Do you know someone who has a problem with addiction? I do.

I have been a Bozemanite for over twenty years. I own a business and I am deeply involved in our community. I have watched this valley grow from a small tight knit town into a place that draws people from all over the country. Through all the changes, one thing has stayed constant. This community shows up for one another. So when Cedar Creek closed its doors on November 30, 2025, right as the holidays began, it felt like more than the loss of a clinic. It felt like losing a stabilizing force that quietly held up some of the most vulnerable people in our valley.

Cedar Creek was an outpatient behavioral health and addiction treatment center that served roughly 1,000 clients in Bozeman over many years. Its 23 staff members provided intensive outpatient programs, individual and group therapy, medication management, peer support, and help with basic needs like housing, employment, and transportation. Cedar Creek was deeply connected to Gallatin County’s justice system. It supported the Assisted Outpatient Treatment program and provided mandated care for participants in DUI Court and Veterans Treatment Court. Its work was not always visible, but it kept families, workplaces, and neighborhoods steady.

Gallatin County faces serious addiction challenges. About 27 % of adults report excessive drinking. Hundreds struggle with heroin, fentanyl, and other opioids. Over 5,000 residents live with both a serious mental illness and a substance use disorder. For years Cedar Creek provided structured support for these residents. It helped them stay in the community, avoid hospitalization or incarceration, and prevent crises from escalating. Its programs were a lifeline for families, workplaces, and neighborhoods, stabilizing struggles that ripple through every corner of the county.

I have seen friends walk through Cedar Creek’s doors at their lowest points. People struggling with addiction, depression, or both. I have watched them rebuild their lives, reconnect with their families, and regain hope. Cedar Creek’s impact went far beyond the numbers. It touched real lives and quietly held our community together.

The timing of Cedar Creek’s closure was especially difficult. December is a hard month for people in recovery. Seasonal stress, family pressures, and shorter days can trigger relapse or crisis. Losing access to that care right before the holidays created a worrying gap for people who rely on structured support.

But there is hope. Rimrock Center, a nonprofit with nearly 60 years of experience in Billings, is opening its first facility outside of Billings in Bozeman around December 1st. It will offer outpatient services to fill the gap left by Cedar Creek. Founded in 1968, Rimrock has spent decades providing addiction treatment, education, and prevention. Its programs range from inpatient detox to outpatient therapy and medication assisted care. No clinic can replace decades of relationships and history, but Rimrock Center ensures residents will continue to have access to care close to home, when support is most needed.

What makes this work matter is not just therapy or medications. It is human connection. The counselor who remembers your kid’s name, the staff who notices when you are having a rough day, the peer groups where people realize they are not alone. That human infrastructure is as critical to a community as roads or buildings, yet it is often overlooked. Bozeman is counting on Rimrock Center to keep the human infrastructure that Cedar Creek built over the years.

Bozeman has always been a place where we show up for one another. Cedar Creek showed us how vital that commitment is, and Rimrock Center gives us a way to continue it. Let us make sure the people who have given so much to this town and those among us who are quietly struggling are not left adrift. Speak up. Volunteer. Advocate. Support this new chapter in our community’s care. A town is only as strong as the compassion we give to its most vulnerable residents.

If you or someone you know needs help, call or text the 24/7 crisis line at 988 for immediate support.

Submitted by Andy Boyd.