Foundry Steamboat

09/19/2025

The 2025 Recovery Month theme is “Recovery is REAL: Restoring Every Aspect of Life.” It reflects the reality that sustained recovery is helped by many supports, including health and well-being, secure housing, community connection, and a sense of purpose.

At NRT Behavioral Health, we recognize the critical role that social determinants of health, such as financial stability, housing, and supportive relationships, play in both the development of addiction and the success of long-term recovery.

Our programs, including, Foundry Steamboat, Foundry Front Range, and Foundry Outpatient, strive to understand our client's needs and connect them to available resources. We focus on helping clients strengthen their recovery capital to support lasting recovery.

This Recovery Month, we honor every individual and family working toward recovery and reaffirm our commitment to supporting the journey of restoring every aspect of life.

09/11/2025

Quitting smoking does more than improve physical health—it may also increase the chances of recovery from other substance use disorders.

A recent NIH study found that adults with a history of alcohol or drug addiction who also quit to***co were significantly more likely to achieve sustained remission. The findings highlight the importance of addressing all addictions together rather than in isolation.

At Foundry Steamboat, we support clients in quitting to***co while undergoing treatment for substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders. Our team provides education, guidance, and access to evidence-based strategies that make recovery more achievable.

Learn more at https://www.forgingnewlives.com/blog-posts/quitting-to***co-associated-with-recovery-from-other-addictions

08/21/2025

New federal data shows 17% of Americans—nearly 50 million people—have a substance use disorder (SUD).

• 28M struggle with alcohol use disorder.
• 28M with drug-related disorders (20M cannabis, 5M opioids, 4M stimulants)
• Only one in five who need treatment actually receive it.

The 2024 National Survey on Drug Use & Health highlights progress in reduced to***co use and binge drinking but also points to troubling trends: rising ma*****na, hallucinogen, and polysubstance use, more potent and unpredictable drug supplies (including fentanyl and synthetic opioids), and increasing cannabis use disorder among adults.

The survey also underscores the strong overlap between mental health and substance misuse, with young adults reporting the highest levels of anxiety and increased su***de planning.

NRT Behavioral Health addiction treatment programs provide comprehensive, evidence-based, whole-person care is essential to address both addiction and co-occurring mental health challenges. If you or a loved one need help, please call us at (720) 807-7868.

08/14/2025

NRT Behavioral Healthcare programs offer excellent behavioral healthcare across levels of care.

Our residential, IOP, and PHP programs use evidence-based treatment approaches, employee experienced licensed clinicians, and are in-network with the vast majority of insurance plans. Our high-quality care is widely accessible to Colorado adults, with in-person treatment locations in Broomfield and Steamboat Springs, and Virtual IOP available to Coloradans statewide.

If you or a loved one needs help, please call an informed team member at (720) 807-7867.

08/05/2025

New research links polysubstance use to heart problems.

New research shows problematic cardiac changes in people with both co***ne and alcohol use disorders. The findings raise concerns about the effects of co***ne and alcohol use on the heart, even after treatment and abstinence.

It has long been known that using stimulants like co***ne and amphetamines poses heart risks, even the risk of heart attack or death. Problematic alcohol use also has different but overlapping risks to the heart and other organs, like the liver. This new research suggests that people being treated for multiple substance use disorder (polysubstance use disorder) should have a medical evaluation to check for cardiac problems.

NRT Behavioral Health residential treatment programs have the medical expertise to identify comorbidities and recommend specialized care as part of a comprehensive treatment approach.

Read our article at https://www.forgingnewlives.com/blog-posts/polysubstance-use-heart-damage

07/23/2025

Cannabis use is linked to increased risk of depression and suicidal ideation.

Read our article at https://www.forgingnewlives.com/blog-posts/cannabis-depression-suicidal-ideation to learn about a new study and its implications for cannabis use. These findings join a growing body of evidence showing numerous potential harms from using today’s high-potency THC products.

NRT Behavioral Healthcare founders are experts in cannabis policy and treating cannabis use disorder. As one of the first states to legalize recreational cannabis use, Colorado has seen the long-term effects on public and personal safety and an alarming rise in problematic cannabis use among young people and adults.

07/10/2025

A report by Common Sense Institute (CSI) indicates that Colorado fentanyl overdose death rates dropped by 32 percent between 2023 and 2024, which is heartening news. However, the overall overdose rate remains significantly higher than pre-2020 levels. Additionally, the cost of addressing these deaths remains high — $13.1 billion in 2024, or approximately $2,220 per Coloradan.

