About UnityPoint Health Meriter NewStart Addiction Treatment
UnityPoint Health Meriter NewStart is a hospital-affiliated outpatient addiction treatment program for adults in Madison, Wisconsin.
The center offers services for clients with substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders.
The multidisciplinary team integrates addiction medicine, psychiatry, therapy, nursing and care coordination, drawing on aproaches like CBT, DBT, EMDR, motivational interviewing and trauma-informed care.
NewStart offers compassionate care that meets people wherever they are in their recovery journey.
Outpatient Addiction Treatment
NewStart provides outpatient addiction care, including therapy, physician-led addiction medicine services and continuing care groups.
The Intensive Outpatient Program includes four sessions weekly over eight weeks, with three-hour morning or evening options to fit work and family schedules.
Sessions blend education, skill-building and process groups, while physicians support medication-assisted treatment with anti-craving medications and long-acting options for opioid use disorder.
Treatment addresses both substance use and the underlying mental health concerns that often accompany it.
Walk-In Access and Whole-Person Support
The Direct Access Walk-In Clinic offers first-come, first-served entry twice weekly connecting people with therapists, physicians and nurses for same-day support and medication services.
Priority access is available for patients who are pregnant or injecting drugs, and care coordination extends to hepatitis C treatment, HIV prevention, STI testing, transportation assistance and community referrals.
The program accepts Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, TRICARE and self-pay, with a sliding fee scale available.





