Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP)

An intensive outpatient program (IOP) is one of many treatment programs available at Baystate Recovery. This program offers more flexibility for clients with work or school schedules that have already completed higher levels of care.

Here’s more about how an IOP works at a Baystate Recovery, and how to determine whether you or a loved one are an ideal candidate for this addiction treatment program.

What Is an Intensive Outpatient Drug Rehab Program?

An IOP is a 4 to 12-week addiction treatment program that uses a variety of evidence-based behavioral therapies to help people recover from substance use disorders. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, IOP allows patients to continue living at home while they attend treatment at least three days a week for several hours per day. IOPs are more flexible than partial hospitalization programs, and can be scheduled around a patient’s school, work, and family lives.

Accredited drug rehab centers like Baystate Recovery that offer quality, evidence-based addiction treatment will customize an IOP for each patient based on their unique recovery needs. For instance, a patient who became addicted to drugs after experiencing trauma may receive specialized trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, while a patient who may have begun drinking to reduce symptoms of depression may receive dual-diagnosis therapy to address their co-occurring mental health disorder.

The primary goal of an IOP is to help patients transition back to independent living outside of drug rehab and to educate them on how to navigate everyday life without relying on drugs and alcohol to manage stressful situations and other common triggers. According to a study published in Psychiatric Services, an estimated 12% of addiction treatment patients receive care in an IOP.

Here are some highlights to help you understand what your day will consist of:

  • You begin the day with a check in followed by an activity or class organized by the facilitator. Working within a process group, you will perform the activity or receive information on the day’s topic.
  • We provide lunch for your convenience.
  • Participants meet with a physician’s assistant and psychiatrist each week to assess their psychiatric and medical condition.
  • We perform regular testing for drug and alcohol use to help keep your recovery on track.

What Are the Benefits of an IOP?

An IOP offers a countless number of benefits for those in recovery who are motivated to achieve long-term sobriety and resume their work, school, and/or family lives. Patients can live at home with their loved ones instead of living at the rehab center, and can start spending more time engaging in fun, sober activities.

Other benefits of an IOP at drug rehab include:

  • Scheduling therapy sessions around your work, school, family, and social lives.
  • Staying closely connected to the recovery community while going about your daily life.
  • Having access to professional and peer support when you feel close to relapse or need help managing a stressful situation.
  • Having more time in which to rebuild and repair relationships that may have been strained or lost due to addiction.
  • Having access to medications that help control withdrawal symptoms and reduce the risk of relapse.
  • Having more independence outside of a controlled drug rehab environment.

Which Treatments and Services Are Available Through IOP?

Baystate Recovery IOP offers many of the same services as a partial hospitalization program but meets far less frequently so patients can devote more time to their careers, families, and social lives.

Treatments and services typically available through an IOP include:

  • Individual and group counseling
  • Relapse prevention training
  • Substance abuse education
  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy
  • Motivational enhancement therapy
  • Community reinforcement
  • Medication management
  • Medication-assisted treatment
  • Family behavior therapy
  • 12-step facilitation therapy
  • Dual diagnosis / co-occurring disorders therapy
  • The Matrix Model
  • Occupational therapy
  • Recreational therapy
  • Nutrition counseling and support
  • Individual and group counseling
  • Relapse prevention training
  • Substance abuse education
  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy
  • Motivational enhancement therapy
  • Community reinforcement
  • Medication management
  • Medication-assisted treatment
  • Family behavior therapy
  • 12-step facilitation therapy
  • Dual diagnosis / co-occurring disorders therapy
  • The Matrix Model
  • Occupational therapy
  • Recreational therapy
  • Nutrition counseling and support

The therapies and services a patient receives in an IOP will depend on the type and severity of their substance use disorder, as well as the root causes of their addiction (such as trauma, mental illness, and chronic pain). After completion of a 12-week IOP, many patients transition to an outpatient drug rehab program, which is the next lower level of care.

Who Are Ideal Candidates for an IOP?

Ideal candidates for an IOP are those who have already completed drug and alcohol detox, and who are motivated to adopt healthier lifestyles as sober individuals outside of drug rehab. Drug detox is always the first stage of addiction treatment and helps people safely withdraw from drugs and alcohol. Some patients may transition to an IOP after being in a residential treatment program or partial hospitalization program.

Ideal candidates for an IOP also include those who have already developed strong coping skills and can navigate their communities without giving in to triggers. Patients who are eager to get back to work, go back to school, and be with their families may also benefit from an IOP, as well as those who do not require 24-hour supervision and monitoring to prevent relapse.

If you think you may qualify for an IOP at Baystate Recovery, contact us today with any admissions questions such as insurance verification or program availability.