Intensive Outpatient Treatment

Intensive outpatient treatment programs help provide services to people with substance use disorders (SUDs) as well as any co-occurring mental health disorders. These individuals do not need medical detoxification or 24-hour supervision but are looking for an alternative to inpatient or residential treatment. Intensive outpatient treatment programs provide a higher level of care than other types of outpatient treatment programs.  

In California, in 2017 a survey was conducted and found that:

  • 39.4% of treatment facilities are Intensive Outpatient Treatment
  • 31% of clients admitted were treated for both alcohol and drug abuse
  • 51% of clients were treated for drug abuse only
  • 17.4% of clients were treated for alcohol abuse only

Intensive outpatient treatment helps individuals learn the early stages of relapse management and coping tools while also getting the psychosocial support needed. 

Why Choose an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)?

At Crescent Moon Recovery, an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP Rehab) is a step between a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) and Outpatient Treatment that gives participants needing addiction treatment the ability to live at home or sober living facilities while undergoing drug and alcohol rehab services. Some participants begin their drug rehabilitation with an IOP, but most transition into IOP rehab following their inpatient drug rehab stay. Choosing to continue recovery in an IOP gives those in recovery from addiction the space to develop more control over their triggers and help to decrease the risk of relapse.

Intensive outpatient programs offer clients struggling with substance abuse the same treatment options available to inpatient drug rehab clients. Some people may believe that IOP rehabs are for people with more control over their drug or alcohol addictions, but in actuality, patients participating in an intensive outpatient program are often just further along in the addiction treatment process than others. Intensive outpatient program lengths can vary depending on the type of substance abuse and the history of relapse. Most programs are between 12-16 weeks in length and require clients to commit to being on-site three to five days each week. 

Who Can Benefit Most From an Intensive Outpatient Program?

Individuals interested in an intensive outpatient program should consider carefully whether they are equipped to handle this type of treatment program. It is advised that clients have a strong support system in place and a stable home life to go home to each evening. Individuals with extensive substance use histories who are not physically or emotionally fit are advised to consider attending inpatient drug rehab programs first. IOP works best for people who are considered to be at a lower risk of relapse when away from their treatment center each evening and should be able to engage appropriately and constructively in group therapy settings.

Understanding Intensive Outpatient Treatment

Intensive outpatient treatment programs have been proven to be equally as effective as inpatient or residential treatment programs. The research found consistent evidence that showed: 

  • Reduced drug/alcohol use from baseline to follow-up
  • Few differences between intensive outpatient treatment and residential treatment programs

Services that are offered at an intensive outpatient treatment program include: 

  • A specific number of hours for structured programming every week
  • Individual therapy
  • Group therapy
  • Family therapy
  • Education about substance use and/or mental health disorders

The goal of intensive outpatient treatment programs is to equip individuals with a plan for relapse prevention by learning: 

  • Effective coping tools
  • Relapse management skills
  • Establish a support system or reconnect to one
  • Receive support for mental, emotional, and social well-being

Individual Therapy

In Crescent Moon Recovery’s Intensive Outpatient Program, participants engage in Individual therapy sessions, which allows them to meet with their therapist one-on-one in a private setting. These therapy sessions are designed to give participants a safe space to talk openly about their recovery process,  problem areas that need to be addressed, and their goals for recovery. Many times, participants have doubts and fears about their progress and have questions or need support that helps build their confidence. During IOP Rehab, individual therapy sessions are usually only scheduled when the need arises.

Individual therapy, also known as “talk therapy,” helps the client process feelings and identify troubling thoughts, emotions, or behaviors. In this type of therapy, participants are also introduced to a variety of techniques to cope with emotional distress and develop self-awareness of their ways of thinking that may be inaccurate or harmful. A particular therapeutic approach that is very common in treatment is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). By helping the participant identify these harmful or inaccurate thoughts and connecting them to their behavior, participants can use CBT to learn to notice and change self-defeating thought patterns and maladaptive behaviors that contribute to substance use disorders and any co-occurring mental health disorders. 

Other techniques that can be introduced in individual therapy include: 

  • Mindfulness
  • Meditation
  • Breathing exercises
  • Relaxation tools

Crescent Moon Recovery confidently believes in the power of these evidence-based therapies that have been shown to reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other disorders. 

Medication Management

When detox treatment requires the use of medications, clients are often prescribed medications that are effective in decreasing drug cravings, such as with heroin or opioid addiction or preventing addictive substances from producing a desired high. Whether the medications are used to promote sobriety or limit withdrawal symptoms, certain prescriptions can help struggling clients gain control over their addictions. When an individual feels they have more control, stress and anxiety drops, which can limit the psychological hold that substance use may have caused.

