How Long is Intensive Outpatient Treatment?

How long is intensive outpatient treatment? How effective are IOPs? Continue reading to find out.

How Long is Intensive Outpatient Treatment? The Basics

When you’re looking for addiction treatment, there are a lot of options available. It can get confusing to decide which option will be the right fit. If you’re looking into intensive outpatient care, you may be asking, “how long is intensive outpatient treatment?”

In this article, we’ll help answer that question. We’ll also detail factors that contribute to the length of treatment and what you should know before choosing an intensive outpatient program.

What Is an IOP?

IOP stands for “intensive outpatient program.” It is a form of addiction treatment where you are able to keep living at home. You will report to the treatment center at designated times throughout the week.

When you go to the treatment center, you will receive therapy, work on life skills, attend support group meetings, or get medical services. The overall structure of the program will depend on your needs and the treatment center.

Substance Misuse Treatment: an Inside Look

How Long is Treatment?

So, how long is intensive outpatient treatment? The realistic answer is that it depends on the individual, their needs, and the severity of the addiction. That said, we’ll break down different options in this section.

What is the Minimum Length of Care Needed to Get the Best Results?

When asking, “how long is intensive outpatient treatment?” you may want to know an estimate for the minimum amount of time needed to get good results. Most people will require at least ninety days in an intensive outpatient program (IOP). However, longer treatment often yields better results.

Why Longer Treatment Can Be More Effective

Many studies have been conducted on this topic. Research has found that those who receive treatment for addiction that lasts six months or longer tend to get the best results. In fact, 68-71% of people who complete a six-month treatment program are able to maintain long-term sobriety. Some individuals may even require treatment for a year or longer.¹

When someone requires longer-term care, an IOP can be a better treatment option. Intensive outpatient treatment allows you to remain living at home while you work on recovery. It provides more flexibility so you can still work, spend time with your family, and feel comfortable in your home environment.

IOPs as an Effective Transition

Some people may even use IOPs as a transition from inpatient care back into normal everyday life. IOPs provide a lot of help along the way while not being as intense as full inpatient treatment. It’s a good middle ground.

Who Are IOPs Best For?

There are several reasons why an intensive outpatient program may be the best treatment option for someone looking to overcome addiction. Some of these reasons are detailed below.

Less Severe Addictions

IOPs will be best for those with addictions that are less severe. These may be individuals who haven’t abused a substance for long or only took small doses. Addictions that are less severe will likely have little to no withdrawal symptoms. This means around-the-clock medical care wouldn’t be as necessary.

Work or Family Obligations

Someone may also choose an IOP because they have work or family responsibilities they don’t want to leave behind. An IOP can allow you to maintain more of your normal life structure while still receiving addiction treatment. It can even be helpful for those who have strong family support systems backing them at home.

Phasing Out of Inpatient Care

Those who have already completed inpatient care may also be a good fit for an IOP. As mentioned earlier, an IOP can be a good way to slowly reintegrate back into daily life. You’ll have more freedom than in inpatient care while still having the support of treatment professionals each step of the way.

Accountability

Lastly, an IOP will be best for those who are able to hold themselves accountable during treatment. When you aren’t as heavily monitored or in the structured environment of an inpatient facility, it can pose its own unique challenges. If you’re able to stay on track without constant care, this is a good treatment option for you.

Take Note of Treatment Readiness

You need to know you’re ready to take on recovery head first before choosing outpatient care. So, when you’re asking, “how long is intensive outpatient treatment?” you should take that aspect into consideration.

When you begin working with a treatment center like Essence Healthcare, treatment professionals will help determine what type of care is best for your needs. Your best bet is to only choose an IOP if it is recommended as the best fit for your needs.

When are IOPs Necessary?

There are a wide variety of reasons why an intensive outpatient program might be a necessary treatment option for you. Typically, an intensive outpatient program will be a type of middle ground in terms of treatment intensity.

An intensive outpatient program will give you more time and medical attention than a full outpatient program. However, it requires less supervision than a full inpatient program. It is usually necessary when someone needs longer-term care or has not responded well to traditional outpatient care.

IOPs and Their Flexibility

You will spend part of your time in the medical care of a treatment center, while also being able to return home at night. Many studies have found intensive outpatient programs to be successful in reducing drug or alcohol intake for patients.

