Building Recovery, One Relationship at a Time

Bruce Goldberg, LMSW, ACSW, CAADC, SAP, has been called many things: a clinician, a mentor, a leader, but in Southeast Michigan’s behavioral health world, he’s best known as “The Godfather of Mental Health.” For more than 30 years, Bruce has redefined what it means to lead with compassion, develop life-saving programs, and create systems that connect people to healing, not just treatment.

As President and co-owner of River’s Bend PC, Bruce helped transform a small outpatient clinic into one of Michigan’s most respected providers of evidence-based mental health and addiction care. Today, his fingerprints are on nearly every service the organization provides, from its pioneering Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) to its trusted Health Professional Recovery Program (HPRP) work.

A National Voice in Substance Use & Recovery

Bruce’s clinical expertise is rooted in real-world experience. As a licensed Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) and co-occurring disorder specialist, he works closely with adults navigating addiction, trauma, and mental health challenges. His clinical contributions include:

• Founding River’s Bend’s IOP and Adult Early Recovery Group
• Providing individual, group, and family therapy for co-occurring disorders
• Leading intervention efforts for families and employers in crisis
• Facilitating recovery support for nurses, physicians, and licensed professionals through HPRP

In every setting, Bruce brings structure, empathy, and an unwavering commitment to integrity. For him, recovery is not just a clinical process, it’s a journey of human connection.

Provider. Partner. Advocate.

Beyond his clinical work, Bruce is a lifelong advocate. He’s spoken nationally on addiction recovery, stigma, and resilience at organizations like the National Association for Children of Addiction (NACoA), where he delivered one of his most memorable keynotes: “Recovery: What Does It Mean to You?”

He’s also a connector at heart. In 2013, Bruce co-founded Providers for Providers—a monthly networking forum that now reaches thousands of Michigan-based therapists, educators, and community partners. This initiative has become a model for professional collaboration, improving referrals and reducing fragmentation across the behavioral health landscape.

Recovery Is a Community Path

Bruce’s leadership at River’s Bend reflects a strong commitment to collaboration, connection, and effective substance use disorder leadership. Throughout the recovery process, he works closely with healthcare providers, clinicians, and families to ensure individuals receive coordinated and compassionate care. For example, Bruce may help a hospital coordinate a safe discharge plan, mentor a clinician on best practices in co occurring disorder treatment, or guide a family as they navigate the challenges of early recovery.

At every step, he prioritizes communication, structure, and clinical insight to strengthen outpatient recovery services and improve long term outcomes. As a result, Bruce Goldberg continues to advance behavioral health advocacy while helping individuals, families, and professionals move forward with greater confidence, stability, and support.

He believes deeply in trauma-informed care, integrated treatment models, and mental health parity—and he’s helped countless professionals and families move from overwhelm to action.

Areas of Expertise

• Substance use and co-occurring disorder treatment
• IOP program development and group facilitation
• Intervention planning and family support
• Health Professional Recovery Program (HPRP) services
• Mental health advocacy, mentorship, and professional networking

Get to Know the Leader Behind the Mission

Bruce Goldberg’s work is a reminder that leadership in behavioral health is about more than systems—it’s about people. He continues to mentor, innovate, and champion a world where recovery is possible, accessible, and personal.

Meet Our Leadership
Call: 248.585.3239 (Troy) | 248.702.6132 (West Bloomfield)

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