Levels of Care at Sanford: A Full Continuum for Every Program
At Sanford Behavioral Health, every program has a full continuum of care. Whether you’re seeking help for mental health, addiction, or an eating disorder, you can start at the level of care that fits your needs today. As those needs change, you move to the next step with the same psychiatrist-led team.
Most people don’t need one fixed program. Someone might begin with medical detox or residential treatment, step down to a day program, and later continue virtually from home. Others start in outpatient care and step up for more support if symptoms get harder to manage. At Sanford, every level connects, so your care doesn’t restart each time it changes. If you’re looking for help for someone you love, this page can help you understand their options and what to expect.
Call 616.202.3326 or contact us 24/7. A real person answers, day or night.
One Continuum, Four Programs
Sanford’s three core programs each offer care from the most intensive level through ongoing support. Veterans and first responders have their own full continuum at JOHN.
- Mental health treatment: Care for depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, OCD, personality disorders, and co-occurring conditions. Adults 18 and older. Explore mental health treatment
- Addiction treatment: Evidence-based care for alcohol and drug use, from medical detox through aftercare and sober living. Adults 18 and older. Explore addiction treatment
- Eating disorder treatment: Specialized care for anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, OSFED, and more, using a Health at Every Size approach. Intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization accept ages 14 and up; residential care is 18 and older. Explore eating disorder treatment
- JOHN Veterans & First Responders: A residential program for veterans and first responders only, in a restored historic home in Grand Rapids, with its own continuum for mental health, PTSD, addiction, and eating disorders. Learn about JOHN
Sanford also offers outpatient psychiatric care at the Sanford Depression & Anxiety Center, including care for treatment-resistant depression and SPRAVATO (esketamine) treatment.
Our Levels of Care, From Most to Least Intensive
Levels of Care by Program
| Program | Detox | Residential | PHP | IOP | Virtual | Supportive Living | Outpatient |
| Mental health | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Addiction | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Eating disorders | ✓ | ✓ (18+) | ✓ (14+) | ✓ (14+) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| JOHN Veterans & First Responders | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ (virtual) | ✓ | — |
Medical Detox
Medical detox helps you safely stop using alcohol or drugs while our medical team monitors and manages withdrawal symptoms around the clock. Sanford offers residential detox at Sanford West for clients in every program, including mental health, eating disorder, and JOHN clients, plus outpatient detox at the Sanford Outpatient Center for people already in a partial hospitalization or intensive outpatient program. Detox is a first step, so your team plans what comes next before it ends. Available for: every program, including mental health, eating disorder, and JOHN clientsResidential Treatment
Residential treatment, sometimes called a residential treatment center (RTC), provides 24/7 care while you live on campus. Your days include individual and group therapy, psychiatric care, medication management, and experiential activities like outdoor excursions, fitness, and yoga. This level fits people who need structure, safety, and distance from daily stressors to stabilize. Available for: mental health, addiction, and eating disorder treatment, and at JOHNPartial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
A partial hospitalization program, often called a day program, offers full days of treatment while you return home or to supportive living at night. PHP is a common step down from residential care. It can also be a starting point for people who need more than weekly therapy but not 24/7 care. Available for: mental health, addiction, and eating disorder treatment. Addiction PHP is also available virtuallyIntensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
An intensive outpatient program meets several times a week for a few hours at a time, so you can keep working, going to school, or caring for family. Mental health IOP, for example, meets virtually three hours a day, three days a week. IOP builds coping, communication, and relapse prevention skills you can use right away. Available for: mental health, addiction, and eating disorder treatment, and at JOHN. Addiction IOP is in person or virtual, eating disorder IOP is virtual or hybrid, and mental health and JOHN IOP are virtualVirtual Programs
Virtual IOP is available in every program, including JOHN, and addiction treatment also offers virtual PHP. Both bring the same psychiatrist-led team to you at home through secure telehealth. Virtual care works well for Michigan residents who live far from Grand Rapids or need to balance treatment with work or family. You keep access to Sanford’s full continuum if you need to step up or down. Available for: mental health, addiction, and eating disorder treatment, and at JOHNSupportive Living
Supportive living gives people in day or outpatient programs a stable, recovery-focused place to stay on the Sanford West campus in Marne. It bridges the gap between residential care and returning home. Addiction treatment also offers sober living for longer-term support. Available for: mental health, addiction, and eating disorder treatmentOutpatient Therapy and Psychiatric Care
Outpatient care continues your progress with individual therapy, psychiatric visits, and medication management on a flexible schedule. For people whose symptoms return or intensify, two- to four-week tune-ups offer a short, focused return to a higher level of care. Addiction treatment also includes an aftercare program and medication-assisted treatment (MAT), which can continue as you step down through each level. Available for: mental health, addiction, and eating disorder treatment, plus the Depression & Anxiety CenterFree Family and Alumni Programs
Recovery doesn’t end when formal treatment does, and it rarely happens alone. Sanford offers free family and alumni programs to clients from every program.