So if you are asking, “how long is intensive outpatient treatment?” you should also make sure you understand how beneficial it can be for patients who choose it.²

The Benefits of Intensive Outpatient Care

There are several benefits of choosing intensive outpatient care. If you’re searching for “how long is intensive outpatient treatment?” consider all these benefits you’ll receive while in recovery. Some benefits of an IOP are detailed below.

Maintain Family Support

One of the main things that can keep some people going during treatment is their family. Seeing family members offers support and gives you another reason to work toward recovery. Many who struggle with addiction can also feel isolated, so having family members around can help.³

Maintain Privacy

Inpatient programs do their best to maintain privacy while providing intensive care. However, those who don’t require full inpatient treatment may value being able to maintain more privacy in their daily life. It can help to be able to go home and unwind after a long day of working on recovery.

Lower Cost

Since you’ll be living at home, intensive outpatient care usually costs less than full inpatient care. The cost savings can be especially beneficial for those who need treatment for a longer duration of time.

Stay Present at School or Work

It can feel like a big decision having to choose between school or work and getting treatment. You may be worried about “how long is intensive outpatient treatment?” An IOP can help with that by creating a flexible schedule around other life responsibilities. Work or school can also provide a way to see tangible results from what you’ve been working on during recovery.

As you can see, intensive outpatient programs provide very flexible treatment options. If you’re wondering how long is intensive outpatient treatment and worried about how it will fit into your life, just know it may be more manageable than you think.

Statistics on the Effectiveness of Intensive Outpatient Programs

Many studies have been done on intensive outpatient programs and their effectiveness. One of the main things you should feel confident about is that IOPs have been offered by treatment centers for quite some time. Since 2011, IOPs have served about 12% of patients in rehab for addiction each year.

One study was conducted on the use of intensive outpatient programs after receiving inpatient treatment. The study found that using an IOP as a transitional tool back into daily life led to higher rates of abstinence three months after treatment (63% with an IOP compared to 38% without one). Those numbers alone show that IOPs definitely have their place in addiction treatment.

IOP: Evidence-Based Healing

If you’re wondering how long is intensive outpatient treatment, you can also rest assured that you are spending your time on an evidence-based treatment style. It has been time-tested over years and used by hundreds of thousands of people.

What Treatments are Used During an IOP?

Several treatment styles may be used during an IOP and can affect the answer to “how long is intensive outpatient treatment?” The most common types of treatment are detailed below.⁴

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Many addiction treatment programs use CBT as the main form of therapy. CBT will help you learn how your thoughts affect your behaviors. This can be helpful when treating addiction and underlying conditions that may be contributing to the addiction.⁵

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: a Closer Look

Motivational Interviewing

Many addiction treatment programs use CBT as the main form of therapy. CBT will help you learn how your thoughts affect your behaviors. This can be helpful when treating addiction and underlying conditions that may be contributing to the addiction.⁵

Therapy: a Closer Look

Going through a rehab program can feel like a big change in someone’s life. It isn’t uncommon for some to even subconsciously or consciously resist that change. Motivational interviewing is a therapeutic technique where therapists support the patient through positive words and actions that help them commit to change.

Motivational Interviewing

Going through a rehab program can feel like a big change in someone’s life. It isn’t uncommon for some to even subconsciously or consciously resist that change. Motivational interviewing is a therapeutic technique where therapists support the patient through positive words and actions that help them commit to change.

Group Therapy

Many treatment centers use group therapy to help members connect and support one another. Group therapy allows members to share experiences and provide positive support. Hearing about how others have gone through similar battles makes patients feel like they aren’t alone.

Contingency Management

Adherence to treatment is crucial to get the best results. Contingency management helps by creating milestones and rewards for success throughout a treatment program. Studies have found this technique can increase adherence by up to 14%.⁶

As you can see, intensive outpatient programs provide very flexible treatment options. If you’re wondering how long is intensive outpatient treatment and worried about how it will fit into your life, just know it may be more manageable than you think.

12-Step Programs or Other Support Groups

Many treatment centers also offer 12-Step programs and other support groups during IOPs. Similar to group therapy, support groups can provide a sense of community and support from individuals who have similar experiences.

If you were wondering about how long is intensive outpatient treatment and what types of treatment options were available during that time, you should now have a good idea of the wealth of options available.

12 Step Programs for Recovery

How Do Different Types of Treatment Contribute to the Length of the Program?

If you’re wondering how long is intensive outpatient treatment, you may also wonder how different treatment options contribute to the program’s length. The real answer is again that it depends on the individual. Choosing a treatment modality that is the most effective for an individual’s specific needs can make the program more effective and quicker.

