Ten years ago, those struggling with substance abuse disorders in Cortez faced limited resources from a much smaller recovery community. Now, as Montezuma County’s first sober living center flourishes, peer support services grow and organizations expand their treatment options, advocates say the area is in a much better place.
“It's changed exponentially,” Charlee Sharp, co-owner of Silver Lining Recovery Homes, the first sober living facility in the county, said. “I'm almost nine years sober now, and that's why I'm so passionate about it. When I got home from treatment there was very little resources for me.”
At the beginning of her recovery journey, Sharp traveled to California to seek treatment for substance abuse from an inpatient facility. Her counselors recommended she stay to continue her work at a sober living facility, but with a family waiting for her back in Cortez, she decided to come home.
“It was rough. I did relapse,” Sharp said. “It was just outpatient and AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) and I had to drive over to Durango to attend any kind of an NA (Narcotics Anonymous) meeting.”
The sober living home she founded with Adam Herman in February 2025 offers a place of transition and refuge not previously available in the county. The home has eight beds for men and four beds for women. The facility provides case management, job search assistance and support meetings while providing its residents with access to therapy and healthcare.
Sharp said 45 residents have lived in the home and 12 of those successfully transitioned back to their families or homes, meaning they left the facility sober and voluntarily.
“It was a surprising number for me. I would actually expect it to be quite a bit lower, so I was pretty excited that was the number,” Sharp said. “I am an addictions counselor outside of this, and I do see much lower numbers when they don't have the supportive housing.”
The home has a small waiting list for those who’ve filled out an application on the facility’s website. The majority of residents are from Montezuma County with a few from La Plata County, Towaoc, Pagosa Springs and even as far as Montrose.
Those with criminal records are welcome, provided they’re not sex offenders. Sharp said the home works closely with the courts, the Department of Corrections and Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Probation, all of which will occasionally refer individuals to Silver Lining.
“We’re very open minded,” Sharp said.
Porch Light Health, formerly known as Cortez Addiction Recovery Services, also provides resources for a wide range of individuals in Southwest Colorado.
Prior to October 2023, when Porch Light merged with CARS, the center’s services were limited. Three years ago, the center could only offer medication assisted treatment (MAT) to manage cravings for those in recovery once a week along with some behavioral health services.
Now Porch Light has early recovery groups for range of people: those looking to quit but who are still actively using; people dealing with anger management; a teen support group; peer support specialists; and walk-in appointments with MAT providers Monday through Friday.
“We’re at a place where we can meet people where they’re at because people don’t decide one day a week, on Wednesdays, that they want to get clean. It happens anytime,” Crystal Robson, the clinic director said.
Finances are also not a barrier for those seeking treatment at Porch Light, which accepts Medicaid and several private insurances. For those that are uninsured, Porch Light can support their treatment through several grants from the state.
“We don't turn people away if they don't have money,” Robson said. “There's a lot of funding available for people. That should never be something that keeps them from coming in.”
Vibes Volansky, the center’s peer support specialist who uses his lived experience battling addiction to help those in recovery, is a highlight of the revamped clinic’s offerings. He helps clients navigate the courts if they’re facing criminal charges related to their substance abuse and ensures they’re aware of the community support groups available to them.
Volansky is 11 years sober, with experience navigating the criminal justice system while in active addiction.
“It was really hard for me to get sober and to be in the system – getting arrested, being homeless, and feeling a lot of barriers to success,” Volansky said. “And once I got sober, I realized that that's what I wanted to do, was try to advocate for people who are trying to change their lives, trying to get out of the system”
Volansky said the environment has changed for those struggling with addiction facing criminal offenses over the past decade. In Montezuma County, he says, judges are more compassionate to those struggling with addiction and more inclined to seek alternatives to jail time and get those struggling connected with the necessary services.
“This county does a good job with that in particular. But other counties I've seen around this country don't have that same perspective,” Volansky said.
It’s important to remember, he said, that addiction is a disease that requires its own sort of medicine.
“It’s similar to someone with diabetes. You can’t choose that you have diabetes but you can choose to take your medicine for it. Medicine for an addict is meetings, groups, therapy, other people in recovery,” Volansky said. “I’m 11 years sober and I still have to take my daily medicine.”
While Cortez and Montezuma County work to build a foundation of accessible support resources, there’s still gaps.
Justin Pierce, the assistant district attorney for the 22nd Judicial District, prosecutes many felony drug cases. He said that the DA’s office can seek inpatient treatment as an alternative to incarceration for those struggling with substance abuse. However, the closest programs are in Alamosa, Montrose or Grand Junction. Once people return, the battle isn’t over.
“Getting them housing, getting them employment once they return from inpatient, sometimes that's a big hurdle. That's just unfortunately associated with a smaller community,” Pierce said.
Robson also said the distance to inpatient treatment facilities is a major barrier for those struggling with addiction in Montezuma County. However, she said Silver Lining is a massive help to those returning from their treatments outside of Cortez, helping them avoid slipping back into old habits or old crowds.
“A lot of times they burned bridges with their families and so they have nowhere to go, and they end up going to the same places, couch surfing, and then they end up using,” Robson said. “I think that's really good that we have that (Silver Lining Recovery Homes) in this community.”
Sharp is proud of the center and the transformation of Cortez in the decade since her sobriety began.
“I am actually pretty dang proud of our community. We do have a lot of resources for as little as it is,” Sharp said.
She hopes Silver Lining will continue expanding and providing support while beginning to integrate more peer services and sober social events as the center gains its footing.
“Rural communities need them (recovery resources) more than ever, because we are impacted by addiction tremendously. If those resources are available in big cities, they should be available here in the rural community, too,” Sharp said.
avanderveen@the-journal.com
