Deciding to enroll in an addiction treatment program is often a difficult, yet courageous first step towards recovery. However, understanding the levels of care and treatment options that exist can be overwhelming.
For those who recently exited residential treatment and are transitioning back home, or need a structured program yet can’t commit to living full-time in a residential facility, an intensive outpatient program (IOP) can be an effective choice.
IOP is an ideal level of care for individuals with a safe and sober living environment to return home to. It provides a flexible schedule and helps patients implement the life skills they learned during inpatient care in real-world scenarios. Read on to explore the benefits of IOP and how it increases successful recovery outcomes.
What Is An IOP?
An intensive outpatient program (IOP) is a lower level of care than residential treatment, yet more structured than typical outpatient services. IOP often comes after completion of a residential rehab or partial hospitalization program, or is used as an intervention to get back on the path of recovery following a relapse. IOP offers many of the same services that higher levels of care do, such as individual therapy, group therapy, life skill workshops, and psychiatric care.
However, the goal of IOP is to help individuals continue on their path towards recovery and apply skills they have learned as they transition back to their community, rather than around-the-clock stabilization, such as in a detox or inpatient program.
IOPs help patients navigate the challenges of daily life, rebuild relationships, and develop positive coping skills for long-term success.
How Does IOP Differ from Residential or Inpatient Care?
Unlike residential treatment, a form of inpatient care for substance abuse and co-occurring mental health disorders, IOP does not provide around-the-clock care. Typical IOP schedules meet a few times a week, for a few hours each day.
Benefits of Our IOP in California
IOP provides patients with several benefits, such as flexible scheduling, personalized care, and more that improve successful treatment outcomes.
Keep Your Schedule
One of the most significant benefits of IOP is its flexibility. IOP doesn’t require that patients live in the facility or attend treatment every day of the week. Most IOP programs meet for a few hours daily, two to four times a week. This gives patients structure yet still allows them to follow their daily routines, work, or school schedules.
More Affordable Than Inpatient
IOPs cost much less than inpatient residential treatment. Residential treatment can be expensive due to its intensity, amenities provided, and need for 24/7 accommodations. Many IOP programs are covered by insurance, or work with individuals to set up a payment plan that meets their financial needs.
Personalized Care
Although everyone who enrolls in an IOP follows a similar structure, treatment plans are personalized to individual recovery and health needs. Some patients participate in mental health therapies and medication appointments, while others attend group therapy sessions or workshops to focus on specific skill-building.
Real-World Practice
Unlike residential, where individuals have little contact with the outside, IOP acts as a bridge to help them transition back to their lives. IOP guides individuals on how to overcome triggers, challenges, and teaches helpful skills for resilience.
Who’s The Ideal Candidate for IOP?
IOP is ideal for individuals who have already completed a higher level of care. However, the flexible scheduling is also ideal for parents or caregivers with family responsibilities or busy professionals who can’t afford extended time off work.
Parents or Caregivers
Parents, caregivers, or individuals with family responsibilities can find IOP as a helpful option without giving up their daily routines to enter an inpatient program. Many IOPs also offer family therapy or take a family approach to involve family members throughout the treatment process.
These help individuals and their families develop communication, active listening, and problem-solving skills. Some IOPs may also provide parents essential life skills training such as child development classes, cooking classes, and managing basic finances.
Professionals Who Can’t Take Extended Leave
Since IOPs are less restrictive, individuals can maintain a work-life balance throughout treatment. This makes it ideal for professionals, especially in high-stress jobs like medicine, law, or finance, who have a higher risk of addiction [2]. They can receive the treatment they need privately, discreetly, and comfortably without taking time off work.
Northbound IOP Specialities
Northbound treats a range of substance abuse and co-occurring mental health disorders. The Southern California Treatment Center also offers several levels of care, including detox, residential treatment, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient. Some of the specialties that Northbound treats include:
| Substance Abuse | Co-Occurring Disorders |
| Alcohol | Anxiety |
| Opioids (suboxone, oxycodone, heroin, etc) | Mood Disorders |
| Stimulants (cocaine, adderall) | Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder |
| Marijuana | Borderline Personality Disorder |
| Sedatives | Emotional Traumas |
Dual Diagnosis Treatment Integration
We understand that addiction and mental illness often go hand-in-hand. A little over 8 million adults struggle with both substance abuse and mental health disorders, yet nearly 53% receive no treatment [1]. Treating the addiction, without addressing underlying mental health problems, can make treatment less effective. Dual diagnosis is an integrated treatment program that focuses on treating co-occurring mental health issues.
Individuals in a dual diagnosis program participate in standard addiction treatment, such as substance abuse counseling, weekly group therapy sessions, and recovery networks like AA or NA. However, they also participate in evidence-based therapies, medication services, and therapeutic activities to address their mental health.
What to Expect in A Typical Day in IOP
A typical day in IOP may consist of individual mental health therapy, addiction counseling, medication management, and therapeutic activities. Some of the services you can expect in our IOP at Northbound include:
- Individual Counseling Sessions: Clients work one-on-one with addiction specialists to help overcome challenges and manage triggers that can lead to relapse.
- Evidence-Based Therapies: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Trauma-Focused Therapies, and Experiential Therapies.
- Group Therapy: Provides clients with a space to build connections and foster mutual understanding.
- Family Therapy: Involves loved ones throughout the treatment process to build a positive support network and improve successful recovery outcomes.
- Therapeutic Activities: Practices to increase mindfulness, such as yoga, meditation, and creative arts, can help those in treatment relieve stress and contribute to positive mental well-being.
IOP For Substance Abuse and Co-Occurring Mental Health Disorders in California
For more than 30 years, Northbound Treatment Center in California has been at the forefront of providing lifesaving, compassionate care, and specialized services to help people from all walks of life feel better, discover themselves, and live free from addiction.
We have facilities throughout California. Reach out to our admissions team now.
Sources
[1] Comorbidity of Severe Psychotic Disorders With Measures of Substance Use. 2018. JAMA Psychiatry.
[2] Rate and Predictors of Employment among Formerly Polysubstance Dependent Urban Individuals in Recovery. 2012. National Library of Medicine.
Author
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Paul Alexander is the CEO, President & Founder of Northbound Treatment Network in Newport Beach, California. He believes wholeheartedly in transformational leadership, organizational health and effective, fully integrated substance use disorder and mental health treatment. With over 27 years of experience in behavioral healthcare, Paul has extensive knowledge of “in vivo” treatment modalities, clinical development, operations, strategy, marketing and financial planning. He has been widely recognized for his development of collegiate-based residential treatment programs for students in recovery and authored a research study at The University of California confirming this modality’s effectiveness.
Paul’s comprehensive professional experience, willingness to innovate, and emphasis on organizational health are vital factors in Northbound’s continued success. Paul received his Certified Addiction Treatment Specialist training at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, CA, and was awarded Outstanding Alumni Service Award in 2002. Paul holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology, Law and Society, Summa Cum Laude, from University of California, Irvine, and a Juris Doctorate degree from Loyola Law School of Los Angeles. Paul currently serves on The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) board. In addition, he serves on The Family Recovery Foundation board and The CarePossible board in Orange County; both organizations are committed to raising funds for family recovery and treatment for former military personnel. Paul is in recovery himself and lives in Orange County with his wife Silvana and his two young sons, Noah and Dean.