However, many treatment methods should be ongoing, such as therapy and support groups. Those forms of treatment, even as a form of aftercare, will be highly beneficial toward long-term success. When thinking about how long is intensive outpatient treatment, also consider what is best long-term to be the most successful in recovery. It’s worth putting in the extra effort.

How Long is Intensive Outpatient Treatment Compared to Other Options?

When thinking about how long is intensive outpatient treatment, you’ll probably also want to know how it compares to other treatment options. As mentioned earlier, an IOP is kind of a middle ground between different types of treatment. You can typically measure different types of care on five different levels. Those levels of care are:

Level 1 – Early Intervention: This is intervening before substance abuse gets out of hand. Intervening early can help prevent any treatment from being necessary.

Level 2 – Outpatient Treatment: Someone would choose a normal outpatient program when they aren’t likely to have withdrawal symptoms and know they can adhere to a program.

Level 3 – Intensive Outpatient Treatment: Here’s where you’ll find the middle ground of an IOP. It offers a bit more medical care and support than outpatient while not being around-the-clock like inpatient.

Level 4 – Inpatient Treatment: During inpatient treatment, you’ll stay at a treatment center for a duration of time. You’ll have around-the-clock support and medical attention during this time.

Level 5 – Medically Managed Intensive Inpatient: This form of treatment is typically needed by those who have severe withdrawal symptoms or are likely to have serious withdrawals. It also could be necessary for those who haven’t adhered well to traditional inpatient care.

How Long is Intensive Outpatient Treatment Compared to Other Types of Rehab?

Now that we’ve covered the different types of treatment options, how long is intensive outpatient treatment compared to these options? Let’s see:

Early intervention: This can last anywhere between one and ninety days. It’s usually dependent on how involved family and friends are in the individual’s life to ensure they stop drug use and how quickly they can stop using substances.

Outpatient treatment: This usually lasts around ninety days, but some programs can last six months or longer.

Intensive outpatient treatment: Typically lasts at least ninety days and up to a year or longer.

Inpatient treatment: Usually lasts at least ninety days and can last up to two years or longer.

Medically managed intensive inpatient treatment: This usually lasts at least six months and can go up to two years or longer. Those who complete intensive inpatient care are also often transitioned into other forms of treatment, like intensive outpatient, to help transition back into normal everyday life.

If you were wondering how long is intensive outpatient treatment compared to other options, you should be able to see it is also kind of a middle ground in the duration of time it requires.

Intensive Outpatient Treatment at Essence Healthcare

If you or a loved one is researching “how long is outpatient treatment,” Essence Healthcare has the answers.

Our Approach

At Essence Healthcare, we use evidence-based practices during intensive outpatient programs. Using an evidence-based approach, we are able to help you achieve the best possible results. If you’re wondering about how long is intensive outpatient treatment here, our evidence-based approach leans toward longer-term care. Many studies have shown the effectiveness of completing treatment programs that are six months or longer. However, the length ultimately comes down to the individual’s needs.

Each program is tailored to the individual, the type and severity of addiction, and their daily schedule. During intensive outpatient care, you can tailor the schedule more toward your needs for work and family responsibilities. However, when considering how long is intensive outpatient treatment, taking more time for outside responsibilities can lead to longer care being necessary to get the best results.

How to Maintain Sobriety After Completing an Intensive Outpatient Program

Along with how long is intensive outpatient treatment, you must also think about what comes after completing the program. At Essence Healthcare, we make sure you’re set up with a relapse prevention plan and a general plan for success in maintaining sobriety. We teach healthy habits and positive lifestyles to make maintaining sobriety easier after completing an IOP.

Ultimately, instead of how long is intensive outpatient treatment, you should consider that recovery is ongoing, even after leaving the rehab center.

Aftercare at Essence Healthcare

We do offer aftercare at Essence Healthcare. Our staff understands how important resources after recovery are to an individual’s success. When we create a treatment program for you, we will answer how long is intensive outpatient treatment and what aftercare options you will have available upon completion of the program.

Contact Essence Healthcare Today

If you want to know how long is intensive outpatient treatment at Essence Healthcare and get an idea of the best program for your needs, you can contact us today for more information. We’re here to answer any questions you may have.

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We are a patient-first substance abuse and mental health treatment facility located in Los Angeles, California. At Essence Healthcare, we provide different levels of care from detoxification to drug rehab aftercare. Our team is standing by to address your questions. Your call is confidential and no obligation is required.

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