What is an Intensive Outpatient Program?

Intensive outpatient programs are generally recommended for those who have recently completed inpatient addiction treatment or those whose addiction is considered mild or moderate based on their medical provider’s evaluation. Due to the nature of an intensive outpatient program, monitoring is limited, and relapse opportunities are increased compared to inpatient residential programs. 

Intensive outpatient rehabs use several different therapy models to help patients achieve sobriety and maintain recovery. The most common of these include Cognitive-behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and other similar behavioral therapy models. Some intensive outpatient programs also incorporate 12-step programs (or similar secular programs) into their therapy treatment approaches. When someone begins their sobriety journey at an intensive outpatient program, the first step is often a comprehensive evaluation. The purpose of this is to assess your unique addiction treatment needs. After your assessment is complete, the treatment team at the intensive outpatient rehab will work with you to develop an individualized treatment plan based on your unique addiction treatment needs. Your treatment plan will also consider other essential needs such as medication management, co-occurring mental health conditions, and co-occurring medical conditions. Depending on the severity of co-occurring mental health or physical health conditions, the treatment staff at the intensive outpatient may recommend a stay at the best inpatient treatment programs to ensure you are able to receive the most comprehensive treatment during detox and early recovery. 

Part of the treatment planning process will consist of creating a schedule for how many days and hours you will attend treatment each week. Different than inpatient residential settings, intensive outpatient rehabs often have flexible schedules to accommodate the treatment needs of those with family or employment obligations. If your treatment needs or the speed of your recovery change during treatment, your plan can be modified to accommodate these changes. During the time you are at treatment, you will meet for various group sessions designed to help develop essential skills for long-term sobriety. Some of these include relapse prevention education, addiction education, skill-building, and employment education. Sessions at an intensive outpatient are a combination of settings, including individual counseling, group therapy, family therapy, and 12-step groups. 

Most intensive outpatient programs require drug and alcohol testing while you attend the program. The frequency and interval of this testing varies and is usually random. Testing is a normal part of many treatment programs due to the freedom associated with the outpatient setting. Testing also helps ensure program participants follow program guidelines and rules while protecting other program members from those who continue to use or who relapse during the treatment program. A positive test may be a sign that you need to consider a higher level of treatment, such as a residential program, before stepping down to an intensive outpatient program.