How To Market To Treatment Centers (By Understanding What They Actually Want)
Treatment centers are drowning in marketing from sober living operators.
Brochures. Emails. Phone calls. LinkedIn messages. Drop-by visits.
Most of it gets ignored.
Not because treatment centers don't need sober living partners. They do.
But because most operators market the wrong things in the wrong way.
If you want referrals from treatment centers, you need to understand what they're actually looking for—and market accordingly.
What Operators Think They Should Market
Most operators show up with:
Facility photos
Lists of amenities (exercise equipment, laundry machines, cornhole board)
Competitive pricing
"We have beds available"
Generic promises about structure and accountability
Then they wonder why treatment centers don't refer.
Here's the issue: You're marketing features. They're looking for proof of competence.
What Treatment Centers Actually Want (And How To Market It)
1. They Want Proof You Won't Create Problems
Their biggest fear isn't that you don't have a nice house.
It's that you'll make their job harder.
What they're worried about:
You'll allow drug use and they'll find out weeks later
You'll handle a crisis poorly and create a bigger emergency
You'll kick someone out without warning and leave them scrambling
You'll ignore clinical boundaries and undermine treatment
When they refer to you, their reputation is on the line.
How to market this:
Don't say: "We have a structured program with accountability."
Show:
Your intake and discharge protocols (documented, not just verbal)
Your house rules and how you enforce them
Your crisis management process
How you handle relapse situations
Your communication system with treatment teams
This is marketing. You're demonstrating competence through systems, not promises.
Where to market this:
In introductory conversations (show them your documentation)
On LinkedIn (post about your approach to structure and accountability)
In presentations at recovery events
Through your reputation (word spreads when you handle things well)
2. They Want Communication
Most operators ghost after intake. The treatment center has no idea what's happening until there's a crisis.
What they want:
Regular updates (doesn't have to be daily, but consistent)
Immediate notification of concerns (relapse, behavioral issues, medical)
Collaboration on treatment planning
Professional communication (clinical language, not landlord language)
How to market this:
Don't say: "We'll keep you updated."
Show:
Your communication protocol (monthly updates, immediate crisis notification)
Examples of your update format
Your availability and response time
How you integrate with their clinical team
This is marketing. You're demonstrating that you make their job easier.
Where to market this:
During initial meetings (explain your communication system)
In follow-up (actually do what you said—proof through action)
Through referral source testimonials (when they tell others you're responsive)
3. They Want Clinical Competence
Treatment centers are clinical environments. If you don't understand that world, you're not a viable partner.
What they want to see:
You understand levels of care (PHP, IOP, OP)
You respect MAT (Medication-Assisted Treatment) and don't stigmatize it
You know when to escalate to clinical staff
You understand HIPAA and confidentiality
You speak their language
How to market this:
Don't say: "We understand recovery."
Show:
Get certified (recovery coach, peer support specialist, etc.)
Use clinical language appropriately in conversations
Ask informed questions about their treatment approach
Demonstrate understanding of trauma-informed care
Share how you work with MAT residents
This is marketing. You're positioning yourself as a peer, not a vendor.
Where to market this:
LinkedIn posts discussing clinical concepts
Presentations on sober living best practices
Conversations where you demonstrate knowledge
Certifications and training on your website/LinkedIn
4. They Want Reliability
Treatment centers deal with chaos daily. They need operators who are:
Responsive (answer phone, reply to emails)
Consistent (show up when you say you will)
Professional (no drama, no surprises)
Easy to work with (simple processes, clear communication)
How to market this:
Don't say: "We're reliable."
Show:
Answer every call and email within 24 hours (or same day)
Follow through on every commitment, no matter how small
Be consistent in your communication and behavior
Make working with you easy (streamlined intake, clear expectations)
This is marketing. Your reliability becomes your reputation.
Where to market this:
Through your actions (every interaction is marketing)
Through referral sources who tell others "This operator always comes through"
By being the operator who never drops the ball
5. They Want Partnership, Not a Transaction
Treatment centers don't want a vendor. They want a partner.
What partnership looks like:
You help with difficult placements, not just easy ones
You collaborate on treatment planning
You provide resources even when it doesn't directly benefit you
You care about outcomes, not just filling beds
How to market this:
Don't say: "We want to partner with you."
Show:
Take challenging individuals other operators won't
Offer to help even when your beds are full (refer them elsewhere)
Share insights from your experience
Ask how you can better support their discharge planning
This is marketing. You're demonstrating that you're thinking beyond transactions.
Where to market this:
Through consistent actions over time
By being helpful without expecting immediate ROI
By building a reputation as the operator who "gets it"
The Marketing Shift
Traditional marketing: "Look at our recovery residence. We have beds. Send us referrals."
Credibility-based marketing: "Here's proof we're competent, reliable, and easy to work with. Here's how we make your job easier."
The first approach gets ignored.
The second approach gets referrals.
How To Actually Market To Treatment Centers
Step 1: Stop Leading With Amenities
Don't send a brochure with photos of your kitchen.
Send:
Your communication protocol
Your house rules and accountability structure
Your staff qualifications and training
Your crisis management process
Your approach to supporting clinical treatment plans
This is what they care about.
Step 2: Position Yourself as an Expert
Write on LinkedIn about:
What makes good aftercare
How to support individuals in early recovery
Challenges in sober living and how you solve them
Clinical concepts relevant to recovery housing
Speak at local recovery events. Offer to present on sober living best practices.
When treatment centers see you as an expert, they want to work with you.
Step 3: Get Warm Introductions Instead of Cold Emailing
Cold emails are weak marketing. Warm introductions are strong marketing.
Find connectors in your community. Build relationships. Provide value first.
When they introduce you to a treatment center, you start with credibility instead of from zero.
Step 4: Demonstrate Competence Through Action
Your best marketing is how you operate.
When you:
Handle a crisis well
Communicate proactively
Make their job easier
Deliver on your promises
They tell other treatment centers. That's the most powerful marketing there is.
Step 5: Make It Easy for Them to Say Yes
Be responsive. Be professional. Be consistent.
Remove friction from working with you.
The easier you are to work with, the more they'll refer.
The Operator Who Gets This Right
I know an operator who's never sent a brochure to a treatment center.
Her marketing strategy:
Positioning herself as an expert in the recovery community
Getting warm introductions through connectors
Demonstrating clinical competence in every interaction
Being the most responsive, reliable operator in her area
Making treatment centers' jobs easier
She's currently at 100% occupancy. Waitlist. No ad spend.
Because she markets what treatment centers actually care about.
What You Should Do This Week
Ask yourself:
Am I marketing features or competence?
Am I demonstrating expertise or just claiming it?
Am I making referral sources' jobs easier or harder?
Am I building relationships or just asking for referrals?
Then adjust your marketing accordingly.
Treatment centers don't refer to the operator with the nicest recovery residence.
They refer to the operator they trust.
Market in a way that builds that trust.
-Kevin
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