For Minnesotans suffering from chemical addiction, there are barriers to treatment.

"From wanting help to getting help, there is a huge gap in between," said Neal Schmidt, a licensed drug and alcohol counselor at Northwoods Haven Outpatient Addiction Center in Hopkins, Minnesota.

An estimated 290,000 adults in Minnesota are in need of substance use disorder treatment.

Barriers include cost, lack of insurance, waitlists and co-occurring disorders.

Only 18% of substance use programs and 9% of mental health programs are equipped to properly treat both.

"We treat both the addiction and mental health at the same time," said Schmidt.

The new practice is offering free, fully covered spots in its Intensive Outpatient Program.

"Right now, we're in a really exciting place to be able to be a brand-new facility. We're in the process of getting credentialing from insurance companies," said Schmidt.

Up to 16 spots are immediately available in the outpatient program.

It includes three hours of group therapy three days a week, along with individual sessions with a licensed drug and alcohol counselor and a mental health therapist.

Yoga and meditation are also part of their holistic approach.

While they treat any chemical addiction, Schmidt says a majority of early clients struggle with alcohol and opiates.

"We've been hit extremely hard with the fentanyl and opiate epidemic. We're seeing people who want treatment, continue to use and not be able to make it into treatment because of the overdose potential," said Schmidt.

At Northwoods Haven, they hope providing free, timely intervention now will lead to better outcomes.

All applicants go through a professional assessment to ensure outpatient care is appropriate for their needs.

You can learn more by clicking here.