Louisville, Kentucky Drug & Alcohol Rehab Treatment Intensive Outpatient Program

What’s the Difference Between Inpatient treatment and Intensive Outpatient Program?

Many people see inpatient residential treatment and intensive outpatient programs as vastly different. Indeed, there are differences. However, it is vital to remember that both inpatient and outpatient rehab programs place equal emphasis on comprehensive, evidence-based addiction treatment. However, given the differences in the treatment environment and mode of treatment delivery, each level of care has unique qualities and benefits. 

At an inpatient residential program, you will live “on-site” at the treatment center throughout the duration of your treatment program. The length of your treatment program is often determined based on the nature and severity of your addiction, so it will vary from person to person. At an inpatient rehab program, you will work each day with the staff at the facility to overcome your addiction while benefiting from the safe and supported environment of a residential program. Residential programs also provide 24-hour medical care, nutritional support, and therapeutic support. One primary benefit to inpatient treatment programs is they often have a higher success rate due to participants’ inability to access drugs or alcohol throughout their treatment process. Most residential programs last between one and six months, and unfortunately, they are also more expensive than most outpatient programs. 

Perhaps the most significant difference (and benefit) between these two programs is that outpatient programs allow you to seek addiction treatment while remaining at home with your family. Attending an outpatient rehab program is frequently more affordable than a residential program as outpatient programs do not provide meals, housing, or on-site medical services for their patients. 

An outpatient program is designed to allow participants to maintain the elements of their regular routine while attending therapy between five and seven days per week, depending on the specific program’s intensity. Louisville outpatient programs are designed to ensure your treatment program meets your specific needs and goals. This means program characteristics such as the length and type of counseling sessions, how many sessions you will attend, and how long your program will last. Most outpatient programs last longer than residential programs, with some lasting up to a year or more. The often extended duration of outpatient programs is due to the less intensive nature of the program. As a result, it sometimes takes longer for patients to meet their treatment goals. Therapy sessions in outpatient rehab in Louisville, KY, consist of a combination of individual and group therapy counseling. Outpatient rehab programs do have strict requirements requiring you to attend each of your sessions. Failure to do so, in some cases, can result in a referral to an inpatient program that may better suit your needs.

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What to Expect at a Drug Rehab Intensive Outpatient Program

Intensive outpatient treatment programs are often recommended for someone who has recently completed inpatient addiction treatment or those whose addiction is considered mild or moderate based on their medical provider’s evaluation. Intensive outpatient programs are sometimes less effective for someone who struggles with a severe addiction or requires detox services. Due to the nature of the program, monitoring is limited, and relapse opportunities are increased compared to inpatient residential programs. Like inpatient residential programs, intensive outpatient programs use several different therapy models to help patients meet their treatment and recovery goals. These include behavioral therapies such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing, and other similar evidence-based therapy models. Some intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) in Louisville, KY, also incorporate 12-step support programs (or similar secular programs) into their therapy treatment approaches.

When you begin your sobriety journey at a substance abuse intensive outpatient program, the first step is typically a comprehensive evaluation. The evaluation process helps to assess your individual treatment needs to determine the best treatment model. After your treatment team works with you to complete your assessment, they will use the assessment information to develop an individualized treatment plan based on your unique addiction treatment needs. Your treatment plan will also consider other essential needs such as medication management, co-occurring mental health conditions, and co-occurring medical conditions. Depending on the severity of co-occurring mental health or physical health conditions, the treatment staff at the intensive outpatient may recommend a stay at a residential treatment program to ensure you can receive the most comprehensive treatment during detox and early recovery.

An important aspect of the treatment planning process includes creating a schedule for how many days and hours you will attend treatment each week. Unlike inpatient rehab settings where treatment occurs every day for several hours, intensive outpatient rehabs generally have more flexible schedules to accommodate the treatment needs of those with family or employment obligations. If your treatment needs or the speed of your recovery change during treatment, your treatment team can modify your plan to accommodate these changes. While you are at our IOP program in Louisville, Kentucky, you will meet for various individual and group sessions designed to help you learn and practice vital skills essential to maintaining long-term sobriety. This includes relapse prevention education, addiction education, skill-building, and employment education. Sessions at an intensive outpatient are a combination of settings, including individual counseling, group therapy, family therapy, and 12-step groups.

Intensive outpatient programs offer significantly more freedom and inpatient residential programs, and therefore, it is important to monitor the health and safety of program participants throughout the program. For this reason, many intensive outpatient programs require drug and alcohol testing while you attend the program. The frequency and interval of this testing are often random and vary from program to program. Testing helps ensure program participants adhere to program guidelines and rules while helping protect other program members from a participant who chooses to use or relapses during the program. A positive test may be a sign that you need to consider a higher level of treatment, such as a residential program, before stepping down to an intensive outpatient program.

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Our IOP Program in Louisville

At our IOP program in Louisville, we offer intensive outpatient services with or without community housing options. If you decide to reside in community housing during treatment, you will live in a sober home (gender-specific) with other peers who participate in our treatment program. We provide daily transportation services so all participants can access clinical services when living in one of our sober communities. Our intensive outpatient program includes group therapy sessions available six days per week to accommodate those who are employed or have other responsibilities. Over the course of the week, clients will participate in 15-25 hours of group therapy to include one hour of individual therapy. Similar to a partial hospitalization program, we provide various therapeutic services ranging from behavioral therapy to relapse prevention.

Find Your Path to Freedom at Impact

If you are ready to seek treatment or have started researching treatment options, it is understandable if the research process has become confusing. At Impact in Louisville, our caring and compassionate treatment team is here to help you make sense of your treatment options so you can decide whether inpatient or outpatient services are right for you. If you are ready to start your sobriety journey, contact our Louisville, Kentucky IOP today.