Back2Basics Outdoor Adventure Recovery is a long-term residential addiction treatment program for men ages 18 to 35, located in Flagstaff, Arizona, about 145 miles north of Phoenix. Founded in 2010 and capped at 22 beds, the program combines licensed clinical therapy, weekly outdoor adventure trips and life-skills training for young men with substance use and co-occurring mental health conditions.
Our campus is in Flagstaff, not Phoenix, and that distance is part of how the program works. If your son has been through a 30-day program in Phoenix, Scottsdale or Mesa and relapsed soon after coming home, a longer stay two and a half hours up I-17 gives him time and separation that a short local program cannot.
Men’s residential program
Length set by clinical progress
Small residential setting
North of Phoenix on I-17
A practical overview for families weighing the next step. Our admissions team can talk through fit, timing and what your family can expect.
Questions are welcome. Call admissions 24/7 at (928) 814-2220, or verify your insurance benefits.
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Program type
Who it is for
Location
Distance from Phoenix
Length of stay
Capacity
Founded
Accreditation
Detox
Payment
Admissions
Families from other states usually fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). Our admissions team helps arrange flights and ground transport to campus.
A young man who has been using in the Valley usually knows where to find drugs within a few miles of any Phoenix treatment center. Maricopa County’s public health department counted 2,406 drug overdoses in 2025, up from 2,069 in 2024, and fentanyl accounted for the overwhelming majority of the opioid cases, according to Axios Phoenix. Flagstaff puts 145 miles and a climb of more than 6,000 feet between your son and that supply, while keeping him close enough for you to drive up for family weekends.
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Most addiction programs run about 30 days and focus on stabilization. Residential treatment at Back2Basics runs several months, with the length set by clinical progress, and then steps down into sober living and aftercare in the same community. For young men with repeated relapses, co-occurring anxiety or depression, or a stalled start to adult life, those added months are when cooking, budgeting, holding a job and managing emotions get practiced until they hold.
Back2Basics sits at 7,000 feet in the Coconino National Forest, where summers are far cooler than in Phoenix. Clients spend Sunday through midday Tuesday of each week on a guided outdoor adventure trip. Some of those trips head back toward the Valley, into the Superstition Mountains and Tonto National Forest.
Back2Basics is about 145 miles north of downtown Phoenix. The drive follows I-17 and takes roughly two to two and a half hours in normal traffic. Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert,
Glendale and Peoria are all within about three hours.
Families from outside Arizona usually fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). Our admissions team helps arrange flights and ground transport to campus.
Each week balances clinical work, a multi-day outdoor trip, and the ordinary responsibilities of running a household. The weekly schedule shows how the days fit together.
Weekly one-on-one sessions with a licensed therapist Group therapy using CBT, DBT, trauma-focused work and relapse prevention Psychiatric care and medication management when needed Dual diagnosis treatment for anxiety, depression, trauma, PTSD and ADHD alongside substance use Family therapy and regular updates for parents
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Trips include hiking, backpacking, camping, river rafting, rock climbing, kayaking and mountain biking, with snowboarding in season. Destinations include Grand Canyon National Park, Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon and the Mogollon Rim. Trips are led by facilitators who hold current Wilderness First Responder certification, and no prior outdoor experience is required.
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Clients cook, budget, do their own laundry, keep a chore schedule and volunteer in the community. In later stages they can take classes at Northern Arizona University or Coconino Community College, or start working, with staff support. See education and life skills.
After residential treatment, clients can move into sober living with curfews, shared responsibilities and random drug and alcohol testing. Aftercare adds weekly alumni support groups, recovery coaching and relapse prevention planning.
Back2Basics works with many major insurance providers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Aetna, Humana, Anthem, Carelon, TRICARE and MultiPlan, and also accepts private pay. Coverage varies by plan. Our team verifies your benefits and explains your out-of-pocket cost before you commit to anything.
Length of stay
Main focus
Who is in the group
Size
Outdoor programming
After discharge
A shorter program closer to home can be the right choice for someone in a first episode who has a stable home and a job to protect. Long-term treatment is built for the young man who has already tried that.
Back2Basics is not the right fit for women, for anyone under 18, for someone who needs medical detox and has not yet completed it, or for families relying on AHCCCS or Medicare. If one of those applies, our admissions team can still point you toward a better starting place.
If there is an immediate medical or safety concern, seek urgent help first. We can help talk through the next step once it is safe to do so.
Back2Basics works with many major insurance providers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Aetna, Humana, Anthem, Carelon, TRICARE and MultiPlan, and also accepts private pay. Coverage varies by plan. Our team verifies your benefits and explains your out-of-pocket cost before you commit to anything.
Back2Basics cannot bill AHCCCS (Arizona Medicaid) or Medicare. For a realistic view of what long-term treatment costs and how families pay for it, read our guide to the cost of long-term rehab for young adult men.
Clear answers, no pressure to commit.
Medical Director Dr. Teresa Buot-Smith, MD, completed her psychiatry residency at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix and has run a private psychiatry practice since 1994. Clinical Director Dr. Natalie Randolph, LMSW, DBH, earned her master's in social work and her doctorate in behavioral health at Arizona State University and has provided therapy at Back2Basics since 2017. Founder and CEO Roy J. DuPrez, MEd, is a Northern Arizona University graduate who has worked with young adults in classrooms, jails and treatment centers for more than 20 years. Meet the full team.
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We talk through your son's situation and your concerns, and work out together whether Back2Basics is the right fit.
We review your coverage and explain the cost in plain terms.
Our clinical team builds a plan around his specific needs. If he needs detox first, we help coordinate it.
We give you a packing list and handle arrival logistics. In many cases we can move quickly once insurance is verified and fit is confirmed.
About 145 miles, or roughly two to two and a half hours north on I-17 in normal traffic. Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale and Peoria are all within about three hours.
For distance and time. Treatment in Flagstaff separates a young man from the people, places and routines tied to his drug or alcohol use in the Valley, and the Back2Basics program runs several months instead of 30 days. Flagstaff is still close enough for family to drive up for scheduled family weekends.
Yes. Visits are typically for immediate family and are usually scheduled during parent weekends, which include family therapy, educational groups and time out with your son. The admissions team explains the communication and visitation guidelines before he arrives.
Residential treatment at Back2Basics runs several months. The length is set by clinical progress, not a fixed discharge date, and clients can then step down into sober living and aftercare.
No. Back2Basics provides long-term residential treatment and does not offer medical detox on site. If your son needs detox first, the admissions team helps coordinate it before he starts the program.
No. Back2Basics cannot bill AHCCCS (Arizona Medicaid) or Medicare. The program works with many commercial insurance plans and accepts private pay. Families who need AHCCCS-covered treatment can search FindTreatment.gov or call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357.
Back2Basics works with many major insurance providers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Aetna, Humana, Anthem, Carelon, TRICARE and MultiPlan. Coverage depends on the plan, so the admissions team verifies your benefits and explains your out-of-pocket cost before you commit to anything.
In many cases, yes. After the admission assessment, the admissions team can contact the court or probation officer to help meet court-ordered requirements. Call (928) 814-2220 to talk through your son’s situation.
In the later stages of the program, yes. Clients can take classes at Northern Arizona University or Coconino Community College, or start working, while still living in a structured and supervised setting.
If your son needs more than another 30 days, call (928) 814-2220 at any hour or send us a message. We will tell you plainly whether Back2Basics is a fit and what getting him here from Phoenix involves.
If your son is in immediate danger, call 911. For a mental health or substance use crisis, call or text 988.
