Meta House’s comprehensive treatment program features a wide variety of services. We know that each woman’s past and journey into recovery is unique; for that reason, each client will work with her treatment team to create an individualized plan that addresses her specific needs and concerns. Each plan will incorporate any number of these service components:
To speak with someone about our services, please call (414) 962-1200.
At Meta House, substance use disorder (SUD) treatment is delivered by a team of highly-trained professionals who use evidence-based, research-informed practices. What sets our services apart is that they are designed specifically for women - honoring women’s unique experiences and addressing their specific needs.
Many women struggling with addiction have also survived sexual, physical, or emotional abuse. These traumatic experiences often drive substance use as a way to cope with overwhelming pain. Our approach helps women heal from trauma, build emotional resilience, and develop the tools they need to live healthy, substance-free lives.
Substance Use Disorder (SUD) services include counseling, therapy, education, relapse prevention, process and goal setting, meditation, and urine screens. Women learn the root causes of their substance use, while learning new and healthy ways to cope. Women are empowered with the tools to manage trauma in order to reduce relapses. Meta House does not provide detoxification services; however, it is expected that many women will be admitted immediately following detoxification.
One-on-One Counseling/Therapy Sessions provide a setting to discuss and understand the most intimate details of each woman’s life as it impacts her substance use and desire to change. It is also the opportunity to establish, review, and revise each woman’s individual treatment plan and to evaluate progress and focus on specific individual needs.
Process Groups provide a forum to address and discuss current problems and concerns, consider alternative strategies for coping with day-to-day challenges of recovery, teach new ways to handle triggering situations, and generate mutual support and a sense of belonging.
Group Counseling/Therapy Sessions provide a safe and confidential forum to encourage the process of introspection and internal change that helps to identify critical events, traumas, and situations from the past that influence current ways of thinking, coping, and relating to others. The implications of physical violence and sexual and emotional abuse are explored in-depth, allowing the women to see the connections between their traumatic pasts and their substance use.
Chemical Dependency Education provides instruction on the ways in which chemical dependence affects women, their children, and their relationships with other adults. The physical and mental health and social and economic consequences of drug use are addressed.
“Seeking Safety” Treatment Group recognizes that the vast majority of Meta House’s clients have faced traumatic life experiences. The program makes the connections between the symptoms of trauma (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other mental health disorders) and substance use disorder/dependence. This group also teaches clients safe coping skills amidst triggers and techniques to manage trauma.
DBT Skills Group focuses on skills required to maintain emotional balance while navigating complex, stressful situations.
Nicotine Cessation focuses on creating a positive, drug-free clinical setting. Nicotine is treated alongside drugs and alcohol as an addictive substance. Therapists establish treatment plans in collaboration with clients to cope with potential triggers, cravings, and relapses. Therapists utilize motivational interviewing techniques to help clients explore and seek behavior change (nicotine cessation).
Many women who struggle with substance use also experience co-occurring mental health disorders. These challenges often stem from histories of childhood or adult trauma, including physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. At Meta House, we understand the deep connection between trauma, mental health, and substance use - and we’re uniquely equipped to help women heal.
Our integrated, trauma-informed approach focuses on treating the whole person. Women with co-occurring mental health conditions face additional barriers to recovery, which is why we prioritize compassionate care and comprehensive support. Our goal is to equip each woman with the tools she needs to manage her mental health and build a foundation for lasting recovery.
Expert Clinical Team: Our staff includes a Medical Director with expertise in addiction and Master’s-level mental health professionals.
Trauma-Informed Therapy: Specialized programming designed specifically for women with a history of trauma and substance use.
Parenting Support: Programs that empower mothers to strengthen their relationships with their children.
Referral Coordination: Connection to additional mental health or community resources when needed.
Recovering from a substance use disorder is only one of the challenges Meta House clients face. Poverty, poor physical and mental health, past and current violence, inadequate housing, and lack of job and parenting skills add to the complexity of day-to-day life.
