4 Benefits of Intensive Outpatient Programming (IOP)

Medically Verified: 2/1/24

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All of the information on this page has been reviewed and verified by a certified addiction professional.

When it comes to addiction treatment programs, there are a wide variety of options to choose from. The most common form of addiction treatment is inpatient or residential rehab which requires patients to reside on campus and provides individuals with rigid structure and accountability.

While inpatient treatment is extremely effective for some, others may benefit more from an intensive outpatient program (IOP). IOP programs allow patients to live at home while attending their treatment sessions at the facility. This is ideal for someone who is self-motivated to recover, has a strong support system, and has to continue working or caring for children while they recover.

There are many benefits of an intensive outpatient program (IOP) that can help patients achieve sobriety.

Who Should Attend an Intensive Outpatient Program?

Everyone is different, especially when it comes to those who need help for addiction and substance abuse issues. Substance use disorder is a condition that affects individuals of every gender, race, class, religion, and age. Because of this, certain people would benefit from attending an IOP, and others would do better in a residential setting.

Those who are good candidates for attending intensive outpatient programs have the following qualities:

• Self-motivated to recover
• Living in a supportive environment regarding sobriety
• Surrounded by loved ones who are engaged in their recovery
• Able to keep themselves accountable in sobriety
• Struggle with a mild to moderate substance use disorder
• Needs intensive treatment but also needs a flexible schedule to work or care for children
• Already completed medical detox and/or residential treatment if their addiction is severe

It is important to note that people with severe addiction issues or debilitating co-occurring mental health conditions should attend residential treatment before joining an intensive outpatient program.

What are the Top 4 Benefits of IOP?

The most obvious benefit of IOP is the ability to continue working, attending school, or caring for children and other responsibilities during treatment. Additionally, being able to live at home allows individuals to receive support from their family members and friends.

Four important benefits of IOP include:

1. Upholding Responsibilities

While attending a residential program, patients have to take time off of work, find childcare, and ensure all of their outside obligations are being fulfilled by someone else. This is because they will be required to stay on campus throughout the entirety of their addiction treatment program.

On the other hand, attending an intensive outpatient program allows individuals to continue upholding their responsibilities while they recover from addiction. This is possible because they can live at home, only attending treatment sessions during the day for a few days each week. In other words, patients can continue working, paying bills, gaining an education, or caring for children while they attend an IOP for drug and alcohol addiction.

2. Receiving Family Support

One of the hardest aspects of residential treatment is the inability to receive support from loved ones. For those who have a supportive family at home, this can be especially difficult.

During an IOP, family support is encouraged and extremely important. Because patients live in their homes, their family must become their support system during the early stages of recovery. This can be extremely beneficial for people who are close to their family members.

3. Maintaining Privacy

One of the biggest barriers to addiction recovery is shame and embarrassment. Oftentimes, the thought of having to inform one’s employer that they will be taking months off of work to attend addiction treatment is enough to prevent individuals from receiving the help they need.

Thankfully, IOP allows clients to maintain their privacy while attending treatment. Because these programs work with an individual’s schedule, they can prevent people from finding out that they are attending an addiction treatment program. This breaks down one of the most common barriers to treatment and allows individuals to get the help they need without feeling ashamed or embarrassed.

4. More Cost-Effective Than Inpatient Treatment

The cost of IOP treatment is significantly less than that of inpatient treatment. When considering the housing and food costs of residential rehab, it’s easy to see that IOP would cost a lot less. This is extremely beneficial for individuals who are paying out of pocket or cannot afford their high insurance deductibles.

While inpatient treatment can cost upwards of $40,000 out-of-pocket, intensive outpatient programs can cost up to $10,000. As a result, many people who can not afford residential treatment opt to attend an IOP, where they receive the same services without having to live at the facility.

Get Connected With a Top-Rated Intensive Outpatient Program

If you or a loved one suffer from addiction, it’s time to consider attending addiction treatment. An IOP rehab program can allow you to continue maintaining your responsibilities at home while you recover from the disease of addiction.

Contact Carolina Recovery Center today for more information on our addiction treatment programs in North Carolina.