BOZEMAN — Cedar Creek Integrated Health, one of the few intensive outpatient addiction and mental health providers in the Gallatin Valley, will close its doors on Dec. 1 — leaving roughly 1,000 active clients in search of new care.
Employees told MTN News off camera that the announcement came as a shock. Of the clinic’s 23 employees, seven were laid off last Friday.
The closure comes just months after Cedar Creek staff warned that they were struggling to keep up with rising demand for services. In a July interview, one staff member said, “We are starting to see the influx of clients coming in and the people that need help. We are in need of more funding because it doesn't exist.”
Despite those challenges, staff said they continued serving the Gallatin Valley.
Bozeman addiction clinic closes, affecting 1,000 clients
“They are long days. But it is what we have to do in this community to be able to make it viable,” the staff member said. “If not, our doors would be closed. And then what do we have?”
Now, five months later, clients were notified of the closure and given a packet of recommended resources.
MTN News reached out to Recovery Centers of Montana — the organization that operates Cedar Creek and several other clinics across the state — asking why the Bozeman location is shutting down. As of Tuesday, the organization has not responded.
The closure comes amid high statewide demand for mental health services. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 35.1% of Montana adults reported symptoms of anxiety or depression in February 2021, and 17.9% said they were unable to access needed counseling or therapy.
In the referral packet provided to clients, Rimrock is listed as one of the top options. The Billings-based addiction treatment center — which has operated for 50 years — is opening a new intensive outpatient facility in Bozeman this December.
“This is our first expansion out of Billings in our 50-year history,” a Rimrock representative told MTN News in October. “We’re going to Bozeman to meet a clear need.”
If you or someone you know needs help, you can call 211, or call or text 988, or chat online at 988lifeline.org.
