UnityPoint Health – Meriter – NewStart

About UnityPoint Health – Meriter – NewStart

UnityPoint Health Meriter NewStart is an outpatient addiction treatment program in Madison, Wisconsin serving adults with substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health needs. Having served the Madison community for more than 35 years NewStart provides harm reduction based and evidence based care.

Addiction Treatment With Process Groups

Many clients begin through the Direct Access Walk-In Clinic which is a low-barrier entry point offering same-site access to therapists, physicians, and nurses along with medication-assisted treatment. NewStart does not offer detox but its integrated model connects behavioral health and addiction medicine with psychiatry in one coordinated team.

The Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) runs for eight weeks with four three hour sessions weekly Monday through Thursday offering morning and evening options that include education, skill-building, and process groups. Client therapy draws on CBT and DBT with trauma-informed approaches while medication for recovery supports opioid and alcohol use disorders.

Quick Facts About NewStart

Who they treat: Adults with substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders, with priority access for those pregnant or injecting drugs.
Approach: Harm reduction, patient centered, evidence based care with CBT, DBT, and trauma informed therapy.
Additional services: Psychiatry, hepatitis C treatment, HIV prevention (PrEP/PEP), STI testing, and peer support.
Payment options: Accepts Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, Tricare, and self pay.
Care coordination: Support for housing, transportation, legal referrals, and financial navigation.

Edited by: Kimberly Hawkins, MSc

Last Updated: August 12, 2026

Addiction Treatment Programs

Alcohol Rehab
If you’re struggling with your alcohol use, consider an alcohol rehab in Wisconsin. 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
If you have both a mental health condition and substance use disorder, you need dual diagnosis treatment in Wisconsin to address both issues together. 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
If your life has been negatively impacted by opioid addiction, a high-quality rehab in Wisconsin can help. 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 Wisconsin can help clients make healthier life choices and avoid common mistakes. Whether you need detox, inpatient treatment, or outpatient care, an adult program will offer specific support for your emotional, mental, and social needs.
Men's Rehab
When people join a men’s rehab in Wisconsin, they are able to tackle gender-specific issues while receiving treatment. 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 Wisconsin can provide every level of care while addressing the unique needs of women. 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
If you’re a young adult struggling with substance use, consider a young adult rehab program in Wisconsin. Whether you need detox, inpatient treatment, or outpatient care, a young adult program will offer specific support for your emotional, mental, and social needs.
Impaired Professionals Program
NewStart’s Impaired Professionals Program evaluates and treats licensed professionals, including nurses and physicians, whose substance use may impact their work, offering specialized outpatient support in Madison.
Driver Safety Plan
The Driver Safety Plan at UnityPoint Health – Meriter – NewStart offers assessment and education for individuals with OWI or DUI-related requirements as part of Wisconsin’s substance use treatment framework.
Medication-Assisted Treatment Program
NewStart offers medication-assisted treatment within its outpatient services to support adults managing opioid and alcohol use disorders alongside counseling and recovery education.
Adult Men's Program
NewStart provides outpatient substance use disorder treatment tailored to adult men, incorporating counseling, relapse prevention, and recovery education within a co-ed clinical setting.
Adult Women's Program
NewStart offers outpatient substance use disorder services for adult women, combining assessment, individual and group counseling, and relapse prevention within the UnityPoint Health system in Madison.