Most women we serve are involved not only in substance use disorder treatment at Meta House, but also other systems, such as child welfare, W-2 (Wisconsin’s TANF program), and the criminal justice system. While facing these complicated realities, most women enter treatment without a support network. Meta House has implemented intensive Case Management services to help women navigate through these complex systems and by helping her to:
Build a network of family, friends, spiritual and professional support which increases her ability to cope after leaving treatment;
Increase her retention in the program which will increase her ability to maintain sobriety;
Coordinate her service plan
Case Managers: From the time she is admitted, the client is assigned a Case Manager who will remain with her and her family throughout the course of treatment at Meta House. The Case Manager serves as a systems navigator for all service coordination, problem solving, and crisis intervention.
Intensive Case Management to help women prioritize their needs and access resources, such as housing and medical services.
Coordinated Care works closely with other systems to coordinate care, so that all the helpers are working together on the family’s behalf.
Single Plan of Care works with the members of the client’s support network to reflect the individual woman’s needs and drives her treatment.
The philosophy at Meta House serves the goal of supporting children, teaching parenting, rebuilding and strengthening families, and breaking the cycle of inter-generational substance dependence. Meta House gives priority to women who are pregnant. Although Meta House coordinates child and family care with other agencies, Meta House is one of the only treatment centers in the state that allows children to live with their mothers in the residential treatment and housing programs and to receive intervention services. Child care is provided.
Skill Building Classes includes parenting education and coaching, child development classes, nutrition education, living and health skills training, social skill-building and cultural development, relapse prevention, and trigger awareness classes for families and children.
Nurturing Care Program focuses on teaching parents to be sensitive and aware of children’s emotional needs and works with the family history and trauma.
In-home visits and individual sessions.
Baby Health: birth to 10 developmental screenings and pre-natal and post-natal care coordination.
Infant Mental Health assessments identify and treat early mental health concerns.
Mother, Child and Family Interactions: includes family activities and outings and reunification services.
“Mom and Me”– facilitated interaction between parent and child.
Filial Therapy– teaches parents to practice child-centered play therapy techniques with the goal of strengthening relationships.
“Celebrating Families” – a 13-week, evidence-based program guided by a caring, multidisciplinary team, designed to guide entire families through the healing process.
Meta House recognizes the significance that education and vocational ability have on self-sufficiency, financial freedom, and self-esteem. Upon entering Meta House, many of the clients in our program have not completed high school or received a GED. Substance use disorder and a lack of education can often pose significant barriers to employment. Due to social stigmas, it is very difficult for a person with a criminal record or a history of substance use to find employment.
The vocational and educational services at Meta House helps ensure that each of our clients has an increased sense of self-worth and sense of purpose, is less likely to return to active substance use, is empowered to be financially independent, and has the tools needed to become a productive, contributing member of society.
Job Readiness: once stabilized, women can access a pre-employment group, where we can assess skills and resources needed to become job ready.
Training: weekly vocational and educational group that covers topics such as budgeting, resume writing, application writing, and interviewing skills.
On-Site Literacy Center provides assistance with reading, writing, spelling, and math skills, GED/HSED preparation, driver’s license written test preparation, computer training software, and Testing for Adult Basic Education (TABE).
Meta House is proud to serve women enrolled in the Milwaukee County Comprehensive Community Services (CCS) program.
Comprehensive Community Services (CCS) is a recovery-focused, integrated behavioral health program for adults with severe mental illness and/or substance use disorders and children with severe emotional disturbance. CCS is unique for its inclusion of both children and adults and its focus on other physical illness and impact on multiple system use. CCS provides a coordinated and comprehensive array of recovery services, treatment, and psychosocial rehabilitation services that assist individuals to utilize professional, community, and natural supports to address their needs. CCS is a community-based program in which the majority of services are provided in clients’ homes and communities. The program is person-centered and uses client-directed service plans to describe the individualized services that will support the client to achieve their recovery goals. Services are provided by teams of professionals, peer specialists, and natural supports, all coordinated by a CCS care coordinator.
Please click here for a copy of the CCS brochure.
Ready to apply for the program? Start the process by calling (414) 257-6060.
Note to CCS care coordinators: when calling for an intake, please let the receptionist know that client has CCS funding.
