Intensive Outpatient Care gets its name from the mere fact that it is intense. Even though it sounds like a more relieving path than the Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), it places a lot of demand on the person to participate in their journey to recovery. For instance, the standard time allocated to therapy for adults in IOC is 9 hours per week. The goal is to help the person develop independence in taking initiative towards wellness. By the end of therapy, they should be able to run their lives independently. Therefore, Intensive Outpatient Care prepares them for just that. It often comes after the difficult part of PHP for some persons and is the technique for slowly loosening the grip on them.
Intensive Outpatient Care is the administration of therapy to persons that don’t require round-the-clock supervision. It works for persons with some level of control and who are able to operate without constant supervision. This means that persons needing detoxification or struggling with eating disorders may not qualify for intensive Outpatient care because it doesn’t support the kind of care they need for recovery.
Below are some of the main measures accounting for the long hours a person could have to set aside for Intensive Outpatient Care.
- Education and Sensitization:
Intensive Outpatient Care is a great opportunity for the person to learn more about their condition. They are taught to understand themselves so they know how to handle the symptoms alongside their day-to-day activities. They are able to interact with both the outside world while under supervision.
- Group Therapy:
Some persons enroll for self-help groups where they interact with other persons in the presence of a therapist. It is more like the individual therapy but involves more parties. It is great for person motivation outside of PHP.
- Individual Therapy:
A person may need to schedule in-person or virtual therapy sessions with their service provider. They aren’t in confinement but are willing decision makers in availing themselves for the life-transforming therapy sessions.
- Medication Management:
Persons would need to review their prescriptions and techniques every once in a while. Intensive Outpatient Care requires intentionality from both the therapist and person in ensuring prescriptions are followed to avoid relapse.
Intensive Outpatient Care is most suitable for individuals that:
- Have other responsibilities to juggle alongside treatment. For example, work.
- Have a supportive background like a supportive family.
- Don’t pose a threat to themselves or others if left unattended.
The pros of Intensive Outpatient Care include:
- Cultivating Independence:
A person begins to exercise their self-will to do what is best for them by following the therapist’s guidelines under minimum supervision.
- Building Coping Mechanisms:
The person learns to apply those guidelines in the real world and learn to cope.
- Safe Transition from PHP:
There are plenty of changes involved for a person transitioning from PHP to Intensive Outpatient Care. Upon discharge, they are better than they were before hospitalization, but not quite ready to be left to their own means. Being discharged may not mean that a person is completely recovered. In fact, it is part of the journey to recovery as they learn to adapt to real-life conditions once out of the danger zone.
Intensive Outpatient Care is a reliable path to follow for any person in stable condition. It enables them to multitask, attend to all the areas of their life that matter, and develop an independence living with their condition.