Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) in Atlanta

Our Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) in Atlanta helps people overcome an addiction to drugs or alcohol on an outpatient level. Part of what makes an intensive outpatient program desirable is that it allows patients to live at home while receiving addiction treatment. Even with this level of freedom, IOPs still provide a range of effective addiction treatment advantages. At Buckhead Behavioral Health, our Intensive Outpatient Program in Atlanta, GA helps individuals find the strength needed to heal.

What Is Intensive Outpatient Programming?

Intensive Outpatient Programming is a treatment that takes place in a professional facility during the daytime or evening. The number of days and hours per day someone attends IOP depends on the individual’s needs, determined by the treatment provider. IOP provides an effective way to treat conditions like substance use disorders and mental illness. It works well for clients who do not need to be in an inpatient or residential program but still need a concentrated amount of time per week to work on their recovery. They can attend their treatment sessions during the day or attend an evening IOP program and still return home at night.

Atlanta Intensive Outpatient Program Scheduling

Our intensive outpatient program is straightforward and flexible. Our IOP program can be used as a step-down program from our Partial Hospitalization Program, or a client can be admitted directly into our IOP dependent upon a clinical approval. Individuals attend treatment multiple times a week for several hours at a time. Treatment takes place Monday through Friday, with varying hours. The hours remain flexible enough for individuals to attend treatment while maintaining personal and professional responsibilities and we offer two options for IOP to accommodate busy work schedules.

Daytime IOP

Monday – Friday: 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Evening IOP

Monday – Thursday: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Virtual IOP

Monday – Friday: 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Monday – Thursday: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

What Is Our Intensive Outpatient Program in Atlanta Like?

Our intensive outpatient program in Atlanta typically offers a higher level of care than what other outpatient-type addiction treatment programs offer. For example, most levels of care take place at a hospital or clinic, though some may be offered at private doctor’s offices. Then patients in an intensive outpatient program typically visit the facility for treatment three to four days a week. Each IOP visit typically lasts for about three hours each visit. Your individual recovery plan will vary depending on what best suits your needs. Your intensive outpatient in Atlanta may involve any of the following:

Group Therapy

For most IOPs, group therapy is the most commonly utilized treatment for patients. Many studies have found that group therapy is a highly effective way to help those with substance use disorders get clean and avoid future relapses. It does this by helping them to learn better ways to communicate, build a strong support network, provide a positive way to socialize, and reinforce healthy new habits.

Individual Therapy

While individual therapy is not the primary focus of IOPs, it is still available for patients who need it. Moreover, it is an effective way to help people dig deeper into their own personal reasons for their addiction. It also addresses any underlying mental health issues someone may be dealing with.

Psychiatry

As a dual diagnosis treatment center, we treat the underlying symptoms of addiction to get to the root cause of issues. We’re staffed with Doctors and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners to ensure we address every facet of your addiction.

Holistic Therapy

Some IOPs also offer what is called holistic therapy and holistic rehab. This type of therapy promotes the mind, body, and spirit, and treats each individual as a whole. Holistic therapy modalities incorporate, yoga, meditation, art therapy, and more into our treatment programming.

Family Therapy

Family therapy can be an extremely powerful tool in aiding in addiction recovery. While the identified person in treatment is typically the one who meets with a therapist and participates in group, the entire family system often needs help and support. The negative consequences of addiction are often felt by family, friends, spouses, children, and parents. At Buckhead Behavioral Health, we integrate family therapy into our IOP programming.

Benefits of an Intensive Outpatient Program in Atlanta

There are some distinct advantages to seeking IOP treatment for your addiction. The advantages of our intensive outpatient program in Atlanta include:

Is IOP in Atlanta Right for You?

Despite all of the advantages, IOP programs are not right for everyone. If you do not have a reliable place to live or have an unstable family environment, IOP may not be the best choice for your treatment. This is especially true for those who have someone with a chemical dependence still living in the home. Additionally, you may not be a candidate for IOP if you are very severely addicted, are at risk of experiencing life-threatening withdrawal symptoms. Lastly, if you have already previously completed an addiction treatment program IOP may not be ideal for you.

Do IOP Programs Offer Detox?

Detox treatment addresses the symptoms of withdrawal, which is the process of allowing all of the drugs or alcohol to exit your system. Detox can be a difficult or lengthy process. It often requires medical aid in order to help people deal with physical and emotional side effects. For this reason, IOPs do not offer detox.

Not providing detox is one of the main reasons why they are able to keep their costs down for their clients. If you are in need of a detox program but are still interested in an IOP, the best option would be to detox in an appropriate program before stepping down to an IOP for the remainder of your treatment. At Buckhead Behavioral Health, we can help facilitate detox in Atlanta or you in the local area before you attend our IOP program.

What Happens After IOP?

After completing an intensive outpatient program, clients may choose to step down to a regular outpatient rehab program. This requires fewer hours per week spent in treatment while still allowing the person to fine-tune their recovery. Others may transition into a sober living home or focus on options like continuing individual or group therapy. During the IOP process, treatment providers will help their clients determine what their next step should be and get the ball rolling on moving out of IOP into it.

How do I Choose the Best Atlanta Intensive Outpatient Program?

As with any addiction treatment program, spend some time researching the facility you are interested in to see if it is going to address your specific needs. Some questions you can ask about the program include

Does Insurance Cover IOP?

Many insurance plans cover IOP and other forms of treatment for addiction and mental health. By submitting your insurance information on our admissions page, we can run an insurance verification check. Many plans require prior approval of a treatment program like IOP in order to cover it. Medicaid provides treatment for many types of substance use disorder treatment. Anyone who is covered by Medicaid can check with their state’s office to ask about their options.

Inpatient vs. Outpatient Addiction Treatment

Inpatient and outpatient programs have fundamental differences, however, both provide effective treatment. During inpatient treatment, clients live on-site and are monitored on a 24/7 basis. Out Intensive Outpatient Program in Atlanta provides flexibility for those who are unable to spend all of their time at a treatment facility. These individuals might need to attend school, work, or keep up with familial responsibilities. They might also want the comfort of spending time in their own homes.

Additionally, those who do not want to live at home during treatment, or find that their home environment is distressing, might choose a sober living home. This will provide them with a sense of structure that is not as intensive as staying at a treatment facility. Here, they can engage with other house members, and have daily responsibilities that help them transition into an independent lifestyle.