Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
Three group sessions a week, plus individual and (when appropriate) family work. IOP is the right level of care after detox or residential treatment, and a strong stand-alone option for clients whose substance use is severe enough to need more than weekly contact, but who don't need to live at a facility.
Who IOP fits
IOP is calibrated for people in early recovery whose lives need to keep going — work, family, school — while they get more support than a weekly session can provide. Common profiles:
- Stepping down from medical detox or residential treatment.
- First serious attempt at sustained recovery, where weekly group alone has not been enough.
- Polysubstance use, where multiple things need to be worked on at once.
- Co-occurring substance use with anxiety, depression, or PTSD that has destabilized other treatment attempts.
What the program looks like
IOP runs three days a week, three hours per session, typically scheduled in evening or daytime tracks so clients can keep working. The program is 6–12 weeks depending on individual need and clinical milestones — we do not run on a strict calendar; you graduate when graduation makes sense.
Each week typically includes:
- A relapse-prevention skills group (CBT-based, structured).
- A process group (open, peer-led with clinician facilitation).
- A psychoeducation / topic group (rotating: stress, sleep, identity, family, grief, work).
- A weekly individual session with your primary clinician.
- Family or couples sessions as clinically indicated.
What we draw from
The Matrix Model, CBT-based relapse prevention, Motivational Interviewing, DBT skills, and trauma-informed care across the program. For clients on medication-assisted treatment (buprenorphine, naltrexone, acamprosate, disulfiram), we coordinate with the prescribing provider; medication and behavioral therapy work best together.
Stepping down from IOP
Most clients step down from IOP into a weekly group + individual combination. The transition is usually built across the final two weeks of IOP, rather than ending abruptly. More on standard group therapy →
Coverage and cost
Most insurance plans cover IOP at the same out-of-pocket level as standard outpatient sessions, though prior authorization is sometimes required. We handle the authorization on your behalf. More on insurance →
Not sure if IOP is the right level?
Our healthcare coordinator can walk you through it in a short phone call.
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