People in high-stakes professions and safety-sensitive occupations regularly use alcohol, cannabis, stimulants, and other substances to manage their stress and improve their performance. Unfortunately, reliance on these coping strategies, even if acceptable within your work culture, can become problematic and lead to interpersonal difficulties at work and home, health complications, performance issues, legal involvement, unemployment, and, at its most extreme, even loss of professional licensure or life. If you recognize your substance use is causing problems or you are facing consequences related to your use, you are not alone! The Professionals Program at CeDAR has been helping professionals just like you since 2014. If you’re ready to take the first step in getting yourself and your life back, contact our Program Coordinator, Eugenia Vasquez, at [email protected] or 720.848.3000.
Who We Are
In 2021, CeDAR was named America’s Best Addiction Treatment Center in Colorado by Newsweek. The unique collaboration between UCHealth and the University of Colorado School of Medicine creates the opportunity for an evolving, multidisciplinary treatment team at CeDAR. Our team is comprised of national leaders, clinicians, scholars, and trainees in the areas of Addiction Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Addiction Psychology, and Counseling and is rounded out by our remarkable Admissions, Spirituality, Fitness, Milieu and Alumni teams.
Our team has expertise in delivering many evidence-based interventions including medication assisted therapies (MAT), action and commitment therapy (ACT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), cognitive processing therapy (CPT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), EMDR, motivational interviewing (MI), mindfulness based strategies including mindfulness based relapse prevention (MBRP), and connecting our patients with alumni and fellowship support communities.
We serve professionals in high risk and safety-sensitive occupations across our continuum of care. We have a dedicated track on our Intensive Residential Treatment (IRT) program, our Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), and Continuing Care Group. However, we support professionals throughout our continuum from detox, IRT, residential extended care, partial hospitalization, IOP, Continuing Care, and in our outpatient addiction medicine clinic.
Who We Serve
Although all our patients benefit from our treatment team’s elite level of clinical excellence and professionalism, our multidisciplinary team is uniquely equipped to meet the specific needs of professionals in safety sensitive occupations as defined by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) and other high risk professions.
We regularly work with professionals of all genders in the following occupations:
- Airline Pilots
- Attorneys, Judges, Magistrates, and other legal professionals
- Clergy
- Dentists and Oral Surgeons
- Educators including Teachers, College Professors, and Leadership
- Engineers
- Business Executives
- Law Enforcement Officers
- Licensed Counselors
- Marriage and Family Therapists
- Nurses
- Pharmacists
- Physicians
- Physicians’ Assistants
- Psychologists
- Social Workers
- Veterinarians
Our Approach
CeDAR recognizes that addiction is a treatable, chronic medical disease that involves complex interactions between the brain, our genetics, the environment, and our life experiences (ASAM). Our program integrates the science of evidence-based clinical, medical, and pharmacological interventions with the crucial benefits of 12-Step Tradition and milieu therapy to provide our patients with an individualized biopsychosocial-spiritual approach to recovery that addresses each component of the disease. We address substance use concerns and co-occurring mental health and medical conditions through the following in our intensive residential treatment program:
- Completion of medical workup with a Board Certified Addiction Medicine Physician
- Evaluation and weekly appointments with a Board Certified Addiction Psychiatrist to explore Medication Assisted Therapies (MAT) and other psychiatric medication needs
- Biopsychosocial assessment and at least weekly appointments with a masters’ level, licensed clinician to implement evidence-based clinical interventions
- Spiritual Assessment and weekly appointments with our Chaplain to explore connection and spirituality
- Daily fellowship support meetings and alumni connections to build a sober support network
- Daily group-based professionals’ curriculum facilitated by doctoral trained staff and a CEAP expert
- Integration of family members, as defined by the patient, through our Family Program
- Individualized therapeutic assignments to deepen understanding of the disease of addiction and insight
- Psychological testing and follow-up testing with a Licensed Addiction Psychologist, as indicated
- Detailed discharge planning that starts at intake and integrates return-to-work recommendations
- Collaboration with personal and professional collateral contacts
- Milieu staff and medical staff support 24/7
Multidimensional Assessments
Maybe you, your family, or your employer recognize you need help. However, you’re not sure where to start. CeDAR offers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary assessment for people in high-risk professions, safety-sensitive occupations, and other circumstances that could benefit from an in-depth evaluation to determine any diagnoses, appropriate level of care and treatment plan, fitness for practice, and return to work recommendations. These evaluations require a short-term residential stay and include the cost of lodging, meals, and all aspects of the evaluation.
The following services are included:
- Complete medical workup with a Board Certified Addiction Medicine Physician
- Psychiatric Assessment with a Board Certified Addiction Psychiatrist
- Biopsychosocial Assessment with Masters Level Clinician and Addiction Counselor
- Psychological Testing with a Licensed Addiction Psychologist
- Spiritual Assessment with our Chaplain
- Extensive Urine and Blood Drug and Alcohol Testing
- Contact with family, friend, referent, and professional collaterals
- Feedback session with the evaluating team and referent before discharge
Our evaluations are structured to allow the patient to engage in our residential treatment program, to facilitate connection with peers in similar circumstances, and to begin the process of learning healthier coping strategies, regardless of the outcome of the evaluation. During the feedback session, patients and their referent receive an overview of the evaluation findings and recommendations. A copy of the report is also provided at this time, unless further data is needed. Patients are encouraged to connect with their loved ones and their place of work following the feedback session to finalize a plan and our team facilitates connection to the appropriate level of care before discharge.
Ready for Help?
Your admission will start with an intake evaluation completed by a licensed mental health professional. Once admitted for medical detox or intensive residential treatment, a nurse will begin a holistic assessment and introduce you to our board-certified addiction medicine physician and board-certified addiction psychiatrist. In addition, you will meet with your licensed professional counselor or social worker, chaplain, and other staff members to develop your individualized treatment plan.
If you’d like more specific information about the Professionals Program at CeDAR, please contact our Program Coordinator, Eugenia Vasquez, at [email protected] , 720.848.3000, or through our website at www.cedarcolorado.org/admissions/referring-professionals/
Our Admissions Department is open 7 days a week from 8:00am until 6:30pm. We accept many commercial insurance plans, as well as Medicaid and self-pay plans. Our Business Specialists will be happy to answer your questions regarding program costs and payment options.
Evaluation Team:
Need more information?
Contact our Program Coordinator, Eugenia Vasquez, at [email protected] or 720.848.3000 to learn more about our Multidimensional evaluations.