Expert Insights
I recently read a story about a Fort Collins man who turned his life around thanks to the help of the Colorado Work and Gain Education & Employment Skills program.
I discovered this program — which aimed to target anti-recidivism in Colorado — was an experiment in 2014 but has been so successful its recent budget was increased to $9 million! Given how expensive the prison system is for taxpayers, I’d much rather my tax dollars go toward preventing criminal justice involvement and its revolving door!
I think it’s a brilliant idea that instead of funding jails, funding is going towards job training, counseling, transitional housing, and more — services desperately needed for people to get back on their feet.
How We Rank Listings
Every rehab center in the Fort Collins directory is a licensed or accredited provider, and listings are organized to help you compare real options rather than to promote one facility over another. We prioritize programs that hold state licensure through the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration and independent accreditation from the Joint Commission or CARF, and we label any sponsored placement clearly so you always know what you are looking at.
Listing details reflect the levels of care, specialty tracks, and payment types each facility reports, drawn from public licensing records and facility information. Because openings and insurance participation change, confirm current availability and program specifics directly with a center when you reach out. The aim is to give you an accurate starting point for finding care close to home.
Rehab in Fort Collins: What to Know
Fort Collins is the largest city in Northern Colorado and the seat of Larimer County, home to Colorado State University and a deep base of addiction treatment. The area has 18 rehab centers offering medical detox, residential, and outpatient care, and you can compare every nearby option through the Colorado rehab directory.
SummitStone Health Partners, the largest nonprofit behavioral health provider in Larimer County since 1957, anchors local care with outpatient therapy, medication-assisted treatment for opioid and fentanyl use, and crisis services. It also staffs the county’s Behavioral Health Services at Longview Campus, a 24/7 acute-care and behavioral health urgent care facility near Fort Collins that serves anyone regardless of ability to pay. Public behavioral health for residents with Health First Colorado is coordinated regionally by Northern Colorado’s Regional Accountable Entity, Northeast Health Partners.
Like the rest of Colorado, Fort Collins has been shaped by the fentanyl crisis, though statewide overdose deaths began falling in 2024. Northern Colorado has built a strong local response, including Colorado Opioid Synergy Larimer and Weld (CO-SLAW), a medication-assisted treatment hub, and naloxone-by-mail through the North Colorado Health Alliance.
Cost of Rehab in Fort Collins
The cost of rehab in Fort Collins depends on the level of care, program length, and whether you use insurance. Colorado ranks around the middle nationally for treatment affordability, with a statewide residential average of roughly $56,413 without insurance, though most people pay a fraction of that once insurance benefits are applied. The figures below reflect Colorado averages by care type.
Medical detox is the most expensive level of care, at an average of $139,079 statewide (National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, 2022).
Long-term inpatient rehab in Colorado averages $49,781 (National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, 2022).
Outpatient addiction treatment averages $8,272, far less than residential care (National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, 2022).
Outpatient methadone treatment is the most affordable option, averaging $7,349 (National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, 2022).
Actual costs vary with setting, amenities, and length of stay. Outpatient programs cost far less than residential care and are the most widely available format in Fort Collins, while medical detox and inpatient stays carry the highest price tags. Insurance, Health First Colorado, and sliding-scale options can lower what you pay out of pocket.
How to Pay for Rehab in Fort Collins
Across the 18 rehab centers serving Fort Collins, most accept private insurance and self-payment, and many work with Health First Colorado or offer sliding-scale fees and financial assistance. The counts below show how many local facilities report accepting each payment type.
16 accept self-payment or cash
12 accept private health insurance
6 accept Health First Colorado (Colorado Medicaid)
2 accept Medicare
5 offer sliding-scale fees
5 offer financial assistance
3 accept TRICARE
Which option makes the most sense depends on your coverage and income. The subsections below outline how the main payment paths work for Fort Collins residents.
Health First Colorado (Colorado Medicaid)
Colorado’s Medicaid program, Health First Colorado, covers the full continuum of substance use care, from detox to outpatient counseling and medication-assisted treatment. Benefits are coordinated through Regional Accountable Entities, and Northeast Health Partners serves Larimer and Weld counties. Six Fort Collins facilities report accepting Health First Colorado, and SummitStone Health Partners is a strong local starting point for covered care.
Medicare
Medicare covers substance use treatment that is medically necessary, including inpatient care under Part A and outpatient services and counseling under Part B, with Medicare Advantage plans offering the same benefits. Two Fort Collins area centers accept Medicare, and older adults may find more options at larger programs in the Denver metro.
Military and TRICARE
Veterans and active-duty families have several routes to care. Three area facilities accept TRICARE, and the VA coordinates services through the Fort Collins VA clinic and the Cheyenne VA system just north in Wyoming. See more rehab resources for veterans and military families.
Insurance and Private Pay
Most Fort Collins centers in the directory accept private insurance or self-payment, and marketplace plans through Connect for Health Colorado must cover substance use treatment. Coverage varies by plan and network status, so verify benefits before you commit. Major carriers active in Colorado include:
- Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
- Kaiser Permanente
- UnitedHealthcare
- Cigna
- Aetna
- Rocky Mountain Health Plans
Other Low-Cost Options
For those without full coverage, five Fort Collins centers offer sliding-scale fees and five offer financial assistance. SummitStone serves residents regardless of ability to pay, the Longview Campus provides urgent behavioral health care to all, and treatment scholarships can help close the gap.
