A new free mental health clinic opened Monday at Colorado State University through a partnership with Larimer County.

The clinic provides mental health and substance use counseling for people with criminal convictions. Funding comes from the county’s Impact Fund, which supports expanded access to mental and behavioral health care.

The clinic is called the MARS Clinic, short for the Majestic Access and Recovery Services Clinic. Leaders created it to close treatment gaps, especially for people under criminal justice supervision or returning to the community.

“Access to therapy, especially for substance use, can be hard to find,” said Bradley Conner, CSU faculty involved in bringing this effort here.

Conner said Colorado faces a shortage of addiction counselors. High burnout rates add to the strain. As a result, people often wait weeks or longer for services.

“I don’t think people fully understand the need for addiction counselors,” Conner said. “Often individuals that are looking for services are not able to find them or they’re asked to wait long periods of time.”

Licensed addiction counselor Kristine Majestic said the barriers are even higher for people navigating the justice system.

“Clients that are under supervision that are working their way through the system – maybe through re-entry programs,” Majestic said, describing clients the clinic serves.

CSU students will train at the clinic as interns. “It was also about building a good foundation for the next generation of providers,” Majestic said.

Leaders said the clinic’s mission goes beyond treatment. They want to support long-term stability and reduce repeat involvement with the justice system.

“The goal is to provide a pathway back into society rather than a pathway back into incarceration,” Conner said. “I think it’s really important to show individuals who are struggling that they can still get help, even though they may find themselves in trouble with the law.”