Founded in Detroit in 2014, because families in crisis were being told to wait.
NorthStar started with a family problem. In 2013, our founder Neil Kowalski watched a member of his own family go through opioid use disorder and everything that comes after it — and discovered that in a city the size of Detroit, there was almost nowhere to send him that didn't have a six-week waiting list.
Neil had spent eleven years running regional operations for a Michigan behavioral health organization. He knew the system from the inside, and he knew the waiting list was not a resourcing problem so much as an organizational one. In 2014 he opened NorthStar with six providers in a single suite near the city center.
We added substance use services in 2017, case management in 2018, and peer recovery support in 2020. Today we're a team of 68 serving more than 4,200 people a year.
What hasn't changed is the thing we opened over. We answer the phone, and we get people scheduled.
| 2014 | NorthStar opens in Detroit with six providers, offering outpatient mental health services. |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Joins the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network provider network. |
| 2017 | Substance use disorder treatment added, including outpatient and IOP programming. |
| 2018 | Case management and care coordination services launched. |
| 2019 | CARF accreditation awarded for outpatient behavioral health and SUD treatment. |
| 2020 | Peer recovery support program launched; telehealth stood up across all outpatient services. |
| 2022 | School-based counseling begins at three Detroit partner schools. |
| 2024 | Tenth anniversary. NorthStar passes 4,000 individuals served in a single year. |
| 2026 | Applied for state funding to expand into medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder. |
A small leadership group, most of whom have been here the better part of a decade.
Founded NorthStar in 2014 after eleven years in regional operations at a Michigan behavioral health organization.
Joined in 2019 and now oversees operations, billing systems and reporting across the practice.
Joined in 2021 from a Southeast Michigan community health center, where he led revenue cycle operations.
Joined in 2019. Oversees clinical programming, supervision and quality of care across all service lines.
Joined in 2020. Leads quality improvement, accreditation readiness and regulatory compliance.
Joined in 2017 and leads the billing and patient accounts team.
Board-certified psychiatrist providing clinical oversight of psychiatric and medication services.
Leads hiring, onboarding and staff development for our clinical and administrative teams.
NorthStar has been accredited by CARF International since 2019 for outpatient behavioral health and substance use treatment. We are a contracted provider with the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network and a Michigan Medicaid enrolled provider.
Our substance use records are protected under 42 CFR Part 2 in addition to HIPAA. Our Notice of Privacy Practices explains what that means for you.
We hire clinicians who want manageable caseloads and actual supervision. We post openings as they come up, and we're always glad to hear from licensed clinicians in the Detroit area even when nothing is listed.
Call (313) 367-1127 or send a request and we’ll get back to you the same business day.