Even though an estimated 24 million people suffer from substance abuse and addiction to drugs and alcohol in the United States, according to (SAMHSA) The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, only 11 percent, or approximately 2.6 million people, receive the treatment they need.
Holistic treatment is about more than just addiction and sobriety – it addresses the person’s life in its entirety – including career, physical, familial, and spiritual aspects.
The Sands Treatment Center has both IOP and PHP programs. The main difference between a regular outpatient treatment (OP) and intensive outpatient treatment (IOP) is in the number of hours the patient spends at the facility. Most of the time, an outpatient program is designed for someone who has already completed an inpatient stay and is looking to continue his or her growth in recovery.
Both Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) are two options for people who have either completed residential (inpatient) treatment or for various reasons, others who personally or professionally require an outpatient setting. Unlike residential or inpatient treatment where patients spend 30 days or more at a specific rehab facility, clients in an outpatient program are not required to spend the night.
The Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP Program)
In any Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), therapy sessions are at least three hours a day, three days per week. Physicians, psychologists, nurses, and other healthcare professionals administer treatment. IOP programs are more cost-effective than a residential recovery program, but they all share the same goal of sobriety and relapse prevention. Not all people who misuse substances or alcohol are considered addicted, but they may be at risk of becoming addicted. These Outpatient programs can help them before it’s too late.
While IOP treatment can involve one-on-one counseling, there is a focus on group therapy as well, because these are the sessions that really aim to help patients develop relapse prevention skills, as well as learning techniques of cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational enhancement therapy, or dialectical behavior therapy, depending on each person’s needs. The lengths of IOP programs differ from person to person, as they start to manage their successful recovery from addiction.
Whether recovery takes place in an inpatient setting, a partial hospitalization program, or an intensive outpatient program, addiction treatment can return people’s lives, relationships, and aspirations.
For too long, people who are battling addictions have felt that their condition is insurmountable. Too many lives have been lost because of the stigma of addiction, which has kept thousands from reaching out for the help they desperately wanted and needed. But as public awareness continues to surge, especially in South Florida, more and more people are getting help.