Outpatient programs have three main benefits that inpatient addiction rehabilitation services do not. Keep in mind, these benefits only apply if this is the appropriate treatment course for you. Long-term addictions, addictions combined with other disorders, or addictions to substances that include intense withdrawal symptoms are often better treated at an inpatient facility.

Specific recovery programs depend on the substance abused, the severity of the addiction, and the current stage of recovery. That said, outpatient rehab treatment designs fit within three major categories.

Day Programs

Day programs, sometimes called Partial Hospitalization Progarm (PHP), involve the highest level of care and the most intense program structure. Participants meet five to seven days each week for up to six hours a day. Though individuals do not live at the facility, day programs require a significant time commitment and considerable energy, which can affect work or school.

While at the outpatient therapy center, patients will attend traditional individual therapy sessions, group counseling, biofeedback sessions to help understand one’s involuntary functions and participate in other forms of therapy, like art or music. Treatment plans are comprehensive and intense. After each day, individuals return home to their families or a sober living house.

Sober living homes provide extra support when a family is not available or helpful. These homes have varying levels of support options for individuals to select. Those considering a sober living home can choose from the following options:

● Peer-run programs are, as the name implies, sober homes that are run democratically through house meetings and self-help programs.

● Monitored sober living houses have a manager or staff member on the premises to keep residents accountable and on track.

● Clinically supervised sober housing options have licensed staff on property to assist in life skills training and provide additional addiction treatment services.

● Clinically integrated programs offer the most intense form of sober housing. They involve clinical therapy services at home, along with life skills training and strict accountability requirements.

The primary difference between an inpatient recovery program and a day program with a sober living house component is the need for a detoxification period. Inpatient programs include supervision and support as participants experience withdrawals from their abused substances. Outpatient programs work with individuals who need help quitting their addiction but do not require the same intensity of physical detoxification.

Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP)

Intensive outpatient programs provide a more flexible treatment schedule for those who need to work or keep up with their daily obligations. Typically, day or evening programs are available. Despite the more adaptable program organization, it is still crucial that IOP patients willingly dedicate their time and are genuinely committed to change.

Treatment plans in intensive outpatient programs include defined, measurable milestones to track progress. As these milestones are successfully met, the time required each week reduces. Typically, individuals participating in an IOP begin with meetings and appointments four times each week.

Much like the day programs, IOP treatment includes individual counseling sessions, group therapy, relapse prevention education, and time spent with a recovery support group or at 12-step meetings. The typical time commitment for these sessions is a few hours.

Continuing care programs offer ongoing resources to guarantee one’s commitment to sober living for the long term. These often come in the form of groups like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. However, groups often exist for a specific defining characteristic, age, or substance abused. For example, continuing care groups for only men, women, older adults, teens, health care professionals, those suffering from opioid addiction, or alcoholics are common.

These programs are most helpful for people who have already been through the addiction recovery process. The meetings are a place to process feelings or experiences and to be reminded of the tools they were equipped with in their programs. However, the meetings lack the personal focus and tailored treatment components.