As part of the addiction treatment community, we certainly understand that not every addiction sufferer has the same circumstances. We will even go so far as to say that if we have 100 clients in our rehab facility, we are very likely dealing with 100 clients who have vastly different circumstances. That is why we offer such a wide range of treatment options. We have to deal with a lot of unique situations.
One of the issues we encounter a lot is clients who cannot or won’t agree to go through a residential treatment program. This matters because we believe anyone with a significant addiction problem would be better off in a residential treatment program. However, it’s important to respect that some clients have limitations. Since we want to make sure everyone who needs treatment gets treatment, we feel obligated to make sure we offer outpatient options. Here is a list of common reasons why some clients really want outpatient treatment:
- They can not afford the cost of residential treatment, which is significantly higher than outpatient treatment
- They have responsibilities at home for the care of others
- They have responsibilities at school or home and can not afford to be away too long
Since our objective is to make sure everyone who needs treatment gets treatment, we have to respect their reasons for them foregoing residential treatment. That’s not a huge deal when you understand that outpatient treatment programs can be just effective as residential treatment. If you can’t afford to take time off work for treatment, it’s very possible a custom outpatient treatment program could be created to meet your needs. In the following section, we will discuss the three primary outpatient options that are typically available, including:
- Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
- Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
- General Outpatient Program (OP)
About Outpatient Treatment
As we indicated above, the addiction treatment community typically features three different outpatient treatment options. All three options require clients to undergo individual therapy while the two more restrictive options (PHP and IOP) can include family and group therapy as needed. The advantage of outpatient treatment is clients can continue living at home and handling responsibilities while in treatment. What really differentiates these three options is the time commitment clients have to make.
PHP: Clients will need to report for treatment 5 to 7 days each week. When they report for treatment, they will have to spend 6 to 10 hours a day working with a therapist or in groups.
IOP: Clients will need to report for treatment 3 to 5 days each week. When they report for treatment, they will have to spend 4 to 6 hours a day working with a therapist or in groups.
OP: Clients will need to report for treatment 1 or 2 days each week. When they report for treatment, they will have to spend 1 to 2 hours a day working with a therapist. Here is the primary concern about outpatient treatment. If a client is unable or unwilling to follow strict rules, they will not get much benefit from outpatient treatment. It’s kind of an honor system where the client has to follow the same rules as someone in residential treatment and do it without 24/7 scrutiny.
As for the actual rules, they might vary a little from one rehab to the next. With that said, here are four rules you would likely find from every outpatient program on the planet:
- Asbsolutely zero tolerance for any kind of substance abuse. Prescription meds would only e permitted if absolutely necessary
- Each client needs to be willing to go through random drug testing upon arriving for treatment
- Each client is responsible for reporting on time for all ppointments
- If progress is not forthcoming, an adjustment would have to be made that could include being asked to agree to residential treatment or expulsion from the program altogether
As you can see by what we have shared here, provisions can be made so you can get treatment while still handling your work responsibilities. Before we worry about all of that, you have to be ready to get help. If you are, you can reach out to one of our staff members at 833-610-1174.. They will be happy to answer any of your questions and address any of your concerns.