IOP for Substance Use in Colorado: How to Find Help, and How Therapy Fits Alongside

By the Whole Connection team · Reviewed by Phillip Horner, LCSW, CGP · July 22, 2026

Short answer

An intensive outpatient program (IOP) for substance use gives you several hours of structured group and individual treatment a week while you live at home. In Colorado, you can find one through Colorado Crisis Services, the SAMHSA national helpline, the state OwnPath treatment locator, or your Medicaid RAE. Whole Connection provides outpatient therapy that can support your mental health alongside or after a substance use program, including co-occurring substance use and mental health concerns through a dual-diagnosis approach.

What is an IOP for substance use?

An IOP is a structured treatment program you attend several days a week while still living at home.

For substance use, an IOP usually meets about three hours a day, three to five days a week. A core part is group therapy, often a minimum of about 9 hours a week, along with some one-on-one time, and it focuses on staying sober, understanding triggers, and building healthy routines. IOP is a middle level of care: more support than weekly therapy, but less than a residential stay. It is a strong option when someone needs real structure but is safe at home.

How do I find an IOP in Colorado?

You have several free, trustworthy ways to find substance use treatment in Colorado.

Colorado Crisis Services: call 1-844-493-8255 or text TALK to 38255, any time, day or night. They can point you to local substance use programs.
OwnPath: Colorado’s official treatment finder at ownpath.co lets you search by location, insurance, and type of care.
SAMHSA national helpline: 1-800-662-4357, free and confidential, 24 hours a day. They also have a locator at findtreatment.gov.
Your Medicaid RAE: if you have Health First Colorado, your regional organization can help you find an in-network substance use IOP. Our guide to RAEs explains how to find yours.

If you are in immediate danger or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 right away.

Does Medicaid cover substance use IOP in Colorado?

Yes. Health First Colorado covers substance use treatment, including IOP, when it is medically needed.

Colorado Medicaid includes substance use disorder benefits, and your care is managed through your RAE. An IOP will usually check your coverage and handle any approvals for you. If cost is a worry, say so when you call a program or a helpline. There are also programs for people without insurance. Money should not be the reason you do not reach out.

How is an IOP different from regular therapy?

An IOP is more hours and more structure. Regular outpatient therapy is usually one session a week.

In an IOP you might spend nine to fifteen hours a week in treatment, mostly in groups. In standard outpatient therapy you meet with one therapist, usually once a week, for about an hour. Many people do both at different times: an IOP when they need intensive support, and outpatient therapy to keep going once the intensive part is done.

How does Whole Connection work alongside a substance use program?

We work with substance use through a dual-diagnosis lens, treating the mental health and the substance use as the connected issues they usually are.

Substance use and mental health are deeply linked. Anxiety, depression, and trauma can drive substance use, and getting sober can bring hard feelings to the surface. A dual-diagnosis approach means we do not treat those as two separate problems, we help you work on them together. Whole Connection provides this outpatient support while you are in a substance use IOP, or after you finish one, and with your permission we are glad to coordinate with your other providers so everyone is on the same page.

Our therapists are trauma-informed, and we see clients in Boulder, in Denver, and by telehealth across Colorado.

What if I am not sure where to start?

Start with one phone call. You do not need to have it all figured out first.

If you are not sure whether you need an IOP, outpatient therapy, or both, call us at (720) 442-0946. A real person will listen, help you sort out what level of care fits, and point you in the right direction, even if that means another program. There is no pressure and no judgment.