-specific environment. Whether you need detox, inpatient treatment, or outpatient care, a men’s program will offer specific support for your emotional, mental, and social needs.
Women's Rehab
A women’s rehab in Michigan addresses the unique needs women have and allows them to build relationships in a gender-specific environment. Whether you need detox, inpatient treatment, or outpatient care, a women’s program will offer specific support for your emotional, mental, and social needs.
Young Adult Rehab
Young people need unique support, and a young adult rehab in Michigan can help them learn new life skills while overcoming addiction. Whether you need detox, inpatient treatment, or outpatient care, a young adult program will offer specific support for your emotional, mental, and social needs.
Dual Diagnosis Treatment
Bear River Health specializes in treating co-occurring disorders, addressing depression, anxiety, and trauma alongside substance use through integrated, evidence-based clinical care.
Medication-Assisted Treatment
Bear River Health may incorporate medication-assisted treatment into a comprehensive plan when clinically appropriate, supporting clients recovering from alcohol and opioid use disorders.
Family Program
Family programming at Bear River Health involves loved ones in the recovery process, recognizing family involvement as an important part of sustained recovery from addiction.
Alumni Program
Bear River Health’s alumni program helps clients stay connected and supported after completing treatment, reinforcing long-term recovery beyond the residential program in Boyne Falls.

Insurance Coverage

Private insurance
If you’re looking for ways to pay for rehab in Michigan, consider using your private insurance plan. You’ll want to find a treatment center that’s in-network with your coverage and contact the insurer to find out details about coverage and out-of-pocket costs.
Self-pay options
There are many options to pay for rehab in Michigan, including self-pay. This gives you maximum freedom to choose the treatment center you like. You simply use a medical loan, write a check, or send money electronically to the center. Different types of care may have different fee structures.
Medicaid
When looking for ways to pay for rehab in Michigan, consider Medicaid if you are struggling to afford treatment. You’ll need to choose a program that accepts Medicaid as payment, and you can access multiple levels of care, including detox, inpatient, and outpatient treatment.
Military insurance
How do you pay for rehab in Michigan? A good option for military members and veterans is military insurance. Insurance plans can pay some or all of the costs of rehab. Each plan has different coverage details, and you’ll pay less if you choose a treatment center in the plan’s network. Contact the insurer to find out more information.

Levels of Care

1
Detox Treatment
Bear River Health offers medical detox as the entry point of its continuum of care, providing supervised withdrawal management before clients transition into residential or outpatient treatment.
2
Inpatient Rehab
The residential program at Bear River Health at Walloon Lake provides 24/7 structured support in a peaceful Northern Michigan setting for individuals with substance use disorders and co-occurring conditions.
3
Outpatient Rehab
Outpatient services at Bear River Health include intensive outpatient (IOP) and standard outpatient options, allowing clients to continue evidence-based treatment while maintaining daily responsibilities.
4
Aftercare Support
Bear River Health provides aftercare planning and an alumni program to help clients maintain connections and support following completion of residential or outpatient treatment.
5
Intervention Services
Don’t be afraid to use intervention in Michigan to help your loved one face the truth and decide to seek help. An intervention professional can offer valuable resources and support and help your loved one find the right program, get there, and begin treatment.
6
Partial Hospitalization Program
Bear River Health’s PHP offers a step-down level of care with structured clinical programming for clients transitioning from residential treatment while still needing intensive daily support.

Therapies

Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy in Michigan gives you tools to challenge your thinking patterns. Substance use treatment includes detox, inpatient treatment, and outpatient care, and CBT may be a part of each of these stages. The goal is to help clients identify distorted thinking, replace it with rational thinking, and change their responses accordingly.
Creative Arts Therapy
In Michigan, creative arts therapy is a holistic therapy that is widely used in addiction treatment alongside other treatment approaches. The goal of creative arts therapy is to help clients work through their emotions in a healthy way so they can start to understand the root cause of their substance use.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Dialectical behavioral therapy in Michigan gives you tools to learn new behaviors to improve and change your life. Substance use treatment includes detox, inpatient treatment, and outpatient care, and DBT may be a part of each of these stages. The goal is to help clients develop the skills they need to solve the problems they face without substance use.
Experiential Therapy
If you’re struggling with substance use in Michigan, experiential therapy can help you work through emotions so you can make positive changes. By participating in art, music, or physical activities like hiking, you can learn to face internal issues without turning to substance use. Instead, you’ll develop healthy coping mechanisms.
Family Therapy
Family therapy at Bear River Health engages loved ones in the recovery process, supporting communication and healing alongside the facility’s broader family programming for substance use disorders.
Group Therapy
Group sessions at Bear River Health build peer support among clients recovering from alcohol and drug addiction, reinforcing coping skills learned through evidence-based clinical programming in Boyne Falls.
Individual Therapy
One-on-one counseling at Bear River Health helps clients address personal triggers, co-occurring depression or anxiety, and trauma history as part of an individualized treatment plan for substance use recovery.
Trauma Therapy
Many people with addiction issues in Michigan use substances to decrease difficult feelings such as guilt, shame, fear, and more. Trauma-informed therapy can help you understand where these feelings come from and how to deal with them in a better way. Both inpatient treatment and outpatient care can include trauma-informed therapy, which helps you create a feeling of safety, access peer support, embrace the validity of your feelings, and create healthy coping skills.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Bear River Health’s clinical team uses CBT to help clients identify thought patterns linked to substance use, building practical skills for managing cravings and co-occurring mental health symptoms.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT is used at Bear River Health to help clients regulate emotions and reduce self-destructive behaviors, supporting those with co-occurring mental health conditions during addiction treatment.
Trauma-Informed Care
Trauma-informed approaches are integrated into clinical programming at Bear River Health, recognizing how past trauma influences addiction and supporting safe, individualized recovery planning.
Holistic & Experiential Therapy
Bear River Health incorporates yoga, meditation, and recreational therapy into its Northern Michigan residential program, offering experiential supports alongside evidence-based clinical treatment.