Golden VA Clinic is an outpatient Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in Golden, Colorado providing substance use and mental health care as part of the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System.
Its Substance Use and Addiction Program offers evaluation, individual and group treatment, medication and psychotherapy for Veterans facing alcohol, opioid, sedative, stimulant, cannabis and other drug concerns.
The clinic integrates addiction treatment with broader Veteran health services, meeting each Veteran where they are on the path to recovery.
The clinic’s primary focus is helping Veterans address substance use disorders through consultation, evaluation and comprehensive treatment.
Care includes outpatient services, intensive outpatient programs and access to residential rehabilitation, along with support for co-occurring conditions like PTSD, depression, anxiety and traumatic brain injury.
Sessions may include counseling, medication management and approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing and relapse prevention.
Medication treatment options like buprenorphine, methadone, naltrexone, acamprosate and disulfiram support recovery from opioid and alcohol use disorders.
Beyond addiction care the clinic offers targeted mental health services including a PTSD Clinical Team, a Women’s Mental Health Clinic and an LGBQ+ Veteran Care Coordinator.
Social work supports extend to homeless Veterans, women Veterans and suicide prevention, with sign language and foreign language interpretation available.
Our Methodology
Private insurance refers to any kind of healthcare coverage that isn't from the state or federal government. This includes individual and family plans offered by an employer or purchased from the Insurance Marketplace. Every plan will have different requirements and out of pocket costs so be sure to get the full details before you start treatment.
Self-pay involves paying for treatment out of your own pocket. You can use savings or credit, get a personal loan, or receive help from family and friends to fund your treatment. If you don't have insurance or your insurance plan doesn't cover a specific program, self-pay can help ensure you still get the care you need.
Financial aid can take many forms. Centers may have grants or scholarships available to clients who meet eligibility requirements. Programs that receive SAMHSA grants may have financial aid available for those who need treatment as well. Grants and scholarships can help you pai for treatment without having to repay.
Military members, veterans, and eligible dependents have access to specific insurance programs that help them get the care they need. TRICARE and VA insurance can help you access low cost or no cost addiction and mental health treatment. Programs that accept military insurance often have targeted treatment focused on the unique challenges military members, veterans, and their families face.
Outpatient Programs (OP) are for those seeking mental rehab or drug rehab, but who also stay at home every night. The main difference between outpatient treatment (OP) and intensive outpatient treatment (IOP) lies in the amount of hours the patient spends at the facility. Most of the time an outpatient program is designed for someone who has completed an inpatient stay and is looking to continue their growth in recovery. Outpatient is not meant to be the starting point, it is commonly referred to as aftercare.
Clients entering an inpatient rehab typically require more intensive treatment than those in outpatient care. Clients often start inpatient treatment immediately after completing a detox program. Upon admission, they engage in extensive psychotherapy, receive recovery-focused life skills training, and participate in evidence-based complementary therapies, such as meditation, massage, acupuncture, and/or animal, creative arts, recreational, and experiential therapy.
Clients engaged in a rehab aftercare program have completed active addiction treatment and are receiving services designed to promote their sustained sobriety. Drug rehab aftercare typically encompasses a wide variety of medical, mental health, and social services meant to facilitate clients' reintegration into their home, workplace, and community. Clients typically collaborate with their case manager and/or recovery team to identify and access the services they need, often including peer coaching, career counseling, and care referrals.
Addiction recovery based on a 12 step program model is rooted in peer support and spiritual development. Participants regularly attend 12 step meetings, which are free, anonymous, peer-led, and available throughout the day and night in most communities. Clients' recovery is achieved progressively as they work through the 12 steps, which teach them to understand and address the root causes of their addiction, become accountable for their choices, and relinquish control over that which cannot be changed.
Many of those suffering from addiction also suffer from mental or emotional illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, or anxiety disorders. Rehab and other substance abuse facilities treating those with a dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorder administer psychiatric treatment to address the person's mental health issue in addition to drug and alcohol rehabilitation.
Mental health rehabs focus on helping individuals recover from mental illnesses like bipolar disorder, clinical depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and more. Mental health professionals at these facilities are trained to understand and treat mental health issues, both in individual and group settings.
Adult rehab programs include therapies tailored to each client's specific needs, goals, and recovery progress. They are tailored to the specific challenges adult clients may face, including family and work pressures and commitments. From inpatient and residential treatment to various levels of outpatient services, there are many options available. Some facilities also help adults work through co-occurring conditions, like anxiety, that can accompany addiction.
