There is no campus of ours inside Centennial. The nearest is Denver Mental Health & Counseling by The Recovery Village, an outpatient clinic on Plaza Drive in Highlands Ranch, about six miles west of Centennial in a straight line and farther by road. It runs outpatient care, an intensive outpatient program and dual diagnosis work.
One thing to be clear about from the start: that clinic provides outpatient care. Where withdrawal needs round-the-clock medical supervision, that is arranged at a campus offering it, such as The Recovery Village Palmer Lake, south down Interstate 25. This page explains which level of care fits which situation, what happens in the first days of detox, what Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Colorado or Health First Colorado usually do about the bill, and what the first call covers. Our Colorado page holds the wider state picture.
Where Centennial residents actually go for drug and alcohol rehab
Centennial sits in Arapahoe County, in the south metro, wrapped around the Denver Tech Center and cut through by Interstate 25 and E-470. It is a commuter city, and that shapes the answer.
For outpatient work, most people go west to Highlands Ranch, in Douglas County. For anything needing a bed or overnight medical supervision, they go south to Palmer Lake, or to another campus entirely.
That split is the practical fact this page exists to state. A clinic six miles away is a real advantage for the months of treatment that follow detox, because attendance is what decides whether outpatient care works. It is no help at all during acute withdrawal, which is a medical problem and needs a medical setting.
We do not list anyone else’s facilities here. Our nationwide directory covers the wider map.
The Highlands Ranch clinic, about six miles from Centennial
Denver Mental Health & Counseling by The Recovery Village is on Plaza Drive in Highlands Ranch. It is an outpatient mental health and counseling clinic rather than a residential campus.
Three levels run there: outpatient care, an intensive outpatient program, and dual diagnosis treatment for people carrying a mental health condition alongside substance use. That is the clinic’s own published list, and who it can take is a question for the first call rather than an assumption to make from a website.
Anyone whose assessment points to medically supervised withdrawal is referred to a campus that provides it, and the hand-off is arranged rather than left to the patient.
For most Centennial residents the sequence therefore runs in two places. Detox and residential care at The Recovery Village at Palmer Lake, then the step down closer to home.
Levels of care open to Centennial residents: outpatient, intensive outpatient and dual diagnosis care
Three levels are available at the Highlands Ranch clinic, and they are not interchangeable.
Outpatient care is the lightest. Federal reporting describes it as appropriate either as a first level for a mild to moderate substance use disorder, or as continuing care after something more intensive [3]. A few clinical hours a week, arranged around work.
The intensive outpatient program is heavier. Federal reporting groups intensive outpatient with partial hospitalization and describes both as ranging from counseling and education through to clinically intensive programming [3]; it is partial hospitalization specifically that the same source describes as a step-down after residential treatment [3]. More hours, more days, still sleeping at home.
Dual diagnosis care treats a mental health condition and a substance use disorder together. That matters because cognitive behavioral therapy showed significantly better outcomes for people with both conditions than for those who did not receive it [3].
Our outpatient rehab and levels of care pages explain each step in general terms.
If someone is having a seizure, is unresponsive or has trouble breathing, call 911. For a mental health crisis, call or text 988.
Detox first: what happens in the first 72 hours
Detox is evaluation, stabilization, then entry into treatment [2]. It happens at a campus set up for round-the-clock medical supervision rather than at an outpatient clinic, and only where there is physical dependence.
Alcohol and sedatives are the two classes where withdrawal itself can be fatal. In severe alcohol dependence, seizures, delirium tremens, and dysregulation of body temperature, pulse and blood pressure can lead to fatal consequences [1]. Federal guidance states that for alcohol, sedative-hypnotic and opioid withdrawal, hospitalization or some form of 24-hour medical care is generally the preferred setting [1].
If someone is having a seizure, is confused or hallucinating, is unresponsive or has trouble breathing, call 911 rather than an admissions line. For a mental health crisis, call or text 988.
Opioids sit differently. Unlike alcohol and sedative withdrawal, uncomplicated opioid withdrawal is not life-threatening [1]. The risk arrives afterward, because people who move from opioid dependence to a drug-free state face a greater risk of overdose if they return to use [1].
Across those first days, the constant is monitoring. Federal protocol calls for medical surveillance, including checks on vital signs, throughout [1]. Our medical detox page covers the process, and inpatient rehab covers what usually follows.
Cost and coverage in Colorado: Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Colorado, Health First Colorado and self-pay
Cost depends on the level of care, the length of treatment and the plan, so no figure quoted online will match your bill. The mechanism is predictable, though.
We do not publish coverage figures for a named carrier, because the only accurate answer is the one your own plan gives. What is generally true of commercial plans is that a deductible comes first and a share of the cost after it, and that approval before the more intensive levels of care is worth establishing on the benefits call rather than assuming either way. Federal parity law limits how far that can go. Copays, coinsurance and limits such as a visit cap cannot be more restrictive for substance use benefits than the rules applied to substantially all medical and surgical benefits in the same class [5]. Limits that exist only for substance use benefits are banned [5]. Parity has a scope worth knowing. It applies to non-federal governmental plans with more than 50 employees, to private employer group plans with more than 50 employees, and to individual-market coverage. Small-employer group plans are generally outside it, although non-grandfathered small-group and individual plans must cover mental health and substance use disorder services as an essential health benefit under the Affordable Care Act [5].
