'We can make people healthy again': Meta House announces addiction treatment center expansion

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – One Milwaukee nonprofit is ready to expand with a new facility opening in spring 2026.

"We're almost always on a three to six-month waitlist for our services, and we saw that we were uniquely positioned to be able to scale up and be able to treat people quickly," Valerie Vidal said.

Vidal is the president and CEO of Meta House, an addiction treatment center that helps women get sober and receive resources to end the generational cycle of substance abuse.

"We provide child and family services. We do vocational education training for our clients. We're really helping them with all of the next steps for independence and self-sufficiency," Vidal explained.

On Monday, the nonprofit invited state and local leaders for a ceremonial groundbreaking of their new facility at 3901 W. Bluemound Rd. Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski celebrated the impact the facility will have on the community.

"[The fire department] can keep going out when people call 911 and there are people who are having overdoses in alleys and cars and homes. We can keep doing that, but that's not solving the whole problem," Lipski said. "We can make people healthy again. We can recover the human being. This is going to be that spot."

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul was also present for the groundbreaking. He shared how a $750,000 settlement from a lawsuit the Wisconsin Department of Justice brought against an oxycontin manufacturer is helping organizations like Meta House heal communities impacted by the opioid crisis.

"The folks who are working at Meta House and other important nonprofits are going to be doing work day in and day out with folks who are struggling with substance use disorder, and the work they do is ultimately what helps us turn the corner on this epidemic," Kaul said.

Construction on the new facility will begin this fall. For more information on Meta House, click here.