Heroin Addiction Treatment
Very few people set out to live with heroin addiction. For some, it starts with prescription pain medication after an injury or surgery. For others, it begins as a way to cope with loss, trauma, or emotional pain that feels too heavy to carry. Whatever the reason, heroin often takes more than it gives until it feels like it’s taken everything.
In Arizona, the crisis has touched nearly every community. 2,069 people lost their lives to overdose in Maricopa County in 2024, and heroin remains a key player in those losses. Most of those deaths occurred in Maricopa County, where Crossroads is deeply committed to lowering those numbers.
At Crossroads, clients are met with understanding from the moment they walk through the door. Through structure, compassion, and evidence-based care, we help clients regain stability, rebuild confidence, and rediscover what a healthy life can feel like.
What We Treat: Heroin Addiction and Opioid Misuse
Heroin changes how the brain responds to things like pain, stress, and pleasure. When taken for long periods, the body adapts to its presence and begins to depend on it to feel “normal”. In other words, it becomes almost impossible to feel happy or relaxed without it.
But because of the way heroin impacts mental and physical health, stopping use eventually becomes the only option. Unfortunately, it isn’t easy for anyone to set heroin down — especially when they have grown dependent on it.
When use stops, withdrawal symptoms can feel unbearable, which is one of the main reasons heroin is so hard to quit without help.
We help clients stabilize their bodies, address underlying mental health concerns, and rebuild the daily structure needed for long-term recovery. Everyone’s path looks a little different, but our goal is always the same: to help clients find safety, strength, and connection without substances.
How We Treat Heroin Addiction: Community-Focused and Comprehensive Care
Recovery from heroin addiction takes support, consistency, and the right tools. At Crossroads, clients find all three through a structured program that blends evidence-based care with strong peer support.
Our approach focuses on accessibility and long-term stability, ensuring that no one is turned away for financial reasons. Crossroads offers a full continuum of care that includes counseling, medication-assisted treatment, and community-based recovery programming.
What sets our program apart:
- Peer leadership and lived experience: Many staff members are in recovery themselves and provide genuine understanding and encouragement throughout treatment.
- Integrated medical and mental health care: Our connected health clinics provide ongoing medical support, behavioral health care, and women’s health services, including prenatal care for pregnant clients.
- Medication-assisted treatment (MAT): For those who qualify, medications such as Suboxone, Sublocade, or Vivitrol can ease withdrawal symptoms and support long-term recovery.
- Flexible recovery paths: Clients can participate in both 12-Step and SMART Recovery meetings, finding a method of recovery that aligns with their beliefs and goals.
- Holistic and spiritual healing: Wellness groups, fitness activities, and optional chapel services help clients reconnect with purpose and balance.
- A full continuum of care: Case management, employment assistance, and community partnerships help clients regain independence and stability outside of treatment.
At Crossroads, every client is treated with dignity and respect. Recovery begins here, in a community that understands what lasting change requires.
Treatment Options for Heroin Addiction at Crossroads
Healing from heroin addiction takes time, structure, and the right level of care. Crossroads Chandler offers both residential and outpatient programs so clients can find support that fits their stage of recovery and personal goals.
Residential Treatment (Right Track Program)
The Right Track residential program offers a structured and encouraging environment where clients can focus fully on recovery. Days are built around counseling, group therapy, skill-building, and community connection. Clients live among peers who share the same goal of long-term sobriety, creating an atmosphere of accountability and shared progress.
Residential clients also have access to:
- Daily group and individual therapy sessions
- Medication-assisted treatment for those who qualify
- Wellness and spiritual programming that supports emotional and physical recovery
- On-site medical and behavioral health care
- Case management, life skills, and employment readiness support
Outpatient Treatment
For those transitioning from residential care or beginning recovery with more independence, outpatient treatment offers flexibility without losing structure. Clients attend therapy sessions, support groups, and recovery meetings several days a week while working, going to school, or caring for family.
Outpatient care includes:
- Individual and group counseling
- Relapse prevention and coping skills training
- 12-Step and SMART Recovery meetings
- Peer recovery coaching
- Ongoing case management and access to community resources
Both programs share a single goal: to help clients build the confidence and skills to live independently in recovery. Every step is supported by compassionate care, practical guidance, and a community that wants to see each person succeed.
Causes and Risk Factors of Heroin Addiction
As mentioned above, no one wakes up one day and chooses heroin addiction. For most people, it happens slowly and often starts with something that seems harmless, like a prescription after surgery, a way to unwind, or an attempt to quiet emotional pain. Over time, the brain begins to depend on that relief, and what once felt like a choice spirals out of control.
