Cornerstone Program

About Cornerstone Program

The Cornerstone Program is a locally owned outpatient substance use program in the Denver area that works with teenagers, young adults, and their families across Colorado. Their philosophy holds that young people rarely get sober until they’ve seen that a drug-free life can be more fun and rewarding than using, so they build their care around sober peer connection, family involvement, and a 12-step foundation. Services include free evaluations, intensive outpatient treatment, individual counseling, aftercare, and referrals to inpatient care when an assessment calls for it. Staff members are in recovery themselves, which helps them connect with young clients.

The intensive outpatient program runs roughly six to fourteen weeks, with about 20 hours of group counseling across five days each week. Discharge is based on progress rather than a fixed timeline, and each week clients meet one-on-one with their counselor to set goals. Group sessions cover coping skills, self-esteem, communication, and peer relationships, and clients attend two weekly 12-step meetings that use steps adapted for young people, plus two weekend sober social events such as dances, comedy nights, campouts, and ski trips. Parents get weekly phone updates and a weekly support group, and near the end of treatment a “significant others” meeting gives the young person a chance to begin making amends to family. Graduates move into a 12-week aftercare program and can keep attending peer support groups and free individual counseling for up to two and a half years.