The study suggests that tougher criminal penalties imposed on fentanyl possession and distribution may play a role in lower overdose death rates. It also suggests bringing back stronger penalties for other substances, which also contribute to overdoses.

Colorado continues to struggle with high rates of overdose deaths compared to other states. While strengthening penalties for substance possession may help, policies that ensure continued treatment access and public awareness are vital to helping individuals, families, and all Coloradans stem the devastating trauma and loss of overdose deaths.

Read the article at https://www.forgingnewlives.com/blog-posts/colorado-fentanyl-deaths-down-but-still-high

06/25/2025

Nearly a quarter of U.S. children have a parent with a substance use disorder, according to JAMA Pediatrics. Witnessing a parent misusing substances during adolescence qualifies as an Adverse Childhood Event (ACE) that makes a child more likely to experience problems in later life.

Childhood exposure to problematic substance use in the home poses significant risks to children, including making substance use seem permissible as a means of self-medicating mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. It also exposes young people to injury, neglect, malnutrition, and other problems associated with the side effects of living with untreated substance use disorder.

NRT Behavioral Health programs focus on families and creating safe, recovery-supportive home environments. Helping entire family systems understand and support recovery can stop the damaging cycles of substance use disorder and addiction and improve the quality of life for parents and children.

If you or a loved one needs help, please call us at (720) 807-7867.

Read our article about this study at https://www.forgingnewlives.com/blog-posts/quarter-of-parents-have-substance-use-disorder

06/18/2025

A new study finds that chronic cannabis use, whether smoked or consumed in edible form, is associated with significant cardiovascular risks.

The report, published in JAMA Cardiology, found that people who regularly used ma*****na in either form had reduced blood vessel function comparable to to***co smokers. Vascular function in those who used cannabis by either means was reduced roughly by half compared to those who did not use it.

Growing evidence indicates that today’s high-potency THC products pose serious risks of addiction and health problems. NRT Behavioral Health behavioral healthcare programs can help. Our clinicians are adept at treating cannabis use disorder.

Find the article at:
https://www.forgingnewlives.com/blog-posts/ma*****na-is-bad-for-your-heart

05/28/2025

https://youtu.be/B6ItN_a11Ik?feature=shared

Dr. Michael Barnes, PhD, LAC, LPC, creator of our Trauma-Integrated Care Model and our Chief Clinical Advisor, has published a new podcast called “Beyond Trauma and Addiction: The Family Recovery Podcast.”

Dr. Barnes is one of the nation’s foremost clinicians, educators, and researchers dealing with the intersection of behavioral health disorders, trauma, and family systems. Dr. Barnes’ work and this podcast are crucial resources for individuals and families affected by these issues, as well as for helping professionals who address them.

Please give this podcast a view or listen on YouTube at
https://youtu.be/B6ItN_a11Ik?feature=shared

In the premiere episode of Beyond Addiction and Trauma: The Family Recovery Podcast, Dr. Mike Barnes lays the groundwork for a deeper understanding of how tr...

05/16/2025

NRT Behavioral Health Director of Business Development Nikki Betteker and Community Relations Representative James Bakehouse at the Rifle, Colorado Mental Health Resource Fair. This fair, hosted by Grand River Health, represents the vital work of making mental health resources available to Colorado’s rural community members.

Mental healthcare access for rural Americans is a top concern, as these communities experience disproportionately high rates of mental health and substance use disorders. Treatment can be difficult to find in communities like Rifle, which is a three-hour drive from resources closer to the Greater Denver area.

NRT Behavioral Health and its programs, including Foundry Front Range, Foundry Steamboat, Foundry Virtual IOP, and the Michael Barnes Family Institute, prioritize the well-being of rural community members and are working to connect therapists and other providers in these areas to help individuals and families get the help they need.

04/22/2025

Colorado bill SB25-164 would allow anyone to administer opioid antagonists, such as Naloxone—sold under the brand name Narcan—to someone experiencing an opioid overdose at a Colorado public school.

This important legislation could save lives by preventing overdose deaths. It also underscores the ongoing danger adolescents and adults face from opioid overdose.

While recent statistics point to declining opioid overdose deaths, individuals and treatment providers must remain vigilant. Opioid and other substance use disorders continue growing and evolving. Not only does fentanyl use remain at alarmingly high levels, but increasing adulteration with tranquilizers like xylazine means Naloxone may not be effective at reviving people experiencing overdoses.

Read more about why Colorado needs to keep a sharp eye on the ongoing addiction epidemic and its health impacts.

https://www.foundryfrontrange.com/opioid-overdoses-school-prevention-bill/