INTENSIVE OUTPATIENT PROGRAM

INTENSIVE OUTPATIENT PROGRAM

What is an intensive outpatient program?

Intensive Outpatient Treatment (also known as IOP for “Intensive Outpatient Program”) is a primary treatment program recommended in some circumstances by a clinical and medical assessment. IOP may be recommended for those who do not need medically-supervised detox. IOP can also enable people in recovery to continue their recovery therapies following successful detox, on a part-time yet intensive schedule, designed to accommodate work and family life.

Who is eligible for the intensive outpatient program?

The Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) is designed for people who are struggling with problems associated with addictions, substance use, and abuse, or the co-occurring disorders associated with substance use.

Eligibility for the IOP is determined by a mandatory clinical/medical assessment, which is conducted at the center as part of the admissions process. The intensive outpatient treatment program is customized for each person, guided by the initial assessment and follow up.

If you would like to consider Intensive Outpatient Treatment for yourself or someone you know, call us at 504-309-6798 to schedule an appointment, or fill out the contact form at the top right of this page so we can contact you with important information about the IOP.

What types of counseling are involved in an intensive outpatient program?

Our treatment team may recommend an IOP based on your condition and needs. Within this level of care, we provide a variety of therapies that we use to customize your program, consisting of:
•Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
•Psychotherapy (talk therapy)
•Medication
•Social Skills Therapy

IOP treatment at The First Step Youth & Family Services focuses on managing substance use and mental health disorder and improving problem solving, communications and coping skills used to deal with the stress and anxiety of daily life. Our goal is to help our clients strengthen their interpersonal and life skills so that they may move forward with their recovery, regain control and live a healthier life.

Is IOP Effective?

Clinical research and practice have established that IOP is an effective and viable way for individuals with a range of substance use disorders to begin their recovery. In the 1980s, it commonly was believed that only clients who were relatively high functioning, employed, and free of significant co-occurring psychiatric disorders could benefit from IOP and that IOP was not effective with clients who were compromised by significant psychosocial stressors such as homelessness or co-occurring disorders. Today substantial research and clinical experience indicate that IOP can be effective for clients with a range of biopsychosocial problems, particularly when appropriate psychiatric, medical, case management, housing, and other support services are provided.
Recognizing that substance abuse is a chronic disorder similar to diabetes, hypertension, and asthma has led researchers to question the acute care model of service delivery that has characterized substance abuse treatment for the past 50 years (McLellan et al. 2000). Increasingly, IOP programs are involved in substance abuse treatment beyond the initial 8-12 weeks.

Several studies comparing intensive outpatient treatment with residential treatment have found no significant differences in outcomes (Guydish et al. 1998, 1999; Schneider et al. 1996). Finney and colleagues (1996), however, in a review of 14 studies, found that the available evidence tended to favor inpatient slightly over outpatient treatment. The consensus panel has concluded that clients benefit from both levels of care and that comparing inpatient with outpatient treatment is potentially counterproductive because the important question is not which level of care is better but, rather, which level of care is more appropriate at a given time for each client. Matching clients with enhanced services also improves client outcomes. McLellan and colleagues (1998) found that compared with control subjects, clients with access to case managers who coordinated medical, housing, parenting, and employment services had less substance use, fewer physical and mental health problems, and better social function after 6 months. It is in the best interest of clients to have a broad continuum of treatment options available. Some clients entering IOP may be able to engage in treatment immediately, whereas others may need a referral to a long-term residential program or a therapeutic community. Some clients can be detoxified successfully in an ambulatory setting, whereas others need residential services to complete detoxification successfully.

The distinction between substance abuse treatment programs and mutual-help groups, such as 12-Step support groups, often is misunderstood by managed care organizations and the public. The American Medical Association (1998) has adopted a policy stating that clients with substance use disorders should be treated by qualified professionals and that mutual-help groups should serve as adjuncts to a treatment plan devised within the practice guidelines of the substance abuse treatment field. Likewise, the American Psychiatric Association, American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, and American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) have issued a joint policy statement that asserts that treatment involves at least the following (American Society of Addiction Medicine 1997):
• A qualified professional is in charge of treatment.
• A thorough evaluation is performed to determine the stage and severity of illness and to screen for medical and mental disorders.
• A treatment plan is developed.
• The treatment professional or program is accountable for the treatment and for referring the client to additional services, if necessary.
• The treatment professional or program maintains contact with the client until recovery is completed.
According to the policy statement adopted by these treatment professionals’ associations, mutual-help groups are an important component of treatment, but they cannot substitute for substance abuse treatment as outlined above.

The First Step Youth & Family Services has implemented the following disciplines into various treatment programming in past engagements:
• 12-step facilitation model
• Group therapy
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Rational Emotive Therapy (RET)
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
• Systemic family counseling
• Mindfulness therapy
• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
• Yoga and meditation
• Motivational Interviewing (MI)
• Multi-cultural counseling and awareness
• Social integration
• Contingency Management
• Trauma-informed care
• And Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT)