Outpatient rehab Pennsylvania

What Is Outpatient Rehab?

Outpatient rehab is a type of substance abuse treatment where individuals receive therapy and support outside of an inpatient facility. This means they can live at home while receiving care, making it possible to continue work or school.

The intensity of outpatient rehab varies depending on your needs. Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) meet several hours each week but are less intense than inpatient rehab. Outpatient programs may be appropriate if you need extra support after completing an inpatient program or to transition to a lower level of care.

A PHP is similar to an inpatient treatment program but it does not require 24-hour hospital stays. Instead, the patient comes to the facility for several hours throughout the day while staying at home or in a sober living home at night.

Who Is Outpatient Rehab Right For?

Outpatient rehab is a good option for people who have the following characteristics:

• Stable and supportive living environment
• Strong family and social supports
• Good motivation to change
• Moderate-to-mild symptoms
• No need for immediate stabilization

If you are an adult with mild-to-moderate addiction, outpatient care may be right for you. Outpatient treatment works well in combination with aftercare and relapse prevention programs.

An outpatient program is typically right for someone who does not need medically supervised detox. The person needs a stable living environment and has support from family, friends, and the community.

Someone may need an inpatient treatment if they cannot live at home or they have other medical or mental health issues that require supervision. Outpatient rehab Pennsylvania is suitable if the person can manage their daily life without intensive monitoring and care.

The types of services provided at outpatient programs vary. They may offer:

• Individual therapy sessions: This is a one-on-one counseling session with a therapist that can address problems related to an individual’s drug or alcohol use.
• Group therapy: A treatment option where individuals meet with a therapist who facilitates discussion about addiction, relapse prevention and recovery from addiction.
• Medication management: Outpatient programs may offer medication-assisted treatment (MAT) which is the use of FDA-approved medications such as methadone or buprenorphine in conjunction with behavioral therapies to treat opioid addiction.
• Family counseling sessions: This can help families better understand addiction and develop healthier communication patterns within their relationships.

Outpatient vs Inpatient Rehab

The terms outpatient and inpatient refer to the intensity of care you receive. People in intensive outpatient treatment (IOP) receive treatment for many hours each week, but they are not required to live at a rehab facility. Residential programs include residential treatment centers (RTC) or long-term residential treatment facilities (LTR). They combine living with addiction recovery services.

The terms intensive and standard refer to the level of care within outpatient treatment. Standard outpatient treatment is often less structured than intensive outpatient treatment.

An IOP is more structured than standard outpatient care. You will attend many more hours of therapy each week. An average IOP usually includes 9 to 19 hours of treatment per week, but this can be more depending on your needs.

Inpatient (or residential) treatment may be more effective for some people who need help overcoming drug or alcohol addiction. These facilities offer 24/7 care and support.

Standard Outpatient Treatment

At this level of treatment, clients receive no more than nine hours of clinically intense programming per week. They may attend sessions at different times during the day or evening, depending on their availability and work schedule. The majority of time spent in treatment is with counselors who are experienced in treating substance use disorders.

Outpatient treatment refers to programs and services received during the day while residing at home. This provides an excellent alternative for those who do not want to stay in a residential program but need more than individual counseling sessions can provide.

• Individual counseling
• Group counseling
• Family therapy

Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)

An intensive outpatient program is a step down from residential rehab or inpatient detox. The patient lives at home but attends daily or multiple times per week for several hours. They can return home after treatment, but they receive more support and structure than standard outpatient therapy. In Pennsylvania, this level of care provides 9 to 19 hours of clinical programming per week.

These treatment programs often include group therapy, education sessions, individual counseling, and some medication management if necessary.

Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)

A partial hospitalization program is also known as a PHP or day program. It provides more structured, intensive care than an IOP but less than a residential treatment center. PHPs meet for at least 20 hours per week. This includes individual therapy and counseling, group sessions, educational programming on addiction, family therapy sessions, and support group meetings.

Partial hospitalization programs are typically recommended for individuals who have moderate to severe substance use disorders or co-occurring mental health conditions. They may be a good option if an individual is not able to participate in an intensive residential program due to work or family obligations but still requires more structure than traditional outpatient therapy.

What Happens in Outpatient Therapy

Therapy is tailored to meet your needs based on your substance use patterns, mental health concerns, and other factors. Treatment can include behavioral therapies or medications. Therapies can teach strategies for dealing with cravings and avoiding situations where you might be exposed to drugs.

Some forms of drug addiction treatment focus on practical coping skills, such as how to avoid or avoid certain triggers for use. Some people who have been treated with these approaches may continue to rely on their therapists to help them stay sober. Others become able to manage the conditions that caused them to relapse in the first place and don’t need much support over time.

Behavioral therapy helps people learn to:

• recognize the warning signs of relapse
• avoid or manage triggers for use
• handle situations without using drugs
• develop healthy ways to cope with stress

Behavioral therapies. Counseling approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy and contingency management help individuals modify their behaviors by changing how they think about drug abuse and its consequences. These therapies can also teach a person more effective ways of coping with the problems that may have led to substance abuse, thereby reducing the likelihood that he or she will return to the problem behavior.

Medication in Outpatient Rehab

The FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorder are buprenorphine, naltrexone (injectable or oral), and methadone. The FDA-approved medications for alcohol dependence are disulfiram, naltrexone, and acamprosate.

