UCS Healthcare, located in Des Moines, Iowa, is a non-profit organization that focuses on comprehensive medical and behavioral health services. With over 25 years of experience, they offer specialized services like medication-assisted treatment (MAT), addiction treatments, and LGBTQIA+ medical care, including a mobile clinic to serve underserved Iowa communities.
The mission of UCS Healthcare is to be the leading provider of integrated healthcare for a diverse community in a safe, respectful, and accessible environment, creating hope for healing and lifelong well-being. Additionally, they have been recognized as the 'Best Place For Working Parents' for four consecutive years.
- Offers Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for opioid and alcohol addiction using methadone, buprenorphine (Suboxone), and naltrexone, combining medication and counseling.
- Provides outpatient therapy services, including mental health counseling and psychotherapy.
- Utilizes a mobile clinic to deliver healthcare services to underserved communities across Iowa.
- Specializes in primary healthcare services, psychiatric services, and substance use disorder treatment, including intensive outpatient programs and relapse prevention.
UCS Healthcare treats opioid and alcohol addictions, serving diverse demographics including those identifying as LGBTQIA+, ensuring accessible and inclusive care for all who need help the most.
- 1+ Accreditations
- SAMHSA Listed
- 23 Conditions Treated
- LGBTQ+ Allied
- Insurance Accepted
- 6 Levels of Care
- Speaks English, Spanish
- 29 Therapies & Programs
Accreditations
SAMHSA
Staff
- Vickie LewisChief Executive OfficerLeads UCS Healthcare with over 30 years of experience in healthcare administration.
- Christina ScharkChief Operations OfficerOversees daily operations and strategic planning for UCS Healthcare.
- Dr. Ahmar ButtChief Medical OfficerBoard-certified psychiatrist specializing in addiction medicine and mental health treatment.
- Dr. Dustin ChaseMedical DirectorExperienced physician dedicated to providing comprehensive care for UCS patients.
- Dr. Sasha KhosraviMedical ProviderSkilled medical professional committed to patient-centered care at UCS Healthcare.
Conditions and Issues Treated
Substance Abuse + Addiction Treatment
Rehab centers exist in Des Moines, IA to help individuals bounce back from substance abuse, which is an umbrella term for drug and alcohol addiction. Drug addiction refers to the use of illegal drugs and improper use of prescription drugs. Centers like UCS Healthcare - Des Moines provide individuals a chance to access individual and group therapy that can be monumental for recovery.
Substance abuse includes all problems that stem out from using various psychoactive substances. It is also a diagnostic term used by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) to define the mental and physical impairment or distress caused by misuse and overuse of certain substances in a period of 12 months.
Opioid + Opiate Addiction Treatment
Opioid addiction involves addiction to legal or illegal opioids. It may happen very quickly with any opioid use. Sometimes within a matter of days. Opioid addiction is a known as a high-risk factor for future heroin addiction.
Opioid withdrawal can be extremely uncomfortable and lead the user to continue to use even if they want to quit. Stopping using an opioid requires careful medical observation. Sometimes the withdrawal can persist for many weeks, which can put the user at a high risk for relapse.
It is recommended to receive inpatient treatment and a medically supervised detox like those offered at UCS Healthcare - Des Moines in Des Moines, IA, IA, to manage the withdrawal process while learning lasting tools to maintain recovery. In some circumstances medications can be used to manage opioid addiction.
Dual-Diagnosis Treatment in Des Moines, IA
Substance use disorder falls under two categories: Alcohol or Drug Abuse and Drug Dependence. An individual suffering from a substance use disorder and mental health disorders is said to have a co-occurring disorder or a dual disorder. Individuals in Des Moines, IA with substance use disorders and mental health problems are said to suffer from a ‘dual diagnosis’.
The most frequently identified mental health issues found in individuals with substance use disorders include anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and schizoaffective disorder.
Levels of Care
This center offers a variety of custom treatment tailored to individual recovery. Currently available are Aftercare Support, Detox, Drug Rehab, Dual-Diagnosis, Intensive Outpatient, Outpatient, with additional therapies available as listed below.
Detox is the first step of rehab. It involves giving a person time to get the toxins out of their body. During detox, the patient gets ill, and they will often start using again to get rid of these unpleasant feelings. That’s why it’s important to have a medical professional at UCS Healthcare - Des Moines present. A medical professional will make sure patients don’t start using during detox. They will also likely provide medication to ease their symptoms and coach them through on a mental level.
Intensive outpatient programs are an integral part of the continuum of care for people addicted to drugs and alcohol. Most intensive outpatient programs in Des Moines, IA comprise a 3-hour session three times a week. Usually, the intensity of these programs diminishes over time. These programs offer a range of services, including counselling, medical treatment, and monitoring alcohol and drug use. The programs are ideal for people who do not need treatment at an inpatient or residential facility and continue to need extended care and support.
