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Reviewed by Government officials are grappling for an accurate picture of the drug abuse problem in the Cowboy State. Even though it is the least populated state in the nation, inpatient drug rehab centers in Wyoming struggle with long waiting lists.
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According to a University of Wyoming study, the non-medical use of prescription painkillers in the state is comparable to the national average. Yet, the death rate from illicit and prescription opioids has risen steadily from 1.4 in 2003 to 7.5 deaths per 100,000 population in 2015.
Certain counties exceed the state average in prescription medication misuse. For example, prescription drug abuse is highest among middle and high school students in Hot Springs, Campbell, Platte, and Washakie Counties. In addition, carbon County reports the highest number of inpatient visits for opioid abuse.
Alcohol use in the state is higher than the national average. The CDC reports 210 deaths in Wyoming each year due to excessive drinking despite Wyoming rehab centers provide care to an increasing number of people with alcoholism and dangerous drinking habits such as binge drinking.
Are Wyoming drug treatment centers equipped to provide care to residents with substance use disorders? What are the unique challenges of Wyoming rehab centers?
6 Best Wyoming Rehab Centers
There are several options for people seeking drug and alcohol treatment in the Cowboy State. Wyoming rehab centers offer several programs to help addicts fight back and start their journey towards a brighter future.
Curran Seeley Foundation, Jackson, WY
Founded in 1988, this private, nonprofit organization provides drug and alcohol counseling and addiction treatment services to several communities in and around Teton County. Clients can expect caring, confidential, and cost-effective treatment at their office in Jackson. The intensive outpatient program is accredited by CARF and adheres to the highest standards in patient-centered care.
Trained counselors treat patients with dual diagnoses through modalities such as CBT and DBT for relapse prevention. Clients meet for individual and group therapy sessions at a spectacular campus with rolling hills and farmland as the backdrop.
Find out more about the family program and aftercare plans at this outpatient Wyoming rehab center by calling the helpline.
Central Wyoming Counseling Center, Casper, WY
CYCC started out as a mostly volunteer-operated mental health clinic in 1959, providing mental health and drug abuse treatment to the residents of Wyoming. Now, the center has grown to offer a wide variety of specialized programs and services to its patients. This is achieved with a vast team of nurses, psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, peer specialists, and support staff on standby.
CYCC offers multiple levels of care, including Outpatient Services, Residential Services, and Recovery Support Services. The center has become so vast and widely popular that it serves up to 4,000 people annually at its 75,000 square-foot campus.
Before admitting a patient, CYCC carries out a couple of evaluation exercises that would typically include one or more of the following: Initial intake assessment, Addiction Severity Index (ASI), American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), Bio-psychosocial assessment, Withdrawal assessment, and Comprehensive Health Assessment for Teens (CHAT).
Drug abuse treatment services offered at the center include Individual therapy, Group therapy, Family support treatment, Relapse prevention treatment, Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT).
Fremont Counseling Service, Riverton, WY
Established in 1959, this nonprofit, CARF-accredited addiction treatment facility provides substance abuse and mental health services to clients in Fremont County and surrounding communities. The center offers discounted fees to deserving individuals based on household income and family size. People of every race, gender, nationality, and religion are welcome here. Insurance coverages accepted include Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP.
Treatment modalities include an intensive outpatient program, family and group counseling, psychiatric consultation, and abstinence monitoring for relapse prevention. Clients have access to a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week crisis response service.
Peak Wellness Center, Guernsey, WY
A leading provider of substance abuse rehab in Wyoming for more than 50 years, this addiction treatment center has a staff of nearly 200, with more than 100 clinical specialists providing care at locations throughout the southeastern part of the state.
The residential substance abuse treatment for adults includes comprehensive, effective treatment through detoxification, intensive outpatient therapy, psychiatric care, and advanced medication-assisted treatment. Individual and group therapy is offered to family members. Specialized programs for addicted youth are available. Clients are introduced to 12-step meetings. Drug testing is carried out to reinforce abstinence.
Long-term aftercare and relapse prevention are part of the recovery plan at this private, nonprofit clinic. Clients looking for affordable SUD treatment can ask about the sliding scale fee schedule. Thousands of people have benefited from addiction treatment at Peak Wellness Center, which has four locations, including a residential facility in Laramie.
Trinity Teen Solutions, Powell, WY
This Wyoming rehab center is a faith-based Catholic residential facility for troubled teenage girls. A variety of evidence-based treatment modalities are used for young women battling mental health and substance abuse issues.
Therapy sessions include dialectical behavioral therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and eye-movement desensitization reprocessing, among others. The residential program is designed to remove the teenager from life stressors and negative distractions.
The girls are allowed to connect with nature, learn new skills, and let down their guard. The treatment team at this facility encourages changes in behavior by building trust. Family therapy and regular updates keep parents up-to-date on the adolescent’s progress. Located at a sprawling ranch with views of picturesque Wyoming mountain ranges, the facility is an ideal place for teen girls to recover, recoup, and relearn.
Chrysalis Treatment Center, Inc., Powell, WY
This is a certified, community-based substance abuse treatment provider in Wyoming. CTC offers these treatment services for adolescents (between the ages 13 to 17) in the state dealing with substance use and co-occurring disorders.
CTC uses a set of evidence-based therapies such as Motivational Interviewing, DBT, CBT, and Experiential Therapy for SUD treatment and recovery. These methods are proven to be helpful for youth in dealing with life’s challenges without resorting to substance use and abuse.
The facility has a 16-bed setup for 8 boys and 8 girls so that each person can get the highest level of individualized care available. For each treatment process from admission to discharge, CTC ensures that parents, schools, and home agencies are involved.
