Addiction treatment provider First Steps has acquired Georgia Recovery Campus.

Macon, Georgia-based Georgia Recovery Campus offers medical detox, residential treatment and outpatient programs. It operates a 63-acre campus as well as several outpatient clinics.

“GRC was built on the foundation of inspiring hope and delivering high quality care to those with substance abuse and mental health issues, and I’m thrilled to have the chance to partner with an organization that shares the same mission,” said Jeff Rubin, founder of GRC. “This partnership will further accelerate the growth trajectory at GRC and enable the platform as a whole to continue expanding into underserved communities in need of high-quality addiction treatment care.”

The new deal will help to expand First Steps footprint. Currently, the Fresno, California-based provider offers medical detox, residential treatment, partial hospitalization (PHP), intensive outpatient programs (IOP) and virtual care. Brentwood Capital advised on the transaction.

In 2024, private equity firm Avesi Partners purchased First Steps. The firm’s behavioral health portfolio also includes adolescent behavioral health providers Muir Wood Capital and Point Quest.

While deals in the substance use disorder (SUD) treatment market have been slow over the past few years, there have been a few acquisitions in the space. For example, Crossroads Mental Health acquired Family Health Services.

And more may come on the market soon. For example, Advanced Recovery Systems and Pyramid Healthcare are reportedly preparing for a sale.

Uncertainties around Medicaid cuts have made investors cautious to jump into the space.