A drug and alcohol treatment center is a place where people get help to stop using drugs and alcohol. It can be residential or outpatient. There are also specialty addiction treatment centers that treat certain age groups, genders and conditions.
A residential rehab is a live-in facility that provides 24-hour care. It’s appropriate for those with serious or long-term substance use disorders or co-occurring mental illness.
Residential Treatment
Residential treatment is often the first level of care that people enter in order to get help. It’s an inpatient program where individuals live at the facility on-site and receive around-the-clock medical and therapeutic support. Residential recovery programs range from short-term 30-day rehabs to long-term therapeutic communities or group homes.
Research has shown that residential treatment is a highly effective direct intervention for those with substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health issues who require structured care in a safe environment. These programs typically occur in nonhospital residential facilities with planned lengths of stay of weeks to months.
Residential programs usually include a full continuum of services including medically-managed detox, individual and group therapy and family counseling. Behavioral therapy helps to improve coping skills, reduce triggers and develop positive activities that promote sober living. Many residential programs also offer 12-step meetings and other recovery support groups, as well as medication-assisted treatment if appropriate. Residential facilities usually have a strict schedule and routine, and provide a safe and supportive environment that provides people with the tools and knowledge they need to make lasting changes. The goal of residential treatment is to help people become independent and reclaim their lives without dependence on drugs or alcohol.
Intensive Outpatient Treatment
Intensive outpatient treatment programs (IOPs) are highly structured addiction treatment programs that offer support for people who suffer from alcohol and drug abuse problems or other mental health issues, but don’t require medical detox or 24-hour supervision. Clients in IOPs are able to maintain their home, work and school responsibilities, but attend therapy sessions for several hours each day during the week.
These sessions can involve individual counseling, group therapy and family or marital therapy. Generally, one-on-one therapy makes up the bulk of these meetings and focuses on helping individuals develop better coping mechanisms, as well as address any emotional issues that may have contributed to their substance abuse.
While residential treatment centers, inpatient treatment and partial hospitalization programs are often considered the gold standard in addiction recovery, these options aren’t always available to everyone. Some people live in toxic home environments that need to be addressed before they can begin the recovery process, while others simply cannot afford to take a month or more away from their jobs and families.
Luckily, there are many highly effective IOPs that can be found online or in local communities. Finding a suitable program begins with consulting with one’s doctor or by using the SAMHSA treatment locator. A typical intensive outpatient program will include group and individual therapy, family counseling, support groups and bonus therapies like music or art classes.
Partial Hospitalization
Addiction treatment centers that offers partial hospitalization, also known as PHP, is a type of treatment that allows individuals to live at home while receiving intensive care. People in a PHP program spend a fixed number of hours at the treatment center each day, and they return to their homes at night. This type of treatment is often used as a transitional service for those who have completed an inpatient program and need to acclimate to their home life again.
A key aspect of PHP is that it provides a highly personalized and individualized treatment experience for each individual who participates. The program also regularly assesses the individual’s progress to ensure they are advancing toward their recovery goals. This holistic approach to addiction treatment helps individuals to understand the underlying causes of their substance use disorder, and it equips them with essential life skills and coping mechanisms that support long-term sobriety.
UR Medicine’s Adult Partial Hospitalization program is designed for those who need a high level of care, but do not require a hospital or residential treatment program. It is ideal for those with acute psychiatric symptoms who have gotten worse over time and are struggling to manage them at home or work. The goal of this program is to stabilize those symptoms and help prevent inpatient psychiatric admission, or reduce the length of an inpatient hospital stay once discharged from a mental health facility.