Accreditation
Accreditation signals that a program meets independent quality standards. Among Fort Collins area facilities, three hold Joint Commission accreditation, one holds CARF accreditation, one carries LegitScript certification, and one is a NAATP member. Accreditation is separate from state licensure, which every legitimate Colorado provider must maintain.
Levels of Care Available in Fort Collins
Fort Collins offers care across the continuum, with 8 detox programs, 10 inpatient programs, and 18 outpatient clinics reported locally, plus a partial hospitalization option. Most facilities also treat co-occurring mental health conditions.
8 medical detox facilities
10 inpatient rehab programs
1 partial hospitalization program
18 standard outpatient clinics
12 dual diagnosis programs
1 sober living home
Medical detox provides 24-hour supervision to manage withdrawal safely and is the usual first step for opioid or alcohol dependence. Eight area programs offer medically supervised detox.
Inpatient and residential rehab provides structured, live-in treatment. Ten local inpatient rehab programs serve people who need to step away from daily triggers to focus on early recovery.
Partial hospitalization offers intensive daytime treatment while a person returns home in the evening. One area program provides PHP, bridging residential and standard outpatient care.
Outpatient treatment lets people live at home while attending scheduled sessions, and it is the most common format locally, with 18 clinics reported. It suits people balancing work, school, or family.
Dual diagnosis care treats addiction alongside conditions like depression or anxiety. Twelve reporting facilities address co-occurring disorders, which matters given how often mental health and substance use overlap.
Sober living offers substance-free housing that supports the transition back to independent life. One local home provides this option, paired with aftercare planning.
Specialty Programs in Fort Collins
Many Fort Collins facilities tailor treatment to specific groups and substances. The counts below reflect programs that report each specialty focus.
15 alcohol rehab programs
12 young adult programs
11 women’s programs
11 men’s programs
9 opioid rehab programs
4 LGBTQ+ friendly programs
4 programs for older adults
2 veterans and military programs
Alcohol is the most common treatment focus locally, with 15 programs addressing alcohol use disorder, followed by nine that treat opioid use disorder. Programs for young adults are widespread, which fits a city built around Colorado State University and its college and young adult substance use needs, and four facilities offer LGBTQ+ affirming addiction care, alongside tracks for women, men, and older adults.
Free and Low-Cost Rehab Resources in Fort Collins
Cost should not keep anyone from help. Fort Collins residents can reach crisis support, treatment access lines, and harm-reduction resources at no charge, including crisis and suicide-prevention support around the clock.
Crisis and Helplines
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 any time for a mental health or substance use crisis.
- Colorado Crisis Services: 1-844-493-8255, or text TALK to 38255, for 24/7 confidential support and statewide walk-in crisis centers.
- Never Use Alone: 1-800-484-3731, a 24/7 overdose-prevention hotline that stays on the line during use.
Local Treatment and Recovery
- SummitStone Health Partners: 970-494-4200, Larimer County’s largest nonprofit provider offering substance use treatment, MAT, and 24/7 crisis care (summitstone.org).
- Larimer County Behavioral Health Services at Longview Campus: 24/7 acute care and behavioral health urgent care at 2260 W. Trilby Road, Fort Collins, regardless of ability to pay (larimer.gov/behavioralhealth).
Government and Harm Reduction
- North Colorado Health Alliance: Free naloxone by mail for Larimer and Weld residents, plus the CO-SLAW medication-assisted treatment program (northcoloradohealthalliance.org).
- Stop the Clock Colorado: An interactive statewide map to find the nearest free naloxone under Colorado’s pharmacy standing order (stoptheclockcolorado.org).
- Colorado 211: Dial 211 to connect with local health, housing, and treatment resources (211colorado.org).
Drug and Alcohol Use Statistics in Fort Collins
Fort Collins sits in Larimer County, where the fentanyl crisis prompted a coordinated Northern Colorado response through SummitStone, CO-SLAW, and county-funded acute care. Statewide, more than 1,600 Coloradans died of a drug overdose in 2024, but overdose data point to a turning point: fentanyl and other opioid deaths fell sharply over the most recent year measured, suggesting Colorado has moved past the peak of the crisis.
Drug overdose deaths statewide in Colorado in 2024, with more than 10,000 nonfatal overdose emergency visits (Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 2025).
Emergency department visits for nonfatal drug overdoses in Colorado in 2024 (Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 2025).
Decline in Colorado synthetic-opioid (fentanyl) overdose deaths over the 12 months ending October 2024, part of a statewide drop of about 14% in total overdose deaths (CDC / Colorado Consortium, 2025).
Resources
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. (2025). Colorado drug overdose data and trends. cdphe.colorado.gov.
- Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Misuse Prevention. (2025). Decline in fentanyl overdoses. corxconsortium.org.
- SummitStone Health Partners. (2025). Substance use, crisis, and acute care services. summitstone.org.
- Larimer County. (n.d.). Behavioral Health Services at Longview Campus. larimer.gov.
- North Colorado Health Alliance. (n.d.). Naloxone and CO-SLAW. northcoloradohealthalliance.org.
- Health First Colorado. (n.d.). Behavioral health and Regional Accountable Entities. healthfirstcolorado.com.
- National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics. (2022). Average Cost of Drug Rehab by Type, State and More.
