What is an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)?

At our upscale Florida rehab facility, outpatient programming takes place in a separate building, adjacent to our inpatient addiction treatment facility in Riverview, Florida. The IOP curriculum is designed to address the many complex issues that underlie addiction, as well as the needs of people with co-occurring mental disorders, and serves as a natural progression in the full continuum of addiction care.

mutual support groups, and staff clinicians are available onsite. Outpatient evidence-based therapies are the same as those used during inpatient rehab. These include:¹

Intensive outpatient programs at our rehab facility in Riverview, FL near Tampa do not have overnight care, and classes only last for a few hours a day. IOP patients who may have previously been living at the facility should have safe, suitable housing, a good support system, and reliable transportation. Those who don’t may wish to look into transferring to a nearby sober living facility where they can live during treatment.²

IOP vs. Other Forms of Outpatient Treatment for Addiction

The main difference between IOPs and other forms of outpatient treatment for addiction is the amount time required each week. Intensive outpatient programs usually include at least 9 or more hours of care per week.³

By contrast, a partial hospitalization program is considered a step-up from intensive outpatient and typically involves 20 or more hours of treatment per week.³ At River Oaks, our PHP, or “day treatment,” runs 5 days a week (Monday–Friday) from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Standard outpatient is considered a lower level of care than intensive outpatient. Standard outpatient services usually involve 9 hours or fewer of treatment each week.³

Because the time commitment and structure are less intense than other forms of addiction rehab, a standard outpatient program may be more appropriate for someone who has already been in recovery for a while.

We do not provide standard outpatient services at River Oaks. Our IOP is the lowest level of outpatient care available at our Riverview, FL rehab facility.

How Does Intensive Outpatient Fit into an Addiction Treatment Program?

Intensive outpatient programs are an important part of an addiction treatment plan—serving either as an entry point to rehab or a helpful transition after completing more intensive levels of care, such as inpatient, residential, or partial hospitalization. Participants can continue or begin to return to regular activities like school, work, and familial obligations, while still getting the support they need to sustain sobriety.

At our rehab facility near Tampa, IOP works as an extension of the treatment received in our residential or partial hospitalization programs. Our multiple levels of addiction treatment are meant to see patients through every step of their recovery journey, from the first few days of treatment to aftercare planning and beyond.

While the recommended course of care will vary and not every person will move through every level of care offered at our Riverview, FL rehab facility, the following is an example of a comprehensive treatment program:³

• Step 1: Medical detox
• Step 2: Inpatient or residential rehab
• Step 3: Partial hospitalization (“day treatment”)
• Step 4: Intensive Outpatient
• Step 5: Rehab Aftercare

The suggested timeline for an overall addiction treatment plan will also differ from person to person, ranging anywhere from short-term drug and alcohol detox programs or a month-long inpatient rehab program to long-term combined inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment programs. Our staff will work with you to develop a customized recovery roadmap that meets your individual needs.

At our Riverview, FL rehab facility, we guarantee our programs with a 90-day Brand Promise. If someone successfully completes 90 consecutive days of treatment with us—whether inpatient, outpatient, or both—and later relapses, they may be able to return to our facility (or one of our sister facilities) for an additional 30 days for free.