The Challenges of Addiction Treatment at Wyoming Rehabs
A little over half a million people occupy Wyoming’s expansive 100,000 square miles of the rugged landscape. Due to the low population density, the entire state qualifies as a frontier area. The economy is relatively poor, relying primarily on mining, gas, oil, and tourism. Does the geography and economy of the state make it difficult for people to get treatment for substance addiction at Wyoming rehab centers?
According to SAMHSA, more than 3,200 residents of Wyoming were enrolled for substance abuse treatment on a single day in 2015. Of these, about 43 percent had both drug and alcohol problems. But not everyone who needs professional help for drug and alcohol abuse is getting it.
Challenges of Addiction Treatment in Wyoming
Logistics: The state’s population, although small, is widely spread out, with many people living in rural areas with limited access to substance abuse recovery programs. SUD treatment is logistically difficult outside the large cities in the state.
Waiting List: The number of beds in inpatient drug and alcohol treatment centers in Wyoming is not enough to meet the demand of patients needing treatment with various lengths of stay.
Meth Labs: There has been a proliferation of meth labs, and the drug has spread deep into the social fabric of the state, putting addiction treatment facilities under strain.
Drug Abuse Statistics In Wyoming
Wyoming is in the top 10 states in the nation for illicit drug use among adolescents aged 12-17 years. More than 7 percent of residents report using illicit drugs within the past month. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there were 99 drug overdose deaths in the state in 2016.
There is some good news, though. Drug-induced deaths in Wyoming continue to be lower than the national average. Marijuana is the most common drug of abuse. In fact, nearly half the admissions to Wyoming rehab centers are related to marijuana use. Methamphetamine and prescription opioid abuse is a growing concern. Less commonly abused are ecstasy and inhalants.
Here are some statistics that reveal the scale of the drug issue in the state.
Substance Use Disorders in Adolescents
- One study revealed the startling statistic that more than 40 percent of 10th to 12th graders in Wyoming could be classified as drug abusers.
- 19 percent of high school students report drinking alcohol before age 13.
- 20 percent of adolescents admit to binge drinking, higher than the national average of 18 percent.
- Cocaine use in high school students (grades 9-12) is 7 percent, compared to 5 percent nationwide.
Heroin and Opioid Abuse in Wyoming
- The opioid prescribing rate in Wyoming is slightly above the national average.
- Naloxone, an opioid-overdose reversal agent, was administered on 737 ambulance trips in 2016-2017.
- In 2014-2015, 0.36 percent of individuals 12 or older used heroin in the past year, similar to the figure for the entire nation.
Alcohol Abuse in the Cowboy State
- Wyoming has some of the highest rates of alcoholism in the country.
- In 2011, more than 18 percent of adults and more than 25 percent of high school students in Wyoming admitted to binge drinking.
Wyoming Drug Laws
The schedules of controlled substances under Wyoming drug laws are as follows:
- Schedule I: heroin, LSD, marijuana
- Schedule II: Oxycontin, Percocet, opium, cocaine, methadone, amphetamines, and methamphetamines.
- Schedule III: Anabolic steroids, Tylenol with codeine and Vicodin
- Schedule IV: Valium, Xanax, and other tranquilizers and sedatives
- Schedule V: cough medicines with codeine and other drugs with small amounts of codeine or other narcotics in them
The full details of maximum penalties for according to Wyoming drug possession laws are as follows:
| Schedule | Detail | Sentencing (Potential Imprisonment) | Sentencing (Potential Fine) |
| Schedule I, II, III, and IV |
|
|
|
| Schedule I or II narcotics | Any amount above the ones listed above | Up to seven years | Up to $15,000 |
| All other Schedule I, II, or III | Any amount above the ones listed above | Up to ten years | Up to $10,000 |
| Schedule IV | Any amount above the ones listed above | Up to two years | Up to $2,500 |
| Schedule V | Any amount | Up to a year | Up to $1,000 |
Wyoming Weed Laws
As of March 2021, marijuana remains illegal in the state of Wyoming – both for recreational use and medical use. However, it is legal to possess and use hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) products that contain less than 0.3% THC by weight.
This is following the law signed by Gov. Mark Gordon back in March 2019 allowing the use of hemp with production and regulation monitored by the Department of Agriculture. Since then, there have been two failed attempts to place marijuana legalization on the state ballot. All forms of cannabis remain illegal according to Wyoming weed laws.
Finding the Best Drug Rehab in Wyoming
There is no single drug rehab that is the best for everyone. One addict may benefit from vocational rehab in Wyoming while another may need court-ordered addiction treatment. Not everyone can travel long distances, and many recovering addicts prefer local rehabs.
Are you looking for a drug or alcohol treatment center in Wyoming? Advisors are available to answer your questions, give you more information on the best effective treatment, and guide you in developing a plan to beat addiction.
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Page Sources
- Substance Use in Adolescence | HHS Office of Population Affairs. (2021). Office of Population Affairs. https://opa.hhs.gov/adolescent-health/substance-use-adolescence
- Executive Office of The President of the United States. (2012). Wyoming Drug Control Update. https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/docs/state_profile_-_wyoming_0.pdf
- Telling the Story of Opioid Use in Wyoming. (2018). Wyoming Survey and Analysis Center. https://wysac.uwyo.edu/wysac/reports/View/6665
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Behavioral Health Barometer: Wyoming, Volume 4: Indicators as measured through the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services, and the Uniform Reporting System. HHS Publication No. SMA–17–Baro– 16–States–WY. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2017. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/Wyoming_BHBarometer_Volume_4.pdf
- U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, D. Singh, Wyoming’s Methamphetamine Initiative: The Power of Informed Process, https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/bja/186266.pdf
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Prevention Status Report 2013, Excessive Alcohol Use in Wyoming, https://www.cdc.gov/psr/2013/alcohol/2013/wy-alcohol.pdf