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) is offered in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies to create a whole-patient approach to treating substance use disorders. Medications used in MAT are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and MAT programs are tailored to meet each participant’s needs and can help individuals sustain a lasting recovery.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “[medication-assisted treatment] has been shown to: 

  • Improve patient survival
  • Increase retention in treatment
  • Decrease illicit opiate use and other criminal activity among people with substance use disorders
  • Increase patients’ ability to gain and maintain employment
  • Improve birth outcomes among women who have substance use disorders and are pregnant”

Overall, MAT has been proven to be clinically effective and significantly reduces the need for inpatient detoxification services. 

Matrix Model

The Matrix Model is a specific style of drug treatment that was developed to help recovery from addiction to stimulants, such as methamphetamine or cocaine. The program has roots in other drug treatments, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and requires clients to commit to a 16-week treatment plan. This treatment model focuses on helping individuals learn about the specific triggers for their substance use and teaches relapse prevention skills. Each IOP Rehab client will need to build a strong relationship with their therapist. The Matrix Model for meth addiction has been shown to provide individuals with higher long-term sobriety rates.

The Role Of Therapy

Therapy plays a big role in an individual’s treatment and recovery. Individual and group therapy both help participants:

  • Gain personal insight
  • Identify inaccurate thinking
  • Build self-awareness
  • Cope with stress more effectively
  • Receive proper treatment for substance use disorders or co-occurring substance use and mental disorders

The 2017 survey of California treatment facilities found that:

  • 99% offer individual counseling
  • 93% offer group counseling
  • 75% offer family counseling
  • 53% offer marital/couples counseling

At Crescent Moon recovery, we specialize in offering individual and group counseling for our participants because we know how important it is to have that one-on-one time with your counselor while also being able to relate to a group of peers in a group setting. 

Group Therapy

Participants in the Intensive Outpatient Program have the opportunity to engage in group therapy as part of their treatment plan. Group therapy gives participants a safe space to share their experiences and struggles and bond with others in the program. Participants can witness the various levels of recovery and gain insight and support from peers with similar experiences. Group therapy at Crescent Moon Recovery is led by expert therapists who facilitate sessions and share tools to support participants in developing coping skills, insights, and life lessons that will guide them to living a life free from addiction and achieve long-term sobriety.  An important part of our IOP is creating a strong community and strong relationships with peers and our staff. We are committed to the participant’s plan for treatment and integrating the tools they learn back into their everyday lives. 

We are wired from birth to be social creatures and desire connection with each other. Humans biologically need human contact. As such, group therapy offers many benefits: 

  • Gain insight and guidance
  • Offer comfort and provide a safe space
  • Foster healthy attachments
  • Practice new social skills
  • Positive peer reinforcement

Group therapy is a strong ally for addiction treatment because people who abuse substances are more likely to remain abstinent and committed to recovery when treatment is provided in group settings. There are tremendous therapeutic rewards, such as: 

  • Support
  • Affiliation and a sense of belonging
  • Accountability
  • Relatability
  • Gratification

Participants can reap the benefits of both individual and group counseling in their tailored treatment plan at Crescent Moon Recovery.  

Family Therapy

Many times clients come to treatment with family issues, such as codependency. When codependency exists alongside drug addiction, such as opiate addiction, unhealthy relationships must be dealt with in order for recovery to be successful. Fractured relationships between a person with a substance use disorder and their family can be mended when the and addiction are able to be discussed honestly with the help of a family therapist. For many people struggling with addiction, the shame and grief over damaged relationships can be a very heavy burden, and family therapy allows for healing that might otherwise not come.

Intensive outpatient treatment offers family therapy as part of the treatment program, focusing on defining the desired outcomes and setting goals for the family therapy sessions.

When a participant is working with the therapist, they will work to identify who is considered to be “family” based on their significance to the participant. Family can consist of a spouse, partner, siblings, parents, children, co-workers, friends, and others. By identifying the participant’s family of choice, the participant can decide who will be supportive and who may risk undermining their recovery, as well as how to address these issues.

The goals of family therapy are to: 

  • Identify and support family relationship patterns that are working against recovery
  • Educate the family about early relapse warning signs
  • Prepare family for what to expect in recovery
  • Increase family support for the participant’s recovery

Crescent Moon Recovery offers a mind-body-spirit approach to recovery and believes it is important to involve the participant as an advocate in their treatment plan. 

Regardless of where a participant is on their journey, we whole-heartedly believe in meeting them where they are at in their recovery. Together, the participant and our team of therapists, doctors, and mentors work together to create a plan that will support them in identifying their goals, vision for long-term sobriety, tools to set them up to succeed, and resources to get there. Crescent Moon Recovery offers the space and community where a participant can heal, re-discover their life outside of addiction, and get the right support to integrate back into society confident in living a sober life. You are not alone. We are here for you. Start the journey to creating a well-lived life by contacting Crescent Moon Recovery at (714) 464-8474

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