Young adulthood can be an exciting, yet difficult, time of transition. Individuals in their late teens to mid-20s face unique stressors related to school, jobs, families, and social circles, which can lead to a rise in substance use. Rehab centers with dedicated young adult programs will include activities and amenities that cater to this age group, with an emphasis on specialized counseling, peer socialization, and ongoing aftercare.
Recovery is most successful when clients feel accepted and validated by their peers and treatment providers. Facilities that offer LGBTQ-inclusive programming are committed to creating a safe space where everyone can grow and recover without fear of judgment or discrimination. They will have dedicated policies in place to create a safe and supportive environment that fosters free expression.
Serving in the military is both mentally and physically challenging, and can result in trauma that persists even after combat ends. Military programs are tailored to the specific and often complex needs of active duty personnel, veterans, and military families. Clients often access these programs through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a therapy modality that focuses on the relationship between one's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is used to establish and allow for healthy responses to thoughts and feelings (instead of unhealthy responses, like using drugs or alcohol). CBT has been proven effective for recovering addicts of all kinds, and is used to strengthen a patient's own self-awareness and ability to self-regulate. CBT allows individuals to monitor their own emotional state, become more adept at communicating with others, and manage stress without needing to engage in substance abuse.
Group therapy is any therapeutic work that happens in a group (not one-on-one). There are a number of different group therapy modalities, including support groups, experiential therapy, psycho-education, and more. Group therapy involves treatment as well as processing interaction between group members.
In individual therapy, a patient meets one-on-one with a trained psychologist or counselor. Therapy is a pivotal part of effective substance abuse treatment, as it often covers root causes of addiction, including challenges faced by the patient in their social, family, and work/school life.
Trauma therapy addresses traumatic incidents from a client's past that are likely affecting their present-day experience. Trauma is often one of the primary triggers and potential causes of addiction, and can stem from child sexual abuse, domestic violence, having a parent with a mental illness, losing one or both parents at a young age, teenage or adult sexual assault, or any number of other factors. The purpose of trauma therapy is to allow a patient to process trauma and move through and past it, with the help of trained and compassionate mental health professionals.
Whether a marriage or other committed relationship, an intimate partnership is one of the most important aspects of a person's life. Drug and alcohol addiction affects both members of a couple in deep and meaningful ways, as does rehab and recovery. Couples therapy and other couples-focused treatment programs are significant parts of exploring triggers of addiction, as well as learning how to build healthy patterns to support ongoing sobriety.
Research clearly demonstrates that recovery is far more successful and sustainable when loved ones like family members participate in rehab and substance abuse treatment. Genetic factors may be at play when it comes to drug and alcohol addiction, as well as mental health issues. Family dynamics often play a critical role in addiction triggers, and if properly educated, family members can be a strong source of support when it comes to rehabilitation.
Life skills trainings involve all the skills a person must have in order to function successfully in the world. These include time management, career guidance, money management, and effective communication. Truly successful addiction recovery is based on the ability to not only live substance-free, but to thrive. Life skills teaches the practical necessities of functioning in society, which sets clients up for success in life, and therefore sobriety.
Residential Setting 
Private Setting 
Chairman of the Board of Veterans’ Appeals
VA Deputy Secretary
Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology and Chief Information Officer
Under Secretary for Health
The Joint Commission, formerly known as JCAHO, is a nonprofit organization that accredits rehab organizations and programs. Founded in 1951, the Joint Commision's mission is to improve the quality of patient care and demonstrating the quality of patient care.
Joint Commission Accreditation: Yes
Accreditation Number: 385147
Rehab.com regularly reviews this listing for accuracy but changes may occur between updates. For the most up-to-date information, please contact Golden VA Clinic.
1020 Johnson Road
Golden, CO 80401
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I have had the most wonderful experience in this clinic, they have treated me with great respect and professionalism. It is a great help for the veterans of our community. Extreme willingness to help!
Great V.A. location! Awesome service.
I called six months ago, asking to be switched to the Aurora clinic because the primary care physician I went to at the Golden clinic was dismissive and rude . And then it took another three months and no one called me so…..I called again and apparently my call got lost. So then they put my name back in the system and it’s been another three months. I can say that I’ve given up on the VA do better.
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