Health First Colorado is the state’s Medicaid program, and it is worth knowing two things about how it treats this. The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing states that behavioral health services, substance use disorder treatment included, are available to all members without the need for a referral or a copay [4]. It also states that the benefit covers a full continuum of care as set out by the American Society of Addiction Medicine, and that Colorado uses the ASAM criteria to decide which level of care a member is placed at [4]. Those options run from screening and harm reduction through outpatient, intensive outpatient and medication-assisted treatment, to withdrawal management and on to residential and hospital inpatient services [4].
Self-pay is the third route. Our pages on insurance coverage and what rehab costs set out how the numbers are built.
Commuting to outpatient vs staying on campus
This is the real decision for a Centennial resident, and it is not about preference.
Commuting works when home is stable, when nobody at home is using, when transport is reliable, and when withdrawal risk is low. The advantage is continuity: you keep your job, your family and your routine, and you practice recovery in the place you actually live.
Staying on campus works when any of those fail. A house with the substance in it, a long history of attempts that did not hold, a second diagnosis needing daily attention, or significant withdrawal risk all point to a bed rather than a commute.
Winter is a practical factor here that people underrate. South metro commutes on I-25 and E-470 get slow in snow, and a program you cannot reach on a bad Tuesday is a program you will miss. Be honest about that when the schedule is set.
The clinic in Highlands Ranch is outpatient, so a campus stay means traveling. Our guide to how to get into rehab covers how the choice is made.
What the first phone call covers
The first call is a conversation, not a form. It usually runs under an hour.
Someone asks what has been happening and for how long, what has already been tried, what else is being used, and what the medical history looks like. They will ask specifically about withdrawal: whether stopping has caused shaking, sweating, seizures or hallucinations before. If any of that is happening now rather than in the past, the call to make first is 911, not admissions; for a mental health crisis, call or text 988.
They will also ask practical things. Work hours, childcare, transport from Centennial, and whether anyone else is involved in the decision.
Two outcomes are normal. Either a clinical assessment gets booked, or you are told plainly that a different level of care fits better and where it happens. Benefits verification usually starts in parallel, so bring the insurance card to the call. A family member may make it on someone’s behalf.
Centennial support and Colorado public resources after discharge
Discharge planning belongs at the start of treatment, not the end. The plan should name the next level of care, the first appointment, medication arrangements and where you will live.
For Centennial residents the step down is usually the Highlands Ranch clinic, which keeps the drive short once the intensive phase is over. Continuity inside one organization beats a clean handover to a new one.
If Health First Colorado is your coverage, the department’s own substance use disorder pages are where the benefit is described, including the point that it reaches the full ASAM continuum and needs no referral [4].
Peer support and alumni groups do their work once the structure has gone, which is later than most people brace for. Ask what runs locally, how often and who is eligible, before discharge rather than after. Our facility directory lists each of our campuses beneath the state it stands in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a drug rehab in Centennial? Not one of ours. The nearest is Denver Mental Health & Counseling by The Recovery Village, an outpatient clinic on Plaza Drive in Highlands Ranch, about six miles west of Centennial. It runs outpatient care, an intensive outpatient program and dual diagnosis treatment. Residential care and medically supervised withdrawal are arranged at a campus offering them.
How far is the nearest Denver Mental Health & Counseling campus from Centennial? About six miles west in a straight line, in Highlands Ranch on Plaza Drive, and farther by road. For most Centennial residents that is a manageable commute for outpatient or intensive outpatient sessions, including in the evening. Plan for slower journeys in winter, when south metro routes back up, because missed sessions are the most common reason outpatient care fails.
Does Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Colorado cover rehab for Centennial residents? Often, though it depends on your specific plan, your deductible position and whether prior approval is granted, so no one can promise it in advance. Federal parity law does limit how much more restrictive a plan may be for substance use benefits than for medical and surgical benefits in the same class. Ask our admissions team to verify benefits with the carrier.
Can I detox in Centennial or do I have to travel? You would travel. Medically supervised withdrawal happens at a campus with round-the-clock medical supervision, such as The Recovery Village Palmer Lake. Federal guidance says hospitalization or some form of 24-hour medical care is generally preferred for alcohol, sedative-hypnotic and opioid withdrawal.
How soon can a Centennial resident be admitted? Outpatient starts are often quick, because there is no bed to wait for. The pace is set by the clinical assessment and by benefits verification, and prior approval adds the most delay where a plan requires it. Where detox is needed first, availability at the detox campus decides the timing instead.
Sources
- Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. (2006). Physical Detoxification Services for Withdrawal From Specific Substances. Detoxification and Substance Abuse Treatment, Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series, No. 45, Chapter 4. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64116/
- Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. (2006). Overview, Essential Concepts, and Definitions in Detoxification. Detoxification and Substance Abuse Treatment, Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series, No. 45, Chapter 1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64119/
- Office of the Surgeon General. (2016). Early Intervention, Treatment, and Management of Substance Use Disorders. Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health, Chapter 4. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK424859/
- Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing. Ensuring Full Continuum SUD Benefits. State of Colorado. https://hcpf.colorado.gov/ensuring-full-continuum-sud-benefits
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). CMS.gov. https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/private-health-insurance/mental-health-parity-addiction-equity
This page is for general information and is not medical advice. Only a licensed clinician who knows your history can tell you what is right for you. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911. For free, confidential support 24/7, call or text 988.
Author
Chief Medical Officer,
The Recovery Village
