ABOUT UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO — ADDICTION RESEARCH AND TREATMENT SERVICES (ARTS)
A part of the Division of Substance Dependence – a program within the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver, Colo. – Addiction Research and Treatment Services (ARTS) has been treating clients for more than 40 years. The facility offers residential programs for men referred from the criminal justice system, women, and adolescents, in addition to three outpatient clinics set throughout the Denver-metropolitan area. All programs offer medicated assisted treatment, including methadone for opiate dependence and naltrexone for alcohol addiction.
TREATMENT & ASSESSMENT
Treatment at ARTS is evidence-based and utilizes cutting-edge scientific research and medical education to provide clients with the latest, most comprehensive addiction treatment services. There are four residential programs — Peer I (adult men via the criminal justice system), Haven House (women), Haven Mother’s House (pregnant women and new mothers), and Synergy Residential Child Care Facility (RCCF – adolescent males ages 14 to 18) — in addition to outpatient offerings.
All four long-term residential programs follow a modified therapeutic community (MTC) model and are provided for both chronic substance abuse and co-occurring mental health disorders. Treatment includes group and individual therapy, addiction education, regular drug and alcohol testing, peer-run activities, 12-step meetings, relapse prevention and life skills training workshops, and psychiatric consultation and medication monitoring if needed. All treatment programs offer recreational activities as well, including outdoor activities, gym training, and cultural outings.
Haven House offers additional groups that address issues specific to women in recovery. Haven Mother’s House is designed to help mothers learn positive parenting skills and facilitate healthy bonding and attachment with their children. And the Synergy Residential Child Care Facility (RCCF) offers added recreational activities and a focus on positive, life-affirming opportunities for the future, as well as an accredited school on-site.
Continuing care plans are offered for all programs and often include referrals to the facility’s outpatient programs, which are available to both adolescents and adults. Intensive outpatient (IOP) and traditional outpatient services are offered, both of which follow The Matrix Model. The facility also hosts on-site alumni events and monthly community “give-back” projects.
STAFF CREDENTIALS
The treatment team includes licensed primary counselors, master’s level clinicians, and certified addiction counselors, many of whom are in recovery themselves. Four alumni polled by Best-rehabs.com to date rated staff’s level of experience and training an average 4.25 out of five stars.
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMENITIES
All four residential facilities are located at the University’s Fort Logan campus in Denver. Peer I has 125 beds, Haven House has 40 beds, Haven Mother’s House offers 16 beds, and RCCF offers 15 beds. The four alumni surveyed by Best-rehabs.com at the time of this writing gave the facility an average rating of 4.25 out of five stars for its accommodations and amenities.
WHAT ALUMNI SAY
The four former clients polled by Best-rehabs.com at the time of this writing gave ARTS mostly positive reviews. They awarded the facility average ratings of 4.75 for its treatment effectiveness, 4.5 for the staff’s support and level of training and experience, and 3.6 for its meals and nutrition. One alum, M.C., noted that the family participation and parenting groups where strong, while another, L.A.S., clearly benefited from the program’s therapeutic community model, writing: “Treatment offers the opportunity to be in a safe environment with other recovering addicts so there us a mutual respect and understanding of what each other are going thru.”
Yet the facility’s recreational activities did not fare as well. The surveyed alumni gave the facility three stars for its exercise and leisure activities, and three of the four alumni gave the facility just two stars for its holistic offerings. “Exercise funding seemed low,” K.B. wrote.
ARTS has one five-star rating from an alum on Yelp to date. Alum Strea praised the facility for its friendly staff, methadone treatment, variety of treatment options, and acceptance of multiple insurance plans.
FINANCING
According to the facility’s website, some insurance is accepted. ARTS also offers sliding scale fees to clients who qualify.
Updated April 2017