15/10/2025
WellStone’s River Crossing: Launching a new Resource in the Fight against Addiction
By Karen Petersen, Director of Development, WellStone, Inc.
North Alabama’s mental health leader is tackling another gap in our community’s continuum of care.
WellStone recently opened River Crossing, a 16-bed, medically monitored detox facility. It’s based in a beautiful, three-story home in west Huntsville.
“River Crossing is set up to feel warm and welcoming,” said Joy Seuis, Director of Substance Abuse Programs at WellStone. “It’s nearly 10,000 sq. ft. and has six bedrooms and seven bathrooms. It’s gorgeous. We want to help our clients feel comfortable and hopeful, all while providing the best care possible.”
River Crossing serves adults who are at “imminent risk for withdrawal syndrome”—typically people with prolonged alcohol or drug use.
Withdrawal can trigger serious physical symptoms, like intense cravings, sleeplessness, headaches, nausea, tremors, and even seizures. During their visits, clients are monitored by nurses and staff 24/7. They also have access to physician care; medication administration; individual, group, and family counseling; case management; and peer support.
For too long, this often lifesaving care has been limited in Madison County, particularly for under-resourced individuals. That’s why River Crossing has been such a vital addition to North Alabama’s recovery space.
“The need has been enormous for years,” said WellStone CEO Jeremy Blair. “We’ve been stuck in an opioid epidemic, and too many people, desperate for help, haven’t been able to get the care they deserve.”
River Crossing was funded, in large part, through Opioid Settlement dollars, distributed by the Alabama Department of Mental Health.
“Many people in Madison County with a substance use disorder must travel far from home to receive detox services,” said Commissioner Kimberly Boswell, ADMH.“Investments from Opioid Settlement Funds over the past two years have helped to increase access to this essential service. Thanks to WellStone and the River Crossing facility, individuals and families in north Alabama can find the support they need, when they need it, right in their own community.”
Since detox is usually the starting point toward longer-term treatment, River Crossing works closely with River Valley Recovery Center, WellStone’s16-bed residential treatment center in Hazel Green, and New Horizons intensive outpatient program on Wellstone’s South Huntsville campus.
“We love that we’re able to transition our clients to River Valley or New Horizons, depending on the individual,” said Seuis. “That’s where the deeper dive into treatment begins.”
Besides admission to an inpatient or outpatient program, long-term treatment plans may include continued therapy, medication assisted treatment and psychiatric services.
But it all starts with that often-terrifying first step.
For those who take it at River Crossing, an experienced team of mental health professionals will be waiting, ready to guide them, safely and steadily, toward recovery.
“We want them to know that their sobriety is worth fighting for, and so are they,” said Seuis.
River Crossing is expected to serve 200 adults annually. Most will stay a week, but can extend to 15 days, if needed. The facility accepts private insurance, Medicaid, Medicare and self-pay clients. No client will be turned away because of an inability to pay. WellStone’s priority is providing individuals with the care they need when they need it.
To learn more about River Crossing and other WellStone programs, call the Access to Care line at 256-705-6444.Wellstone is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization.
