Bluestem Program

The Bluestem Program is the only treatment option in Colorado where a person misusing substances, their partner, and their children can receive holistic, full-family care in a home that’s all theirs. It’s a safe alternative to foster care that aims to end addiction’s cycle across generations.

Our Approach

Substance misuse touches every member of a family, yet traditional treatment often pulls parents and children apart. While intended to protect in the short term, this separation can create lasting trauma that fuels the very cycles of addiction we determine to break.

At Bluestem, we believe there is a better way.

Within our site of six dedicated townhomes, parents and children remain together in a safe, home-like setting. Supported by round-the-clock care, integrated therapy, and expert case management, families receive the tools they need to heal in unity. These families move from crisis to self-sufficiency—breaking patterns and brightening the future for generations to come.

Please note: At this time, Bluestem is only accepting referrals through our partner agencies. However, we envision a near future where this model of holistic care is widely available to all who need it.

Care for the Whole Family

Bluestem provides a comprehensive and coordinated continuum of care designed to nurture long-term stability, offering:

24/7 on-site staff dedicated to maintaining the safety and well-being of every child.

Private housing for 12+ months to ensure a stable environment for recovery.

Integrated addiction treatment tailored to individual recovery journeys.

Parenting skills coaching to strengthen the family bond.

Specialized family and trauma therapy to address emotional needs.

Strategic coordination with child welfare case managers for seamless advocacy.

Aftercare services to transition post-discharge.

The Bluestem Program will be for families with at least one adult whose addiction has led to contact with Child Welfare. Without intervention, they will be at risk of losing their child(ren). Bluestem will be an excellent fit for families with unstable housing.
Savio will have trained staff onsite 24/7 to provide support and respond to crises, as needed. Focusing on six families at a time will allow staff to become intimately familiar with each family’s daily rhythms, enabling them to quickly identify when there may be a safety concern. Each family’s Child Welfare case manager will remain apprised of the family’s progress.
Additionally, Savio’s long-term, established relationships with Jefferson and Arapahoe County departments of human services will provide a safety net of support should a family’s status devolve and necessitate emergency removal of a child.
It can be really difficult to translate lessons learned during inpatient care back to “normal life.” Many people in recovery get tripped up when they leave treatment and are immediately confronted with the stressors of kids, work, and home.

For partners and kids, living in a home is much less stressful than living in an institution. Reducing stress is an important factor to stabilizing families and achieving long term positive outcomes.

The goal is to mimic normal life as much as possible, so families can continue practicing the skills they learned in treatment, naturally.
Savio thinks of Bluestem as a pilot. Starting small in Lakewood gives us the chance to establish the excellence of our model and set a new standard for care. Ultimately, we hope to see programs like this in every community across Colorado.
Across all our programs, Savio begins planning for discharge as soon as a family begins treatment— Bluestem is no different.

Given the intense needs of families, we anticipate they will participate in Bluestem for about a year. During that time, families will improve their relationships and coping skills, as well as establish a network of support, ranging from employment to food resources. Savio will partner with housing programs to ensure that every family has a stable, long term home after Bluestem.

Then, families will continue receiving support from Savio. This aftercare may last anywhere from 2 months to 2 years, depending on the family’s unique needs.
The name Bluestem is inspired by a grass native to Colorado, called Little Bluestem. This plant thrives in clusters, resilient against all kinds of environmental hardships. When given the right conditions, it revitalizes its entire ecosystem. This perfectly describes our vision. We believe children and parents flourish when they remain together—every family member feeling a deep sense of safety and belonging. The families we serve are remarkably resilient, capable of weathering intense storms and emerging stronger on the other side.
When provided with the necessary resources, these strong families stabilize whole communities, preventing the erosion caused by abuse and neglect. And, we know that families here won’t need our support forever—when they get the treatment, skills, and healing they need, they become self-sufficient.