- Family program: Free support groups and education help loved ones understand what you are going through, set healthy boundaries, and support your recovery at home.
- Alumni program: Alumni from every program stay connected through virtual groups, hybrid events, and a community of people who understand the work of recovery.
Where Care Happens
Sanford’s levels of care are based in West Michigan, with virtual options across the state. Everyone who needs detox or eating disorder care starts at Sanford West, even clients who later continue at JOHN.
- Sanford West Behavioral Health Campus: Medical detox for every program, residential treatment, day and intensive outpatient programs, supportive living, outpatient care, and Sanford Comprehensive Treatment for Eating Disorders, on an 18-acre campus with walking trails. 15146 16th Avenue, Marne, MI 49435, about 12 minutes from downtown Grand Rapids.
- JOHN Veterans & First Responders: Residential treatment and virtual IOP for veterans and first responders in a restored historic home. 221 John Street NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503.
- Virtual programs: Virtual IOP in every program, plus virtual PHP for addiction treatment, for Michigan residents wherever you live in the state.
How Moving Between Levels of Care Works
Your level of care isn’t locked in on day one. Your treatment team reviews your progress regularly and adjusts your plan as you go. All programs are closely monitored by your personal therapist, dietitian, and medical and clinical teams, who recommend when and where to move between levels of care.
- Assessment: A free assessment looks at your mental and physical health, substance use, history, and goals to recommend a starting level.
- Treatment at the right intensity: You start where you need the most support, whether that’s detox, residential, a day program, or outpatient care.
- Stepping down: As you stabilize, you move to less intensive care with the same team, so there is no gap between levels.
- Stepping up when needed: If symptoms return or life gets harder, you can step back up, including a short two- to four-week tune-up.
- Ongoing support: Outpatient care and free family and alumni programs keep you connected after treatment.
You Don’t Have to Choose Just One Track
Many people live with more than one condition at the same time, such as depression and alcohol use, or an eating disorder alongside anxiety. You don’t need to know which program fits before you reach out, and you don’t have to pick just one.
That’s the idea behind Sanford’s campus concept: every diagnosis is treated under one roof. Mental health, addiction, and eating disorder care all happen on one campus with one clinical team. Your assessment looks at everything going on, and your plan treats co-occurring conditions together. There’s no handoff to a separate program across town and no waiting for a bed somewhere else once one condition stabilizes.
Getting Started Should Be EZ
Sanford’s EZ Admissions team makes starting care simple at any level.
- A real person answers the phone 24/7, with no automated systems or callbacks.
- Our on-call medical team handles clearances around the clock, and we accept VA and hospital referral packets so you don’t repeat assessments.
- When you meet emergent criteria, there’s no wait, and overnight admissions are available.
- Walk-ins are welcome.
Sanford is in-network with most commercial insurance plans and VA Community Care. Verify your insurance in a few minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions About Levels of Care
What Is a Continuum of Care?
A continuum of care is a connected set of treatment levels, from intensive 24/7 care to outpatient support. Instead of finishing one program and searching for the next, you move between levels with one coordinated team.
How Do I Know Which Level of Care I Need?
What Is the Difference Between PHP and IOP?
Can I Start in Outpatient Care and Move Up If I Need More Support?
Are Virtual Programs as Effective as In-Person Care?
Does Insurance Cover Each Level of Care?
What Ages Does Sanford Treat?
Find the Right Level of Care Today
Wherever you are starting from, Sanford has a level of care that fits, and a team that stays with you as you move forward. Call 616.202.3326 or contact us 24/7.
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