What is Outpatient Drug Rehabilitation?
Outpatient drug rehabilitation consists of addiction therapy provided in a setting where patients either return home or to a sober living residence when their treatment day is over. Professional addiction treatment is defined by levels of care. They most often provide support for people who’ve completed a more extensive program and have returned to work, school or home life. Patients sometimes begin in outpatient, but most start at the more intensive levels of care, beginning with medical detox and work their way through. We provide two primary levels of care that fall under the category of outpatient drug rehabilitation.
Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP)
The PHP is the most intensive treatment you can receive without staying overnight in a medical facility. It is one of the most common forms of addiction therapy and treatment. A patient in a PHP will get a full day of addiction therapy, usually at least 6 hours a day and five days a week at an addiction treatment center.
Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP)
An IOP generally entails a minimum of 9 hours of treatment per week, spread over three to five days of each week. Patients attend IOP in an addiction treatment center where they will usually receive a combination of group and individual addiction therapy.
How Do I Know if Outpatient Drug Rehabilitation is Right for Me?
The next question most people have is, how do I know which level of care I need? The good news is this isn’t something you need to figure out on your own. The best route is almost always to get a professional assessment. An addiction specialist trained to evaluate your needs is the person most qualified to advise you where to begin.
The basic ASAM Levels of Care in order from most to least intensive are:
- Intensive Inpatient (including medical detox)
- Residential/Inpatient
- Intensive Outpatient/Partial Hospitalization
- Outpatient
The most intensive level of addiction treatment is an intensive inpatient medical detox. This is where you’ll want to begin if you are actively using, and cessation will lead to discomfort or withdrawal symptoms. It includes 24-hour medical supervision and medication management for safety and comfort. After that comes residential/inpatient care.
In this phase, you still sleep overnight in a clinical facility and have 24-hour medical staff available, but you’re able to participate in more individual addiction therapy and group activities. This comes after you have moved beyond the initial detox phase. However, some patients may move from detox to a different level of care. Several factors determine what level of treatment a person is and for how long.
When Does Outpatient Drug Rehabilitation Begin?
Partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient allow the patient to continue addiction therapy in an outpatient drug rehabilitation setting. This will often mean transitioning from sleeping overnight in a medical facility to staying in a secure sober living home. Sometimes patients who are local to a facility will be able to live at home during IOP treatment, but this depends on the program and the patient’s needs.
What Type of Addiction Treatment is Right for Me?
The ideal approach is to begin with an assessment and let a professional advise you on beginning addiction treatment. That said, some patients may be able to start with outpatient drug rehabilitation if they do not need detox services, and circumstances make more comprehensive care difficult or impossible. Remember that you cannot receive too much help for addiction, but it’s possible to get less than you really need. We would love the opportunity to answer your questions about outpatient or any other form of addiction care. Please contact Promises Brazos Valley at 800-393-0391. If someone you love needs substance abuse help, we can provide advice and guidance in navigating difficult waters.