Addiction Treatment Services to centralize programs on single Traverse City campus

Addiction Treatment Services announced on Jan. 14 that it will consolidate its scattered Traverse City facilities onto a single campus, a move leaders say will simplify operations and make it easier for clients to stay connected to care.

ATS currently operates multiple properties across Traverse City, including several recovery homes and a withdrawal management facility. Agency leaders told county stakeholders that the current spread of services creates logistical barriers that increase the risk clients will drop out when programs, counseling and medical support are located on different parts of town. Consolidation aims to reduce those handoffs and create a one-stop campus for assessment, withdrawal management, residential support, outpatient care and ancillary services.

To fund the new campus, ATS plans to sell recovery homes over time and use proceeds to finance development. The agency also intends to pause admissions to the recovery home program during the planning phase, while bolstering outpatient and telehealth capacity to maintain services for people in need. Leadership set a timeline for architectural and feasibility planning to begin in 2026, with a potential groundbreaking targeted for 2027.

The plan carries both potential benefits and short-term disruptions for Grand Traverse County residents. In the longer term, a centralized campus could reduce transportation barriers that keep clients from attending appointments, improve continuity of care, and lower the likelihood that people fall out of treatment when they must move between separate sites. For families and neighbors, a campus may mean a clearer point of contact and more coordinated referrals among behavioral health, housing and social services.

Short-term impacts may include fewer recovery home beds while the program is paused and properties are marketed for sale. Neighbors near existing recovery homes may see those properties change hands, while construction on a new campus could bring local jobs and traffic during the build. The county will need to coordinate zoning, permitting and public outreach as site selection and design move forward.

County residents should expect more details from ATS and county planning officials as architectural studies and feasibility work start this year. Notices about potential public meetings, service transitions and opportunities for public comment will guide how the new campus is sited and integrated into community supports.

For people seeking help now, expanded outpatient scheduling and telehealth services are intended to bridge gaps during the transition. For the wider community, the consolidation effort marks a shift toward integrated, locally based addiction care that aims to keep more people engaged in recovery and reduce service fragmentation across Traverse City.