Admissions Made Simple
NorthStar Regional handles addiction and mental health treatment admissions in Minnesota in two steps: you call, and we pick you up. One call covers your benefits, your starting point, and your admission date, same day or next day when we can. Then a carefully screened driver, most often someone in long-term recovery, picks you up anywhere in the Twin Cities metro. We accept Medical Assistance (Medicaid) and most major insurers, and if you have no coverage, we help you enroll. You make the call, and we take it from there.
Licensed Treatment Programs
Founded 2015
Addiction and mental health care in one system
Multiple Campuses
Across the Twin Cities metro
MN Department of Health: Licensed
MN Department of Human Services: Licensed
Step one: you call
How Admissions Works
On that one call, we get to know your situation. We help review your insurance, identify your starting point in the continuum, and schedule your admission, same day or next day whenever we can. We ask what we need to keep you safe, including withdrawal risk, medical needs such as insulin or seizure medication, and how you’re doing mentally. You don’t have to tell your whole life story over the phone.
“The client has done the work by picking up the phone. We will carry them the rest of the way.”
Sarah Roy, MBA, Executive Vice President, NorthStar Regional
Handled before you hang up
What That First Call Takes Off Your Plate
Our admissions team’s reputation with the counties, hospitals, and courts that send us clients comes down to three words: they just get it done. Here’s what “done” means for you.
We Help Review Your Benefits
We check your insurance while you’re on the phone, so you know where you stand before you commit to anything. We accept Medical Assistance (Medicaid), most major insurers, and public funding.
No Insurance? We Help You Enroll
A few basic questions tell us if you qualify for Minnesota’s Behavioral Health Fund or Medical Assistance (the state’s Medicaid program). If you do, our intake team helps you fill out the form.
We Find the Right Level of Care
Whether you need withdrawal care, residential, or outpatient treatment, we match your care to how you’re doing right now. That way, you start in the right place.
A Gentle Safety Check
We ask about withdrawal risk, medical needs like insulin or seizure medicine, and your mental health. That way, our team is ready for you when you arrive. We start on any medical needs from the day you’re admitted.
Your Start Date: Same Day or Next Whenever Possible
We aim for a same-day or next-day start, because motivation can fade quickly. We follow up with reminder calls and texts. If something gets in the way, we work through it with you.
We Arrange Your Ride
You don’t need a car or a license. Transportation to treatment is part of admission. If you have a car you need to bring, we’ll work with you on that too.
Step two
We Pick You Up
We pick you up anywhere in the Twin Cities metro. Most treatment centers tell you when to show up. We show up for you, and we built the ride to be the first hour of care, not just transportation.
Before the wheels move
One Call with Everyone on the Line
Your admissions coordinator connects you and your driver on the same call for a warm handoff. Who’s coming, what the vehicle looks like, when they’ll arrive, and what to expect on the ride. A loved one can be on that call too.
On the road
Water, a Meal, and No Judgment
The vehicle is stocked with water, electrolytes, snacks, and a bagged meal. Many people arrive having barely eaten. Drivers are closely screened, and most are in long-term recovery themselves. They will help you pack if packing feels impossible today.
At the door
Walked In, Not Dropped Off
Your driver carries your bags, walks you inside, and stays until you’re personally introduced to the intake team member who takes it from there. Another meal is waiting if you want one. Then, straight into care.
The whole ride is built on one standard. One of our staff members in recovery put it simply. “If somebody would have given me a bottle of water, it would have completely changed my experience.”
From day one
What We Provide When You Arrive
Admissions doesn’t end when you walk in. From the first day, our team sets you up with what your recovery needs: financial assistance, Medicaid and insurance enrollment, general assistance, clothing, and essentials. Clients have arrived without socks or underwear and been given both. There is no checklist you can fail here.
You’ll complete a comprehensive assessment, Minnesota’s single standard for matching you to care. Your plan takes shape from there: the level of care that fits, the campus that fits, and a team that treats addiction and mental health together. Want to know exactly what that first day looks like? We’ve written it down, hour by hour.
Not calling for yourself?
Guides for Families
Families start this process as often as clients do. We built guides for exactly where you’re standing.
For parents
When It's Your Son or Daughter
The signs, the talk, and what happens after they say yes. A parent’s guide to helping an adult child.
For spouses & partners
When It's the Person Beside You
Support for the person sharing the house, the finances, and the fallout. It includes how couples may be able to enter treatment together.
Coverage
The Money Question
Medicaid, most major insurers, and Minnesota’s Behavioral Health Fund. You are very likely covered here. We check it before anything else.
Questions we hear every day
Common Questions About Admissions
How fast can I get into treatment?
We aim to start you the same day or the next day. Readiness to change can pass quickly, so whenever we can, we schedule you before the call ends. Then we confirm with reminder calls and texts.
What happens when I call?
A real person answers, usually within seconds. We get to know your situation, and our team helps review your benefits. We find your right starting point in our levels of care and set your admission time. You don’t have to tell your whole life story. Just what’s needed, and the rest comes later.
What if I don't have insurance?
You may still qualify for coverage. When you call, we’ll ask a few quick questions to see whether you qualify for Minnesota’s Behavioral Health Fund or Medical Assistance (Medicaid). If you do, we start the application right then. When you arrive, our intake team helps you finish it.
Is the ride really free? How does the pickup work?
Yes. Transportation to treatment is part of admissions, not an upsell. An admissions coordinator connects you and your driver on one call before pickup. The driver tells you exactly what to expect. The vehicle is stocked with water, electrolytes, snacks, and a meal. We pick you up anywhere in the Twin Cities metro.
Will a criminal record keep me out?
In most cases, no. We have a small number of exclusions for safety reasons, and we look at each person’s situation individually. If your record is tied to past substance use and you’re ready to work on recovery, please reach out so we can talk through your options.
Can my family call for me?
Yes, and they do every day. A parent, spouse, or friend can start the process, and we’ll take it from there, including looping your loved one into the pickup call so nobody feels alone in it. Family members can start with our guide for parents or our guide for spouses and partners.
What should I bring?
Just yourself. From your first day, we help with clothing, essentials, and any other practical needs, including financial assistance and insurance enrollment. Some people have arrived with only the clothes they were wearing, and we gave them everything they needed, down to socks. You don’t need to have anything ready before you come.
Admissions
Make the First Call and We'll Take It from There
Confidential, no obligation, and answered by someone who knows what you’re facing and cares to listen.