Unfortunately, there is no “set cause” for any addiction type, heroin included. Addiction is complex, and there are many circumstances at play.
Addiction isn’t just physical dependence on a substance — it’s emotional and mental, too. Some of the most common risk factors include, but are not limited to:
- Prescription opioid use: Many people who turn to heroin first built a tolerance to painkillers like oxycodone or hydrocodone. When those medications run out or stop working, heroin can feel like the only option.
- Living with chronic pain: Ongoing physical pain can make heroin’s numbing effect feel like a form of relief, even when it only makes things harder in the long run.
- Undertreated or untreated mental health struggles: Depression, anxiety, and trauma can all increase the risk of substance use as a way to cope with emotions that feel too heavy.
- Family history or early exposure: Growing up around substance use or experiencing trauma at a young age can make addiction more likely later in life.
- Stress and instability: When life feels unpredictable with challenges like job loss, homelessness, or financial strain, heroin can become a temporary escape from stress or fear.
- Mixing substances: Combining heroin with alcohol or sedatives increases both dependence and the risk of overdose.
Signs You May Need Treatment for Heroin Addiction
Heroin is not legal anywhere in the United States, which means if you’re taking it, it’s already problematic. But if it’s morphed from a “hobby” into a “need”, you may find yourself wondering if it’s time for treatment. There are some common signs that heroin has become a major problem in your life, including:
- Emotional and Mental Signs
- Feeling anxious, “empty”, or irritable when you haven’t taken heroin in a while
- Losing interest in things that once meant something to you
- Feeling disconnected from your friends or family
- Wanting to stop but feeling like you can’t
- Physical Signs
- Needing more heroin to feel “normal”
- Feeling sick, shaky, or sweaty between doses
- Changes in appetite, sleep, or weight
- Low energy or unexplained pain
- Behavioral Signs
- Pulling away from loved ones or isolating
- Struggling to keep up with work, school, or commitments
- Spending most of your time or money on heroin
- Hiding use or lying to cover it up
Everyone’s experience looks a little different, but if life feels smaller or more difficult without heroin, that’s often the clearest sign it’s time for support.
At Crossroads, reaching out for help doesn’t mean judgment; it means connection. Our team understands what it’s like to feel stuck and helps clients find the right next step with care and respect. Whether it’s residential or outpatient treatment, we’ll meet you where you are and help you start building something stronger.
What to Expect in Heroin Rehab at Crossroads
Starting treatment can feel overwhelming, especially after living with the ups and downs of heroin use. At Crossroads, clients don’t go through that process alone. From the first day, our team helps each person settle in, feel supported, and discover the motivation to create a foundation for long-term recovery.
Here’s what to expect in our heroin rehab program:
| Stage of Care | What Happens | How It Helps |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment and Intake | Each client completes a full assessment that looks at substance use history, mental health, physical health, and recovery goals. | Builds a treatment plan that fits the person, not the diagnosis. Creates a clear roadmap for care. |
| Stabilization and Early Support | For clients who need detox, we coordinate with trusted medical partners before they begin treatment at Crossroads. Once stable, clients begin group and individual counseling. | Ensures safety and comfort in early recovery while easing withdrawal symptoms with compassion and medical guidance. |
| Daily Structure and Connection | Days are organized around therapy, recovery meetings, life skills training, and wellness activities. Clients live and learn alongside peers who share the same goals. | Reintroduces stability, accountability, and purpose into daily life. Builds confidence through routine and community. |
| Whole-Person Healing | Treatment includes physical, emotional, and spiritual care. Clients can access integrated medical services, medication-assisted treatment (when appropriate), and optional faith-based or wellness groups. | Strengthens both body and mind. Helps clients find meaning and motivation in recovery. |
| Planning for Life After Treatment | Case managers help with employment readiness, housing resources, and ongoing recovery plans. Alumni and community programs offer continued support after discharge. | Builds a strong foundation for independence and long-term sobriety. Keeps clients connected and supported. |
Getting Help for Your Heroin Use at Crossroads in Chandler
At Crossroads, we’ve spent more than sixty years walking beside people who thought they’d lost everything — and helping them find their way back.
As a nonprofit organization, Crossroads accepts both Medicaid and commercial insurance and never turns anyone away because of cost. Clients have access to counseling, medical care, case management, and wellness support all in one place.
If heroin has taken over your life, there’s a path forward. Call (602) 263-5242 today to learn more about treatment options and take the first step toward recovery at Crossroads in Chandler, Arizona.
