Claudia Alvarado

The mission of First Step House is to help people build lives of meaning, purpose, and recovery. Founded in 1958, First Step House has evolved into a co-occurring capable, behavioral health treatment and housing provider. First Step House is accredited by the Joint Commission, the leading healthcare accreditation entity in the U.S., for our continuous compliance with performance standards and commitment to providing safe and quality patient care. We have been a consistent leader in the Salt Lake metro area delivering evidence-based interventions and achieving positive outcomes for individuals, Veterans, and families who struggle with high severity substance use disorders, histories of homelessness, mental health conditions, justice system involvement, and primary health concerns. We operate two residential treatment facilities, two outpatient treatment centers, and six transitional housing facilities in Salt Lake County, Utah. We are currently in the process of building two permanent supportive housing facilities for individuals with histories of homelessness, serious mental illness, and substance use disorders. The scope of services we offer include substance use disorder and mental health assessment, residential and outpatient treatment, recovery residence services, housing, case management, employment support, primary health care, peer support services, and long-term recovery management. Through our programs, we serve over 1,000 individuals per year- many of who arrive at our doorstep with very little resources, lack of family support, and numerous barriers to overcome.