Methadone for opioid use disorder is given only in opioid treatment programs (OTPs). It cannot be prescribed by a primary care doctor.

Buprenorphine for opioid use disorder is available through outpatient counseling clinics and your own physician's office.

If you are prescribed buprenorphine, you will not need to go to an OTP for daily visits. It is a medication that can be taken at home and dispensed by pharmacies.

You can take naltrexone in an outpatient setting. It works by blocking any opioids you might take and preventing them from having a good effect.

Disulfiram is prescribed in an office-based setting, but must be given under very specific conditions and with very strict follow-up to monitor for side effects.

Outpatient Detox

Ambulatory detoxification is a medical procedure that reduces the symptoms of acute alcohol withdrawal. The goal is to make the patient more comfortable while in an outpatient setting. The level of care must be appropriate to the needs and circumstances of each individual, and there must be appropriate coordination with other levels of care as indicated by the evaluation.

Outpatient detoxification is a process that allows the patient to remain in their normal living situation while they go through the process of removing toxins from their body. The first step in outpatient detox is to determine whether or not the individual is eligible for this type of treatment.

In order to be eligible for outpatient detox, an individual must meet certain criteria:

• They must have a stable living environment and good support system.
• They must be able to follow instructions and participate in all aspects of their treatment plan.
• They should not have any medical conditions that would require hospitalization during the detox process.

If an individual meets these criteria, they may then begin the outpatient detoxification process. This typically includes a combination of medications and counseling services to help them through the difficult stages of withdrawal.

Outpatient detox is for people whose symptoms are less severe. You will still need medical supervision, but you can receive outpatient care in a clinic or other facility that treats alcohol withdrawal or at your doctor's office. To qualify for outpatient detox treatment, you must have mild-to-moderate withdrawal symptoms and be able to stay at home during the withdrawal period.

How Long Does Outpatient Rehab Take?

An individual’s progress toward recovery is assessed throughout the course of treatment. Some clients will require additional support beyond their initial time in treatment. The duration of care is dependent upon an individualized plan that may include multiple phases of services to meet specific needs and goals.

Outpatient rehab has no set length of stay like inpatient programs. The duration of care depends on the individual’s progress towards achieving treatment goals. Each patient works closely with their counselor to create an individualized plan that may be adjusted as needed throughout the course of therapy.

Paying for Outpatient Rehab in Pennsylvania

If you have Medical Assistance, outpatient rehab is a covered service.

You can get treatment through a BH-MCO that your county has contracted with to manage behavioral health services for its residents.

You may qualify for financial support if you are a Pennsylvania resident and enrolled in Medicaid. For outpatient rehab, you'll probably need to meet medical necessity criteria for the level of care.

If you have private insurance, some of your care may be covered by Act 106, the Pennsylvania's law that mandates certain minimum benefits for substance use disorder treatment.

Under the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), health insurers must provide mental health and/or substance use disorder services at the same level of benefits as medical and surgical care. This includes outpatient rehab in Pennsylvania.

If you need help paying for an outpatient rehab program, your county SCA can advise you on options for financial support. They may also be able to provide referrals to free or low-cost treatment programs that are funded by your local government.

In Pennsylvania, the county drug and alcohol office is also referred to as a Single County Authority (SCA).

Pennsylvanians can get mental health and substance use disorder services through the Behavioral HealthChoices program. BH-MCOs are contracted by counties in Pennsylvania to provide behavioral health services to Medicaid members.

You can also look into whether your local Single County Authority offers free or sliding scale treatment.

Outpatient Care After Residential Treatment

A step down is a gradual transition from an intensive level of care to a less intense one. Many people who successfully complete residential treatment continue their progress through intensive outpatient treatment or partial hospitalization. These programs offer more structure and support than standard outpatient counseling but fewer services than residential treatment.

After you complete residential treatment, you may continue to receive care in an outpatient program. Most programs encourage this step-down process and make it available to their clients. These programs are usually highly structured and include individualized counseling, group counseling, relapse prevention planning, medication management, and family therapy. Some outpatient programs offer more intensive services for people who need them.

In many programs, people attend weekly, sometimes daily, counseling sessions for several months after leaving residential care. Sometimes, this is called “aftercare.”

Finding a Licensed Outpatient Program in Pennsylvania

The Care Provider Search allows you to search for licensed drug and alcohol treatment facilities in your area.

Treatment Atlas provides individuals and family members with the ability to find treatment facilities based on location, insurance accepted, length of stay (inpatient), and the availability of specialized services such as intensive outpatient programming (IOP). The Atlas also offers an assessment tool that can be completed by an individual or their loved ones. It assesses the need for substance use disorder treatment, determines if detoxification is needed, and recommends the appropriate level of care.

Some SCAs offer treatment services directly or as part of their referral network. Other SCAs do not provide direct care but may have a contract with other entities that provide treatment services.

SCA Assessment: Call your local SCA to complete an assessment for an individual seeking substance use disorder services. Most counties have access to telephonic assessments, and some offer walk-in assessments for individuals in crisis. The assessment will include screening questions for both alcohol and drugs, and then the SCA staff person will make a recommendation for treatment or services that match your needs.

Care Provider Search: This database contains information on all licensed drug and alcohol treatment facilities in Pennsylvania. It includes facility addresses and phone numbers, and each record lists the types of services offered by each facility. Use this search tool for help finding outpatient programs.

Outpatient rehab by Pennsylvania city

Addresses and phones are on each city page.