Medically Reviewed By Eva Shepard, MLADC, LCMHC
Within the continuum of care needed throughout substance abuse and addiction treatment, one of the most important transitional steps is outpatient therapy. PHP (partial hospitalization programs) and IOP (intensive outpatient programs) are extremely valuable steps that help individuals begin the transition back to their home lives, work responsibilities, and families. Here at Mountain View Retreat, we help people navigate through these programs and find the right programming that fits their needs. In this quick guide, we will discuss the benefits of these programs and how people choose the right treatment that suits their needs.
Steps Before Outpatient Therapy
Often when people think about addiction treatment, their first association is likely rehab or detox. These are medically supervised treatments where an individual is checked into a hospital or similar setting so that the physical symptoms associated with withdrawal can be managed. Depending on the substance, medical detoxification can take different amounts of time. For example, detox for alcohol usually lasts between three and ten days. While we don’t provide medical detox solutions, our team can help find these resources for people and help them get the help they need.
Transitioning to PHP or IOP
One of the most integral parts of addiction recovery is transitioning back into your day-to-day life. PHP and IOP programming allow individuals to return to their homes while still providing structure, treatment, therapy, and support. A PHP program provides significantly more programming, with individuals coming to a facility anywhere from five to seven days each week, with around six hours of programming each day. Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) allow people to have more flexibility with fewer days a week and fewer hours a day. Even further, virtual IOP enables people to attend programming remotely and from the comfort of their own homes. Each of these levels of care have their own benefits and considerations, and it is common for people to change from one to another as they become more comfortable with returning to their daily lives equipped with the tools they received from their care.
Key Benefits of Outpatient Care
Outpatient care gives people the opportunity to navigate one of the most difficult transitions in addiction treatment with a clear support structure. Outpatient programs provide structure, education, and utilize proven therapeutic techniques, including CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) and DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy). Whether someone is attending in person or virtually, going through PHP or IOP, they are able to stay connected to a team that can equip them with valuable recovery skills and provide a constant line of support.
Choosing The Right Level of Care
Everyone’s journey is unique, and care needs to match where people are in their journeys. Virtual IOP and in-person IOP provide the benefits of having more time at home so you can manage work, school, or other responsibilities. However, PHP provides significantly more structure, which can be invaluable for people who need that. Moreover, in some cases, people may not be ready to return home and may need to find housing that allows them to easily attend their PHP programming. Here at Mountain View Retreat, we can help both men and women with housing needs throughout PHP. In addiction recovery, the key to success is ensuring that treatment is tailored to the needs of the individual, and that they have support no matter where they are in that process. We help people make these important transitional steps and provide guidance on choosing the right programming or transitioning from in-person to virtual or PHP to IOP when people are ready. If you’d like more information, please contact our team. We would be happy to discuss our available treatment options as well as other resources outside of Mountain View Retreat if needed.