Deciding on the right treatment center is one of the most important decisions a family will make. Licensing and program approval are a baseline of trust. They tell you that a program has been reviewed by an official authority and meets the required standards for safe, professional operation.
Both CRTC residential programs are approved by IAFA, and CRTC is licensed by Costa Rica's Ministry of Health.
Costa Rica's national institute on alcoholism and drug dependence. Both of our residential programs, San José and Riverside in Atenas, are listed as approved programs in IAFA's public directory.
Licensed to operate by Costa Rica's Ministry of Health, the national authority that regulates health facilities.
Trust should be earned, not assumed. IAFA reviews and approves residential treatment programs in Costa Rica, and anyone can check our listing in its public directory.
Program approval means that an official authority has reviewed the program and confirmed that it meets defined standards.
For families choosing a treatment center outside their home country, approval from the host country's regulatory authorities is the most relevant indicator of legitimate, professional operation.
IAFA (Instituto sobre Alcoholismo y Farmacodependencia) is the Costa Rican Institute on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, the national body that approves addiction treatment programs in Costa Rica. Both CRTC residential programs are listed as approved programs ("Programa Aprobado") in IAFA's public directory. IAFA sets the standards for residential addiction treatment, including clinical staffing, facility conditions, patient rights, treatment protocols and reporting requirements.
CRTC is also licensed by the Ministerio de Salud (Ministry of Health of Costa Rica), the national government body responsible for regulating healthcare facilities across the country. This license confirms that CRTC operates in compliance with Costa Rican healthcare regulations.
Both IAFA approval and Ministry of Health licensing require ongoing compliance. This is not a one-time certification.
Nearly a decade in operation, more than 700 people treated, and a founder who built it from his own recovery
CRTC began in 2016 as a sober living and recovery support environment. The formal comprehensive treatment program launched in 2018.
The program has been operating continuously since then, treating over 700 patients across both centers. CRTC was founded by Gernot Holtz, who built it from personal experience with addiction and recovery. That lived perspective shapes both the clinical philosophy and the commitment to regulatory compliance, transparency and accountability.
How CRTC began and what we set out to build.
The personal experience behind the program.
The doctors, therapists and staff who run treatment.
The questions families and clients ask most, answered directly.
You do not have to have everything figured out. You just have to be ready to start talking. We are here. Day or night.
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