Insurance Coverage

Medicaid
Medicaid coverage is accepted at UnityPoint Health – Meriter – NewStart for eligible adults seeking outpatient substance use disorder treatment in Madison.
Private insurance
There are many ways to pay for rehab in Wisconsin. One option is private insurance. Different plans have different coverage levels, so be sure to check with your insurance company for details. You may be responsible for certain costs, such as copayments and deductibles.
Self-pay options
In Wisconsin, you have multiple options for paying for rehab, one of which is self-pay. When you use a medical loan, write a check, or electronically transfer money, you have maximum freedom in choosing the treatment center you prefer.
Financial aid
Those wondering how to pay for rehab in Wisconsin may benefit from looking for financial aid programs. Paying for detox, inpatient rehab, or outpatient care is much easier if you get a grant or scholarship from the center or a local non-profit or community organization.
Medicare
Medicare is accepted as a payment option for outpatient substance use disorder services provided at the NewStart program in Madison, Wisconsin.
Military insurance
If you have military insurance in Wisconsin, you can use your coverage to help pay for rehab treatment. Because plans vary, be sure to contact the insurer to find out what centers are in-network with your coverage and to find out what out-of-pocket costs you might be responsible for.
Private Health Insurance
Private health insurance plans are accepted at NewStart to help cover assessment, counseling, and intensive outpatient services for substance use disorders.

Levels of Care

1
Detox Treatment
During detox in Wisconsin, you’ll be monitored as the substances leave your system. Then you can start fresh and create a new life. Most detox programs last around one week, although some are longer. You will generally receive medical treatment for withdrawal symptoms as well as treatment planning for the next stage of rehab.
2
Inpatient Rehab
During inpatient treatment in Wisconsin, clients receive evidence-based treatment while living full-time at the facility. During inpatient treatment, clients are able to work on their recovery through counseling, activities, and holistic treatment like mindfulness, art therapy, and more.
3
Aftercare Support
NewStart offers continuing care and recovery support services to help adults maintain progress after completing intensive outpatient or standard outpatient substance use disorder treatment in Madison.
4
Outpatient Rehab
NewStart provides outpatient substance use disorder treatment for adults in Madison, including comprehensive assessment, individual and group counseling, and continuing care services.
5
Partial Hospitalization Program
Intensive outpatient programming at UnityPoint Health – Meriter – NewStart offers a structured, higher-intensity level of care for adults with alcohol and drug use disorders who need more support than standard outpatient sessions.

Therapies

Cognitive Behavior Therapy
The goal of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in Wisconsin is to address negative thinking patterns to create positive change. 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 disorted thinking, replace it with rational thinking, and change their response accordingly.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
The goal of dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) in Wisconsin is to help you recognize your strengths and embrace your ability to create positive change. 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.
Family Therapy
Family therapy in Wisconsin can address conflicts in your family so your loved ones can help provide encouragement, support, and accountability as you work through substance use treatment. There are several goals in family therapy. Some sessions may be focused on specific past events, while others address current broken relationships or how good intentions have gone astray. Over time, family relationships can be restored, making recovery easier.
Individual Therapy
During individual therapy in Wisconsin, clients have a confidential environment to work through their struggles with a professional. Some of the topics covered in individual therapy include developing healthy coping skills, addressing past events that may have played a part in substance use, and building a support network.
Trauma Therapy
Talking about what you’ve been through and how it impacted you is an important way to heal, and trauma-informed therapy in Wisconsin gives you that opportunity. 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.
Individual Counseling
One-on-one counseling sessions at NewStart help Madison-area adults address substance use patterns, set recovery goals, and receive personalized support as part of the outpatient treatment plan.
Group Counseling
Group counseling sessions at UnityPoint Health – Meriter – NewStart provide peer support and shared recovery strategies for adults receiving outpatient substance use disorder treatment in Madison.
Relapse Prevention
NewStart incorporates relapse prevention strategies into its outpatient counseling to help clients identify triggers and build coping skills for sustained recovery from alcohol and drug use disorders.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive behavioral therapy is used at NewStart to help clients recognize and change thought patterns tied to substance use, supporting long-term recovery within an outpatient treatment framework.
Motivational Interviewing (MI)
Motivational interviewing is applied at UnityPoint Health – Meriter – NewStart to strengthen client readiness for change and engagement in outpatient substance use disorder treatment.
Education and Support for Recovery
NewStart offers recovery education and ongoing support services designed to reinforce sobriety skills for adults completing outpatient and intensive outpatient programming in Madison, Wisconsin.