Boulder County has been unusually proactive in responding to the opioid crisis through its opioid settlement infrastructure. Between 2023 and 2024, the county distributed roughly $3.2 million in settlement funds, and the 2025-2026 cycle allocated over $3.95 million to two dozen programs across prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery.
In fact, the county’s 2025-2028 Opioid Abatement Plan specifically prioritizes expanding access to medication-assisted treatment without barriers related to insurance status, geography or justice system involvement.
One practical consideration for Boulder residents is cost. Programs in Boulder and the broader Front Range tend to price at the higher end of Colorado’s range, given the area’s cost of living. That said, Health First Colorado (the state’s Medicaid program) fully covers the continuum of detox and withdrawal management for eligible residents, and multiple community-based providers offer sliding-scale fees.
A note on the current situation: after fentanyl-related deaths in Boulder County declined in 2024, the first half of 2025 saw a sharp reversal, with fentanyl deaths rising 50% compared to the same period in 2024.
That context matters when selecting a program, as fentanyl complicates withdrawal timelines and increases the importance of medically supervised detox rather than attempting to manage withdrawal outside a clinical setting.
Boulder’s detox and addiction treatment system is regulated and licensed at the state level by the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration (BHA), a division of the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS). Any facility providing medically supervised withdrawal management or operating an opioid treatment program (OTP) must hold a BHA license under Title 27, Article 80 of the Colorado Revised Statutes.
Additionally, community mental health centers that provide SUD treatment alongside mental health services, such as Mental Health Partners in Boulder, must also hold a health facility license from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).
