Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)

Do you want the intensive help of a structured treatment program, but need more freedom than in-patient treatment can provide? Our Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) may be right for you.

Greater Essex offers an alcohol and drug treatment IOP program that can help you quickly effectuate the change you want to see in your life, while still allowing you to handle family, work, or school commitments. While these intensive counseling programs will require some modifications, they make mental health care much more accessible for people.

IOP is not for everyone. Usually, IOP patients have less severe drug or alcohol addictions or have already completed in-patient programming. In addition, IOP programs are not designed to provide the type of medical monitoring that patients may need during the initial detox phase. In other words, IOP may not be right for patients when they are first seeking treatment. Our specialists can work with you to determine whether IOP is appropriate for you.

IOP programs tackle the same issues that traditional inpatient rehabs tackle. They begin by dealing directly with the alcohol and drug use, but also examine root causes that may have led to addictive behaviors. The goal is not just to achieve sobriety, but to enable patients to build a life that supports healthy sobriety. Each person has their own individual challenges, but some issues we routinely work on in IOP programs include relationships, parenting, health care, legal issues, and employment.

In addition, it is well-known that addiction is often a comorbidity with other mental health issues. In fact, the idea of people with mental health issues choosing to self-medicate is not just a myth. IOPs can help with diagnosis and treatment of a variety of mental health issues including depression, bi-polar disorders, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and some personality disorders.

We take a comprehensive approach to addiction and recovery, which means that you will have a team of professionals handling your evaluation,treatment program, and a variety of social services. In addition, our IOP program includes monitoring drug use, a strategy that has proven effective in helping people maintain sobriety. In addition to increasing your chances of recovery, these monitoring programs may be required by the courts, employers, or professional associations.

IOP groups are designed to run in 3-hour blocks/ 3 times a week. In addition to 9 hours of group counseling each week, patients also receive an hour of individual counseling. Monday through Friday, group counseling sessions run in three blocks: 9am to 12pm; 10:30am to 1:30pm and 4:30pm to 7:30pm. On Fridays and Saturdays, groups run in a single 9am to 12pm block. There are no group sessions on Sundays.