Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) Specialist Q&A

Intensive Outpatient programs (IOP) offer an effective alternative to inpatient treatment. While working with a certified instructor alongside other patients in a group setting, you will be assisted in gaining the skills and support that you need in order to work towards a better life that is powered by recovery from your addictions. In contrast to residential treatment programs, outpatient programs allow patients to continue with their normal daily lives. An intensive outpatient program allows clients to live at home, while residential treatment requires them to reside on-site.

As a means of easing clients back into their families and communities after inpatient treatment, IOPs can sometimes be used along with inpatient programs. The goal of these programs is to establish support mechanisms, provide coping strategies, and help manage relapses.

An overnight stay is generally needed for treatment to be considered inpatient, while an outpatient visit does not require this. Extended time and continuous care is the big difference between the two. If you are admitted to a hospital or other inpatient facility, you will spend at least one night, sometimes more depending on your condition, receiving inpatient care.

Outpatient care, which does not require a hospital stay, varies greatly. The term “outpatient” can be applied to almost anything other than an annual checkup or blood test. Procedures, diagnostic tests, or treatments may be included.

Hospitals, walk-in clinics, outpatient surgery centers, and your doctor’s office may provide outpatient care.

To describe the types of treatments offered for addiction services, the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) has developed standardized language. From least to most intensive, the ASAM Levels of Care describe five broad categories of treatment.

Level one care is outpatient care wherein substance use disorder is evaluated, treated, and followed up on through outpatient services, where patients maintain their daily lives but meet with treatment professionals regularly. Level two care is intensive outpatient care with partial hospitalization where a combination of services are offered. The higher levels of care involve hospitalization or 24-hour care.

IOP for addiction treatment or substance abuse can be an excellent option for individuals unable to afford or commit to inpatient treatment due to obligations or financial restrictions. In some cases, IOPs are used to supplement patient treatments. Residential treatments can do a highly effective job of helping a patient get sober, but it can be difficult for them to maintain sobriety when removed from an in-patient setting and they return to their home.

When used to supplement addiction treatments, IOP reinforces the tools patients learned in their programs and help them manage stressors in their day-to-day life to promote full and sustainable recovery. For more information, contact us or schedule an appointment online. We are conveniently located at 3150 Custer Dr, Ste 101, Lexington, KY 40517. We serve patients from Lexington KY, Georgetown KY, Nicholasville KY, Keene KY, Brannon Woods KY, Picadome KY and surrounding areas.