Outpatient Care
If your loved one has completed inpatient care, cannot take time off from work or other responsibilities, or does not need an intensive level of care, outpatient rehab might be a good option.
Here, addiction therapy is provided in a series of appointments that could, in some cases, be spaced far enough apart to accommodate other tasks. The person you love could keep working, going to school, and volunteering in the community, all while in therapy for addiction.
What is Outpatient Rehab?
Outpatient rehab is a form of alcohol or drug rehabilitation in which patients visit an addiction treatment center, hospital, mental health clinic, or behavioral counselor regularly during specific days of the week. Outpatient programs usually include some forms of individual and group counseling and are most suitable for individuals who do not require detoxification or around-the-clock supervision.
A key difference between outpatient and inpatient programs revolves around living arrangements during treatment. Whereas inpatient (or residential) programs offer 24-hour care and require full-time residence at a treatment facility, outpatient programs allow you to live at home while receiving treatment. Consequently, individuals in outpatient rehab face minimal disruption to their normal daily routines while still being able to participate in a peer-oriented, structured therapeutic program.
This form of rehab can work for those who abused their drugs of choice in small amounts or for a short period (for example, if a friend or family member recognized the warning signs of addiction and had a conversation, or staged an intervention, at the earliest possible moment).
A client in this stage of addiction will still experience withdrawal symptoms, but not nearly as severe as one who needs inpatient treatment. If a doctor feels their patient is capable of weathering withdrawal without lasting psychological or physical damage or a fear of relapse, they might suggest outpatient treatment and recommend an appropriate facility. Many outpatient programs offer sessions during evenings and weekends to accommodate the schedules of clients. Outpatient treatment allows the client to resume (or continue) meeting the demands of their life, including work and school responsibilities, and spend time with family while still making time for rehabilitation and counseling. The length and nature of outpatient visits depend on the state of the client’s substance abuse. To better determine what type of therapy is required, outpatient treatment is usually broken down into categories.
Structures of Outpatient Treatment Programs
Intensive outpatient treatment is focused on relapse prevention, and it shares a few similarities with inpatient programs’ services. Clients in an intensive outpatient treatment program usually check-in for three days a week, for 2-4 hours at a time.
Partial hospitalization outpatient treatment is offered to clients who have a stable living environment but require ongoing observation of severe medical conditions or severe psychological issues. These programs are typically offered at hospitals, where clients will have to check-in for 3-5 days a week, for at least 4-6 hours a day.
Therapy and counseling on an outpatient basis tend to be combined with other forms of rehabilitation or used as ongoing follow-up services after discharge from inpatient programs.
Vital Therapies Offered
12 Step Program Meetings
Targetted Case Management
Family Support Component
Complementary Therapy