Who & What We Treat

Chrysalis Continuing Care treats adults 18 and older experiencing dual-diagnosis conditions (substance use and co-occurring mental health conditions). As an intensive outpatient level of care, clients typically live in and around the Denver area and commute to our RiNo District office location to participate in individual and group therapies weekly three days weekly to engage in their personalized treatment plan.

Chrysalis Continuing Care is a licensed medical provider treating dual-diagnosis conditions — substance use disorder and co-occurring mental health conditions.

Substance Use Disorders vary in severity from mild to severe — severe substance use disorder is called addiction. While the clinical diagnosis of addictive disorders varies by individual, its typical markers are signified by a lack of ability to stop using substances despite experiencing and being aware of the negative consequences caused by their use. When one needs to take substances to feel normal or to relieve the symptoms of co-occurring mental health conditions, a use disorder is likely present. Substance use disorders do not tend to resolve themselves without professional intervention, such as specialized addiction treatment.

The treatment for substance use disorders is generally similar regardless of a client’s primary substance of choice, and many people with use disorders use numerous substances. Because different substances carry different health risks and side effects — liver cirrhosis, infections, life-threatening withdrawal symptoms, psychosis, and more — accurate diagnosis of a client’s addiction history and providing appropriate medical and psychotherapeutic treatments, including medically-supervised detoxification is vital. In some cases, clients require medical stabilization before being able to start an outpatient program.

While all treatment plans are tailored to client needs, the treatment of substance use disorders at Chrysalis Continuing Care often consists of psychoeducation (learning about the disease of addiction and its causes), individual psychotherapy, group therapy, trauma evaluation and therapy, wellness, and recreational work, introduction to community recovery support groups, and psychiatric prescribing and medication management.

It is beneficial for people in recovery from substance use disorders to develop recovery-supportive lifestyles and avoid triggers and situations that encourage substance use. For this reason, attending community-based support groups, continuing to see qualified caregivers, and engaging in alumni programming are recommended. Chrysalis Continuing Care and other NRT Behavioral Healthcare programs are well-connected to Colorado’s large recovery community and foster connections between alumni.

Co-occurring mental health conditions are mental health disorders that can contribute to developing substance use disorders and result from living with active substance use disorders. The treatment of co-occurring disorders is intended to provide treatment for underlying co-occurring disorders as part of the treatment plan. Helping clients manage the symptoms of these chronic conditions is vital to creating the conditions needed to stop misusing substances.

Some of the mental health disorders we treat include:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Psychosis
• Mood Disorders
• Anger
• Co-Dependency

Some of the issues we help clients and families address include:

• Family System Issues
  • Exploring helpful and potentially harmful relationships between parents and children, siblings, extended family members, friends, and other identified family members and how to establish appropriate boundaries and recovery-supportive relationships
• Fitness & Nutritional Health
  • Looking at holistic wellness and finding opportunities to improve health and well-being through appropriate diet and exercise
• Recovery-Supportive Lifestyles
  • Examing friends, home life, and triggers that may pose challenges to recovery and learning to find ways to have fun and pursue goals while remaining in good health and recovery
• Existential Issues
  • Delving into the deeper issues of perceived self-worth and navigating the questions of leading a meaningful and purposeful existence
• Spiritual Health
  • Understanding what spirituality means to us and how to stimulate spiritual awareness and practice regardless individuals are agnostic or have or desire a specific religious affiliation
• Stress Management
  • Learning how to reduce stress-causing stimuli when possible and how to use mindfulness, exercise, recreation, and other natural means of reducing the impacts of stress on daily life