An outpatient addiction treatment program is a step down from intensive outpatient and other levels of care. It’s a great program for people in recovery who are transitioning from rehab to everyday life. It can also be used at various points in the recovery process, such as if you’re at risk for relapse and need extra support.
The outpatient rehab program at Compassion Behavioral Health includes a single session of group and individual therapy each week. All clients have rules to follow, which we’ll discuss when you start our program. For example, we expect our clients to stay sober and attend all treatment sessions.
Outpatient treatment is the least intense type of program compared to intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization and inpatient treatment. You’ll only meet twice a week for an hour at a time, but this is often the right amount of structure for individuals working their recoveries and transitioning to their everyday lives.
Aside from a single session of individual counseling and group counseling, you will also have access to the following:
The only real difference between standard outpatient treatment and intensive outpatient treatment is the amount of time spent in counseling. Our intensive outpatient program requires clients to meet three to five days a week, for three hours a day. Standard outpatient only expects attendance twice a week (one for individual counseling, one for group counseling) for one hour.
It’s also worth pointing out that outpatient treatment is very different from inpatient rehab. You do not have to live at our facility to receive treatment, allowing you to return home for work, school or other responsibilities. Our outpatient program is also flexible and affordable. Clients appreciate that they can manage their obligations and maintain much of their normal schedule while getting the support they need.
While outpatient treatment is touted for its flexibility, it’s not for everyone. This is the lowest level of care, so we typically do not recommend it for serious addictions. Rather, it’s an opportunity to transition to your daily life while having structure and support alongside you. This way, you can keep learning about your addiction, what triggers to avoid and how to protect yourself from relapse.
With that said, here are some of the best candidates for an outpatient treatment program:
To reap the benefits of outpatient treatment, it’s important that you are a good candidate for this type of care. Otherwise, you may not receive enough structure and support from your treatment plan. As long as you feel that you are a good fit for outpatient rehab, you can expect the following advantages:
Compassion Behavioral Health can prescribe medications, though we only prescribe drugs that have been approved by the FDA for treating substance abuse and mental health issues. Most of these medications are used to treat opioid and alcohol addictions.
We’re very careful to make sure that our clients don’t substitute one addiction for another. This is why we try to manage symptoms using alternative, drug-free therapies like EMDR therapy, nutrition education, meditation and yoga.
However, if you do need medication, some of the ones we may recommend are:
In addition to these medications, you may also be prescribed medications to treat mental health disorders like anxiety, depression or schizophrenia. These drugs generally include antidepressants, antipsychotics, anti-anxiety meds and mood stabilizers.