Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)

What is an Intensive Outpatient Program?

Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOPs) are the intermediary stage between partial hospitalization (PHP) or an inpatient treatment plan (such as residential or psychiatric treatment) and a low-commitment outpatient program, which involves as few as one or two treatment sessions per week.

Intensive Outpatient Programs vary in duration and treatment frequency. As an outpatient program, clients are not expected to stay at a treatment facility overnight. Instead, they can continue to stay at home, and go to work or school between treatment sessions depending on their schedules.

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Is an Intensive Outpatient Program Right for You?

Intensive outpatient programs span a wide range of care in the period between inpatient treatment and normal day-to-day life. Within the continuum of care for outpatient mental health programs, intensive outpatient programs occupy the middle ground between partial hospitalization (PHP) and outpatient programs (OP).

A Look at Our Intensive Outpatient Programs

At Resolutions, Intensive Outpatient Treatment is flexible, ranging from 9 to 15 hours of total treatment per week usually distributed over three to five days.

In contrast, more intensive treatment plans, such as partial hospitalization, may involve 30 hours of treatment or more per week.

Our IOP plans are divided into three tiers. Treatment sessions are scheduled during mornings and afternoons, and each bespoke program is individualized based on a client’s needs and circumstances.

IOP Tiering at Resolutions

IOP tiers at Resolutions are organized from the most to least intensive, as we promote transitioning from high-commitment treatment programs to increasingly lower levels of care, in a step-by-step process.

Tier 1 involves at least 15 hours of therapy per week, distributed across the week over multiple sessions. This amounts to at least 60 hours of treatment per month.
Tier 2 involves at least 12 hours of therapy per week, amounting to 48 hours of treatment per month.
Tier 3 is the final step before the transition into outpatient care and involves at least 9 hours of treatment per week.

As clients transition into each tier, their week-to-week schedules are also adjusted. A client might transition from an inpatient program, such as rehab, into an IOP plan with 25 weekly treatment hours. Over the coming three weeks, those weekly hours may be adjusted and readjusted, until a client feels ready for the next tier.

We prioritize open communication between clients and our staff here at Resolutions. Because programs are individualized and regularly adjusted, we feel that it’s important for clients to be involved in their own treatment process – not just as clients, but as decision makers as well.

Our IOP Therapeutic Services

Therapeutic care at Resolutions ranges from one-on-one traditional talk therapy (such as cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy) to group psychoeducation, life skill building, family dynamics therapy, hypnotherapy, neurofeedback, acupuncture, nutrition counseling, and much more.

Our staff includes experienced psychiatrists, psychologists, medical doctors, licensed marriage and family therapists, physiotherapists, spiritual advisors, counselors, and other certified mental health clinicians. Modalities are not chosen at random – after thorough evaluation, each client’s weekly program is designed and continuously readjusted throughout the treatment process, to account for personal progress, changes in symptoms, and more.