Taos Health Services, a new outpatient treatment center on Paseo del Canon West, opened on February 18 to address the fentanyl crisis. The clinic is the newest of seven Northern New Mexico clinics operated by Albuquerque Health Services, which opened in 2009 during the pharmaceutical opioid crisis. Within a month of opening, the clinic attracted 34 clients.
The clinic offers medication-assisted treatment (MAT) using methadone and buprenorphine, commonly known as Suboxone. Taos is the only clinic in the county to offer methadone, a treatment for opioid use disorder first approved in the 1960s. Buprenorphine is a newer drug that isn’t as heavily regulated as methadone. Due to the high level of structure and monitoring required in methadone administration, transportation can be a significant barrier to access, but opening the Taos clinic has allowed patients who were driving to Espanola and Santa Fe to access medication closer to home.
According to recent data for Taos County, there was a 340 percent increase in overdose-related deaths between September 2024 and September 2025. Clinical psychologist Sivan Wilson, owner of Taos Health Services, said “Now it’s more dangerous. Fentanyl has taken over. It’s more potent, cheaper to make and totally unregulated. It’s very dangerous even for seasoned heroin users.”
Services are provided within a “structured, holistic recovery model that brings together both a behavioral health and medical approach” and include psychiatric and mental health treatment. The clinic’s hours—dosing from 5:30 am to noon and intakes until 1:30 p.m. Monday-Friday—“accommodate early dosers who are off to start the day.” All services are available in-person and via telemedicine. Services for adults 18 and over are fully covered by Medicaid or on a sliding scale fee-for-service rate. The facility welcomes clients in any stage of recovery, including those who have reached sobriety but still want counseling services.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.taosnews.com/news/health/new-clinic-goes-to-the-mat-to-battle-opioid-addiction/article_ed731b38-2285-5984-8d05-6dc2b099e26e.html