Outpatient treatment is treatment that occurs when a patient is not checked into a rehab facility. The patient may show up for therapy sessions, go through detox and engage in other therapies to help them recover. However, they will do so while they live at home in Iowa.
Outpatient therapy provided by UCS Healthcare - Des Moines is usually recommended as a follow up to inpatient therapy. It helps patients adapt to their normal lives after treatment. In some cases, it can also be an alternative to inpatient treatment. People may choose this route if they are unable to leave their jobs, children or if they don’t have the money for inpatient treatment. However, inpatient treatment is the best way to recover from addiction.
Aftercare support involves the support given to a Des Moines, Iowa patient after they complete treatment. It helps them adjust to normal life. It may include setting them up in a halfway house and enrolling them in programs like Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). UCS Healthcare - Des Moines‘s patients may also be provided with career training to help them get back into the job force.
UCS Healthcare - Des Moines‘s Therapies & Programs
Individual therapy aims to identify the core issues that would have led the patient to substance abuse and address the root cause effectively. Patients find the therapist as a person who they can trust. It helps them to open up and discuss personal and sensitive issues, which they may not be comfortable discussing in a group.
Couples therapy is an approach wherein the patients and their partners are engaged together as a part of the treatment process. When a person becomes a victim of substance abuse, it affects the patient and the people around him, particularly his partner. Their relationship can become strained due to lack of communication, financial issues, loss of trust, lack of intimacy, and physical abuse in more severe cases.
Couples therapy addresses these issues and tries to rebuild the trust between the partners. The partner’s involvement in the process will result in greater chances of treatment success and sustained recovery.
Family therapy is a set of therapeutic approaches that assumes that the entire family is a system. It utilizes the strengths and resources of the family to help the patient refrain from resorting to substance abuse. It helps to repair relationships and improve communication between family members.
Group therapy happens at UCS Healthcare - Des Moines in a controlled group environment, as opposed to a one-on-one setting. It supports Des Moines, IA patients’ recovery by offering a sense of comfort and letting them know that they are not alone. Through shared conversations, patients also learn to develop faith and understanding and gain insight on their addictions.
Unresolved trauma is often a key reason why many patients resorted to substance abuse. Trauma therapy refers to treatment wherein specialist therapists help the patients to resolve the trauma that led the patients to substance abuse. The trauma could be physical abuse, sexual abuse, war, natural disasters, divorce, accident, loss of a loved one, etc. Thinking of these traumatic events causes emotional disturbances like anxiety, depression and results in addiction. If trauma is the primary cause of substance abuse, then both issues must be addressed. Otherwise, there is a risk of relapse. Trauma therapy also improves the cognitive functions and provides long term benefits.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an improved version of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). DBT is a treatment of choice for people suffering from self-harming behaviors characterized by cutting and suicidal thoughts or inclinations.
This treatment is developed to help individuals recognize their thought patterns, behaviors, and feelings. It has demonstrated its effectiveness for people that are finding it difficult to control their emotions and urges. Conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and borderline personality disorder also benefit from DBT as it imparts individuals stress-management techniques and enhanced self-esteem so they can sustain their sobriety by reducing the impact of triggers and out-of-control emotions.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a way of addressing concerns through talking. It can be used in individual counseling sessions. Talking through issues with professionals at UCS Healthcare - Des Moines can identify sources of discomfort or unhealthy thoughts. It is a way of learning about yourself and your individual perceptions. CBT is a healthy way of addressing some behaviors which may be bringing unintended consequences in your life.
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) sees a person suffering from substance addiction to have illogical reasoning, counterproductive actions, and does not see things clearly. Due to this, REBT deals with cognition, images, and behavior extensively to rectify the client’s bad habits. REBT pushes an individual to become more reasonable and choose a life without the repercussions of addictions.
Patients at UCS Healthcare - Des Moines in Des Moines, IA learn how to self-soothe by conducting rational self-counseling. REBT provides their patients with the skill sets necessary in handling problems all by themselves, without seeking professional help. The process calls for practice, reiteration, and bolstering the new way of thinking being introduced to the patient.
Payment Options
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Location & Contact

4908 Franklin Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50310
Phone Number
(515) 280-3860
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Des Moines, Iowa Addiction and Treatment
Iowa ranks 2nd lowest in the nation for illicit drug use, but 12% of its residents are still using these drugs every single year. Methamphetamines account for more than 90% of all drug-related prison admissions in Iowa. Alcohol is the most widely abused substance in the state, with 23% of residents admitting to heavy drinking.
Des Moines boasts lush parks, cycling trails, and a vibrant arts scene with top-tier events like the Des Moines Arts Festival. Sadly, opioid-related overdose deaths in Polk County rose 35% from 2020 to 2021, while fentanyl overdose fatalities spiked 32%.
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