Outpatient addiction treatment is specifically designed for people who cannot submit to inpatient care for personal reasons or for those people who don’t really need restrictive care. As an alternative, outpatient care provides clients with the same level of therapy without the client having to reside in the facility on a 24/7 basis.
There are in fact several very viable reasons why some clients cannot submit to inpatient care. Remember, inpatient care is almost always preferable for clients who enter rehab with a significant addiction issue. However, life happens and people do have circumstances that make inpatient care far too restrictive. The following are examples of viable reasons why an individual might not want to submit for inpatient care:
- Unable to cover the cost of inpatient care
- Responsibilities at work or school that make residential treatment unfeasible
- Responsibility for the care of others
- Severity of the addiction doesn’t warrant inpatient care
- Submitting to inpatient care would create a financial burden for other family members
If you are interested in getting outpatient treatment but have time restrictions, you obviously would be curious about the amount of time you would be required to participate in an outpatient program. We have provided the following information to serve as your guide.
How Often Do You Receive Treatment During an Outpatient Treatment Program?
Most outpatient addiction treatment centers offer as many as three different outpatient options. Each option comes with specific guidelines that clients must abide by. As long as a client shows good progress and makes all scheduled therapy appointments on time, there’s a high likelihood outpatient care is the right treatment option. Should a client fail to meet program standards, they could be recommended for residential care or be asked to leave the outpatient program.
As indicated above, there are as many as three different outpatient options, depending on whether or not a particular rehab facility has temporary residential living quarters. Each of the three options come with different time restriction for therapy. The three options include (most restrictive to least restrictive):
- Partial Hospitalization care
- Intensive Outpatient care
- Standard Outpatient care
Before we go into more depth about each option, it’s noteworthy that while a client might start at a more restrictive level of care, they can graduate to a less restrictive option if they make good progress.
Partial Hospitalization
By far, partial hospitalization is the most restrictive of the outpatient care options. This option is best suited for clients who have a substantial addiction but can’t submit to residential care for reasons stated above.
Each client is required to spend as much as 5-7 days and 6-8 hours a day in the rehab facility. During their time in treatment, they would undergo intensive therapy both as an individual and in groups. Because of the amount of time they would spending in the facility, they might get an opportunity to participate in facility activities normally reserved for residential patients.
To avoid having to submit to a full-blown residential treatment program, the client has to abide by all rules. That means showing for all scheduled appointments, staying sober and participating in all therapy sessions. Anything less would be unacceptable.
Intensive Outpatient
At the next level down is intensive outpatient care. This option works very well for clients who have a moderate addiction and probably don’t require residential care. The client would spend as much as 3-5 days a week and 4-6 hours a day in therapy. At this level, clients must show a high level of responsibility. While their addiction might be moderate, it’s always possible things could go south in a hurry. Clients should not take the privilege of qualifying for intensive outpatient care for granted.
Standard Outpatient
At the lowest level of addiction treatment available sits a standard outpatient option. This is a great option for people in recovery who need a little touch up counseling to keep them on the path of recovery. With this option, clients are only required to make appointments a couple of times a week for a couple of hours per session.
Whether you qualify for outpatient care or need a residential treatment program, the important thing of note is that you get the help you need as soon as possible. If you call us at 844-639-8371, we would be glad to bring you in and set you up with a treatment option that meets your needs.