Intensive Outpatient Program in
Los Angeles

At present, there are over 328 million people in America. And, within our great nation, approximately 21 million people are battling some addiction. Yet, only a little over 2 million actually seek addiction treatment.

Someone actively seeking an IOP in Los Angeles stands to achieve something only 10% of the afflicted population ever sees. That alone is something to be grateful for.

Still, there are so many options out there, making it difficult to know which course of addiction treatment will help you get and stay sober.

An intensive outpatient program in Los Angeles may be your best bet if you can return to a healthy work/life balance but still need to stay close to a strong rehab facility.

What Is an IOP?

Terms like RT, OP, PHP, and IOP are often thrown around when looking into treatment options for themselves or their loved ones.

Let’s start by defining the top four terms you’ll hear a lot:

Inpatient treatment (IP) involves a full-time stay at a rehabilitation center or sober living house. This is often the best option for someone who is about to go through withdrawal and needs medical supervision to see them through.

Outpatient treatment (OP) is for someone who is ready to return to their regular life, including work or parenting. They might return to their former rehabilitation center for one-on-one or group counseling.

A partial hospitalization program (PHP) is for someone who isn’t quite ready to return to regular life. So, they’ll spend most of their days in a treatment center acquiring further skills for recovery and then go home at night (if it’s a safe environment).

Finally, a Los Angeles intensive outpatient program (IOP) falls in between outpatient and partial hospitalization programs. Someone in this stage of recovery might return to their job, but they’ll still spend a significant amount of time in counseling.

So, they’re not in a PHP because they don’t spend their days at the rehabilitation center. However, they do come back for outpatient care more often than someone seeking general outpatient treatment.

How Is an IOP Used?

An IOP is used when someone has a safe environment to return home to. That is, no one’s still drinking or drugging and could encourage them to do the same.

Many people who enter into IOP treatment are also dealing with co-occurring disorders. This means they’re struggling with mental health disorders on top of substance abuse. So, they need a healthy home environment in that regard, too. It wouldn’t do them any justice to return home to an abusive or conflictual setting.

An IOP will not only address the addiction/co-occurring disorder, but it will also help with vocational training so someone can transition into an entirely new phase in their life.

There’s also plenty of counseling to improve problem-solving skills, navigate behavioral changes, and develop a strong support system.

How Long Is an IOP Program?

This may sound like outpatient rehab, but an IOP takes place for a longer period of time. Patients typically attend counseling three to five times a week, totaling nine or more hours of weekly treatment.

Group therapy is one of the main focal points because counselors like to help patients practice their social skills in an environment free from alcohol and other substances.

Patients will also be introduced to a 12-step program that can carry them through life if they’re ready to turn their will and lives over to greater power than themselves.

Within a week-long IOP program, patients learn how to transition back into their everyday lives while filling their toolkits with resources and coping mechanisms that will help them live a happy, joyous, and free life. (Yes, that is possible.)

IOP vs. PHP

It may be easy to see the difference between an outpatient program and an intensive outpatient program. But what about partial hospitalization?

This form of treatment is less intensive than IP treatment yet more intensive than IOP treatment.

With an inpatient treatment program, people choose to be completely removed from their normal environment. There’s zero opportunity to gain access to alcohol or drugs. (Or, at least, there should be.)

Meanwhile, a partial hospitalization program is an option for someone who may still be experiencing withdrawal symptoms, even after inpatient treatment, and is still having difficulty managing their cravings toward substance abuse.

An IOP is for someone who handles their addiction, can start earning a living again or caring for their family again, and will visit a treatment center several times a week for group therapy, vocational training, and other outpatient programs.