Five Things to Know About PHP or IOP

When you think of mental health treatment, you might conjure up a picture of an outpatient office with a nice fiddle leaf fig, a psychiatrist who looks like Freud, and a comfy velvet couch. Alternatively, you might think of stoic inpatient conditions inside a psychiatric hospital similar to what your brain has seen in a movie. There is another level of care in between outpatient and inpatient care, often referred to as ''IOP'' or ''PHP''.

IOP and PHP differ in how many days a week and how long sessions last

IOP stands for Intensive Outpatient Program and is typically three days a week for 3 hours a session. It involves group therapy for most of the time, plus one hour session a week with an individual therapist (typically). PHP stands for partial hospitalization program and is typically 5-7 days a week for 8 hours as session. It also typically has 1-2 hour long individual therapy sessions per week, and often has a psychiatric medication provider available like a psychiatrist, NP (nurse practitioner) or PA (physicians assistant).

IOP or PHP is more intensive than outpatient treatment

In outpatient care, patients often see a psychiatric provider (an MD, NP, or PA) around once every 1-3 months. They often also have a talk therapist they see for an hour once a week. Contrast that with the intermediate level of care in IOP or PHP, where patients go to a day location anywhere from 3-7 days a week for hours long sessions.

Patients sleep in their own beds at home in both IOP and PHP

In both programs, people sleep in their own beds at home each night. Many IOP or PHP facilities are purely used for these programs so look nothing like a psychiatric hospital; they might appear more like a floor in a business building. Other programs are offered at the same locations as an inpatient psychiatric hospital. In both IOP and PHP engagement in treatment is purely voluntary.

IOP and PHP provide many opportunities that outpatient care cannot

Since IOP and PHP offer intensive and efficient bursts of therapy, patients often improve quicker than if offered only occasional sessions in the pure outpatient model. This setup is ideal for teaching coping skills quickly. They also offer structure which really helps many folks' mood and anxiety disorders.

Oftentimes people with depression or anxiety start to withdraw from their normal routine, and if they've stopped school or work, the extra free time can actually worsen symptoms rather than help. People with anxiety find themselves with more time to worry. People with depression might find themselves stuck in bed more and lacking any activity that might help make them feel better.

IOP or PHP provides structure by providing somewhere concrete to be at 9am each day. IOP and PHP also provide quick access to individual therapy without playing the numbers game of calling 20+ therapists listed on insurance, only to find half of them don't take that insurance anymore. Lastly, in PHP there's a psychiatric medication provider who can make medication changes more quickly than most outpatient providers.

IOP and PHP is often covered by insurance

Most IOP or PHP programs have a website and phone number to call. Once you call, many will do a free phone interview to assess which level of care makes the most sense. They will also take your insurance information and see if their program is covered. Different IOP and PHPs may have different focuses or specialities, such as ones that focus on adults vs teens, or ones that focus on particular type of therapy like DBT (dialectical behavioral therapy), substances issues, or eating disorders. Calling them can educate you on what each program can offer. Your psychiatrist can often weigh in on referrals and recommendations to IOP or PHP as well.

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