Jacki Gervais did not set out to build a treatment center. She did not have a five-year plan to become a CEO. She was not chasing a title, a platform, or a rapidly growing organization. In fact, if you ask her, she still sounds a little surprised by the whole thing.
"I'm not a businesswoman," Gervais said. "I didn't start a business with the idea of doing anything big. I just wanted to see my own patients."
That was the beginning — a small private practice, a desire to do meaningful work, and a steady stream of people who needed help. Then, little by little, the work grew. Staff came on board. More patients walked through the door. More gaps in care became impossible to ignore.
Eventually, that small practice became The Ridge Treatment and Reentry Center, a Fargo-based organization serving people with substance use disorder, mental health needs, and the life challenges that often come with both.
Today, The Ridge has roughly 45 employees, a growing range of services, and a new 27,000-square-foot space near the Crossroads area on 13th Avenue. Gervais also founded Justice Well, a foundation created to support people when insurance, Medicaid, or personal resources are not enough.
"Honestly, from the beginning, we probably should have been a nonprofit," Gervais said. "We've always served opioid-dependent people. We've always served people who are homeless. We've always served underserved populations."
That reality shaped the organization from the start.
Building an Ecosystem, Not Just a Clinic
Many people who come to The Ridge are not walking in with a clear plan. They may not know what kind of care they need or have insurance. They may need help signing up for Medicaid or be dealing with addiction, depression, housing instability, court involvement, transportation issues, or all of the above.
For Gervais, the question became less about building a traditional treatment center and more about building a place where people could walk in and not immediately hit another wall.
