Understanding Outpatient Addiction Treatment

Outpatient addiction treatment allows an individual in recovery to attend therapy sessions and then return to their daily lives. This level of care requires a certain level of commitment and, ideally, a supportive home environment.

 

To better understand outpatient addiction therapy, it’s important to be aware of all levels of care.

Continuum of Care for Addiction Treatment

Recovering from addiction is a process. An individual struggling with addiction gets placed in the least restrictive environment based on the type and history of substance abuse. 

 

The levels of care include:

  • Detox/Intensive Inpatient: Medically managed care for those with chemical dependency and intense withdrawal symptoms. Individuals in this setting receive 24-hour medical care, medications, and extensive counseling.
  • Residential Treatment: After detox, individuals live on-site with 24-hour supervision in a residential facility. Their withdrawal symptoms are monitored, and they have a highly structured environment with scheduled therapy, activities, and medical care. 
  • Intensive Outpatient (IOP): Addiction treatment that takes place in non-residential settings like hospitals, day treatment programs, or behavioral health treatment centers during the day. Depending on an individual’s circumstances, an IOP program can be a step up or step down in their recovery process. Then, an individual goes home–or to sober living–when it’s complete. 
  • Outpatient (OP): Outpatient addiction rehab is also held in hospitals and behavioral health treatment centers. OP care is similar to IOP but not as extensive. This level of care may be for someone finishing IOP. OP is also for someone with less severe substance use disorder symptoms.
  • Sober Living: Individuals in sober living environments often do not have a stable support network at home. They choose to enter a sober living home to gradually develop the skills to support their recovery in a safe, nurturing environment.  
  • Aftercare & Alumni: Those successfully progressing through the addiction treatment continuum of care find aftercare programs an opportunity to reinforce what they’ve experienced on their recovery journey. 
  • Early Intervention: Services that focus on education and resources for those at risk for substance use disorder. 

What Happens During Outpatient Treatment?

An intake coordinator determines if outpatient treatment is the best option for an individual struggling with addiction. Then the treatment team creates a customized care plan and outpatient schedule. 

 

Outpatient treatment offers services including:

  • Individual psychotherapy
  • Group therapy sessions
  • Medication-assisted treatment (MAT)
  • Family therapy
  • Life skills training
  • Vocational training
  • Psychiatric care
  • Case management
  • Restorative justice
  • Drug testing and monitoring
  • Anger management and other social skills classes.
  • Reviewing and revising the treatment plan based on progress

 

As you can see, this is a very carefully-planned process that involves the coordination of many skilled addiction treatment professionals. To succeed in the program, an individual must follow the prescribed schedule outlined.

 

Outpatient programs also offer new opportunities to enjoy recovery by exposing an individual to sober leisure activities, holistic health experiences like yoga and meditation, and team-building challenges.

Outpatient (OP) vs. Intensive Outpatient (IOP)

The main difference between outpatient and intensive outpatient addiction treatment is the amount of time spent in the program. Outpatient treatment is less than 9 hours per week for adults. An individual in the intensive outpatient level may attend treatment programming for up to 6 hours daily.

 

Intensive outpatient rehab requires an individual to spend more time in structured therapy, groups, and activities. Successful intensive outpatient programs require near full-time treatment using a variety of evidence-based approaches. 

 

IOP signifies a critical transition period. Those successfully completing residential care graduate to an IOP program. Conversely, those struggling in regular outpatient care may find a more structured IOP environment helpful for their recovery.

Some individuals in intensive outpatient programs also choose to spend their free time in sober living homes for extra recovery support.  

Benefits of Outpatient Addiction Treatment

When deemed an appropriate care level, outpatient addiction drug rehab can be a valuable experience for those struggling with substance abuse. The benefits of outpatient addiction treatment can include:

 

Flexibility to Tend to Personal & Family Obligations

In IOP or OP programs, you can go home once the day’s treatment is complete. This flexibility allows you to be with your family, work, and take care of errands and other obligations. 

 

More Privacy

Entering residential treatment could mean people like coworkers, colleagues, and acquaintances discovering you are in drug rehab. It may not be something you want to share with those you casually encounter.   

 

Since outpatient programs have more flexibility in scheduling and don’t require you to stay at a facility for 24 hours, you can continue more of your everyday activities while receiving treatment.

 

Learn Skills & Practice Them In Real Life Settings

Outpatient treatment allows you to practice the skills you learn during groups, therapy, and education sessions in real life. After your treatment is over for the day, you get to practice communication, anger management, social, and sober living skills with friends and family.

 

Build on Skills Developed in Higher Levels of Care

If you’ve completed residential treatment, outpatient programs are an extension of what you already learned. You get the opportunity to continue your personal development and focus on being in recovery.

 

Get Extra Support From Loved Ones

Being away from a loving, supportive family could be very difficult. Individuals in residential treatment struggle with this often. Outpatient care allows you to be with and supported by your family while still attending treatment.

Finding Outpatient Addiction Treatment in Santa Monica

In all honesty, the Santa Monica area has a lot of outpatient programs available. Finding the one to suit you or a loved one’s needs may seem overwhelming. 

 

Finding an outpatient treatment that will make a difference requires you to feel comfortable, supported, and motivated during therapy. You have to resonate with the program and believe it will help you make the desired changes. 

 

Addiction treatment isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. It’s a good idea to find outpatient treatment with various opportunities and services. The more services you have available, the more likely you’ll find what resonates and encourages you to stay with treatment. 

 

Recover Integrity is a men’s only luxury intensive outpatient program in Santa Monica. In addition to the services mentioned previously in this article, we also provide cognitive testing for more effective assessments and treatment planning. Also, our exclusive person-centered V.E.G.A. program is designed to help individuals stay motivated through unique assessment, action, and achievement phases. 

 

Recover Integrity is a boutique, luxury men’s intensive outpatient program in West Los Angeles. You could get in touch with us by calling 310.294.9030.

AUTHOR: Adam Mindel