How Buffalo Plains Recovery Came to Be

Buffalo Plains Recovery was founded by CEO Ryan Letterman, who relocated to Rapid City in 2024 and quickly identified a critical shortage of local residential addiction treatment options. At the time, individuals in the Black Hills seeking higher levels of inpatient care were forced to travel far from their homes and families to find help. Driven to provide a local solution, Ryan secured our peaceful facility to establish a full continuum of care right here in Western South Dakota. Buffalo Plains officially opened its doors on July 1, 2025, providing a vital resource for stabilization, medical detox, and long-term renewal.

What truly sets Buffalo Plains Recovery apart is a leadership team that combines high-level clinical expertise with personal, lived experience in recovery. Key leaders and staff are in long-term recovery themselves, which fundamentally shapes our entire care culture. We do not manage treatment from a clinical distance; instead, we speak with the authentic empathy and insight that can only come from having walked the path to sobriety ourselves. From the warmth of your very first phone call to daily life in treatment, you will find a dedicated team that understands exactly what it takes to heal.

What We Stand For

At Buffalo Plains, our core values guide every clinical decision and daily interaction.

Lived Experience

Our leadership team combines professional credentials with personal recovery insights to ensure our care remains deeply empathetic and practical.

True Connection

We emphasize mutual support, peer accountability, and shared relationships as foundational components of our daily clinical programming.

Local Access

We established this regional facility so families in Western South Dakota can access top-tier residential care close to home.

Integrated Wellness

We seamlessly weave medical detox, evidence-based therapies, and holistic practices together to treat the entire mind, body, and spirit.

Regional Pride

We proudly provide comprehensive addiction services to individuals across South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana.

Absolute Dignity

We meet every individual exactly where they are today with complete compassion, absolute honesty, and zero judgment.

Meet Our Team

Ryan Letterman

CEO

Chelsea Dupre

Medical Director

Heather Ochocki

Clinical Director

Brittany Jacobs

Program Director

Greg O’Kelley

Counselor

Kristina Benter

Counselor

Rebecca Montgomery

Counselor

Angela Shangreaux

Office Manager

Brittany Jacobs

Program Director

Heather Ochocki

Clinical Director

Chelsea Dupre

Medical Director

Ryan Letterman

CEO

Client Testimonials

I had a great experience and felt safe and comfortable from the very beginning. The staff is very friendly and genuinely strives to change lives. I will never forget my time at Buffalo Plains Recovery. If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, I highly recommend Buffalo Plains Recovery.

Wonderful experience and great staff. Buffalo Plains truly cares about your needs, and I highly recommend them to anyone struggling with addiction. I will never forget my experience there.

This was a great recovery experience, from receiving intensive care during detox to completing 30 days of residential treatment at Buffalo Plains Recovery. They also offer an independent outpatient program. I am now over two months sober.

I am so thankful that I found Buffalo Plains Recovery. The staff is amazing. It’s wonderful to have a medical recovery treatment center so close to the beautiful Black Hills. The people there genuinely care about you and will work with you to meet your needs and make you as comfortable as possible. If you are struggling with addiction, I highly recommend Buffalo Plains Recovery.

Great people, great leaders, and an amazing staff! I am extremely grateful for my time with them. They will forever hold a place in my heart, and I will always cherish my experience there. They are wonderful people to work with and truly know this business. I would absolutely recommend them to anyone struggling with addiction. There is no reason to continue your search for help. This is the recovery center for anyone suffering and seeking recovery.

Frequently Asked Questions

Buffalo Plains Recovery was founded by CEO Ryan Letterman. After relocating to Rapid City in 2024, he recognized a severe local shortage of residential inpatient addiction services and committed to establishing a comprehensive care center for the region.

Yes. Many members of our leadership and clinical support teams are in long-term recovery themselves. This lived experience allows us to build an environment of deep mutual respect, understanding, and authentic peer support.

Our facility hosted its official grand opening on June 26, 2025, and began admitting patients for medical detox and residential treatment on July 1, 2025.

Yes. Buffalo Plains Recovery is fully licensed by the South Dakota Department of Social Services and holds accreditation from the Joint Commission, reflecting our commitment to the highest national standards of patient safety and clinical care.

We serve adults aged 18 and older who are navigating substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions. While we primarily care for residents of Rapid City and Western South Dakota, we regularly welcome patients from Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana.

Buffalo Plains offers a complete continuum of care, including the only licensed non-hospital medical detox in Western South Dakota, alongside residential, PHP, and IOP programs. Our smaller, highly structured setting means every patient receives individual attention, not a number in a system.

Buffalo Plains Recovery has introduced me to a fulfilling career dedicated to helping others. The staff has been warm, welcoming, and passionate about what they do.

My experience here at Buffalo Plains has been filled with a sense of accomplishment at the end of every day. The environment created here has purpose in every action.

Working at Buffalo Plains Recovery has been an incredibly rewarding experience. I have the privilege of working alongside a dedicated team of professionals who are passionate about helping individuals find renewed hope, purpose, and lasting recovery. Our agency offers a warm, welcoming, home-like environment where clients are treated with compassion, dignity, and respect.

As our organization continues to grow, I’ve been given opportunities to learn new skills, take on greater responsibility, and develop both personally and professionally. It’s rewarding to be part of a team that values collaboration, encourages growth, and is united by a shared commitment to helping people the best we can.

Buffalo Plains Recovery isn’t just a great place for clients, it’s an incredible place to work. As someone whose past includes addiction and prison, I know what it’s like to wonder if you’ll ever be seen for more than your mistakes. Buffalo Plains saw my potential, trusted me, and gave me the opportunity to turn my lived experience into something that helps others every day. That’s the kind of organization I’m proud to be part of.

I had a great experience and felt safe and comfortable from the very beginning. The staff is very friendly and genuinely strives to change lives. I will never forget my time at Buffalo Plains Recovery. If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, I highly recommend Buffalo Plains Recovery.

Wonderful experience and great staff. Buffalo Plains truly cares about your needs, and I highly recommend them to anyone struggling with addiction. I will never forget my experience there.

This was a great recovery experience, from receiving intensive care during detox to completing 30 days of residential treatment at Buffalo Plains Recovery. They also offer an independent outpatient program. I am now over two months sober.

I am so thankful that I found Buffalo Plains Recovery. The staff is amazing. It’s wonderful to have a medical recovery treatment center so close to the beautiful Black Hills. The people there genuinely care about you and will work with you to meet your needs and make you as comfortable as possible. If you are struggling with addiction, I highly recommend Buffalo Plains Recovery.

Great people, great leaders, and an amazing staff! I am extremely grateful for my time with them. They will forever hold a place in my heart, and I will always cherish my experience there. They are wonderful people to work with and truly know this business. I would absolutely recommend them to anyone struggling with addiction. There is no reason to continue your search for help. This is the recovery center for anyone suffering and seeking recovery.