Outpatient (OP)
Outpatient Program in South Florida
If you have a significant addiction to drugs or alcohol, there’s a good chance that residential (inpatient) treatment is the right treatment option. Of course, it is possible you wouldn’t be willing or able to commit to an inpatient treatment process. Unfortunately, that doesn’t diminish the fact you still need some kind of treatment. That’s when you should turn to an outpatient rehab.
The collective addiction treatment community understands that clients have different addiction treatment needs. This is largely due to the fact that everyone who enters rehab does so with a unique set of circumstances. With this in mind, addiction treatment specialists work hard to create a wide range of treatment options.
When inpatient treatment isn’t feasible, the next best option for most addiction sufferers would be outpatient rehab treatment. Let’s investigate the outpatient program option and what it entails.
Why Clients Might Prefer Outpatient Rehab
As we indicated above, not all addiction sufferers are willing or able to sign up for inpatient treatment from a treatment center in South Florida. In such cases, people in the addiction treatment community should encourage prospective clients to give outpatient rehab a try.
If inpatient treatment is the right call, why would someone be reluctant to stay in a residential treatment center in South Florida? Here are a few common reasons why a person might reject the idea of inpatient treatment from a treatment center South Florida location:
- Inability to find financial resources
- Work or school obligations
- Primary responsibility for the love and care of a child or elderly family member
- Inability to miss work due to financial obligations (the family breadwinner)
Types of Outpatient Programs
Outpatient rehab is a general term the addiction treatment community uses to describe an addiction treatment program that doesn’t require overnight stays. There are three types of outpatient programs available for clients. What distinguishes these three outpatient rehab options from one another is the amount of time the client has to devote to treatment.
The three options of outpatient rehab, from most restrictive to least restrictive are:
- Partial Hospitalization or PHP
- Intensive outpatient or IOP
- Standard Outpatient or OP
Let’s take a look at each outpatient program in a little more depth.
Partial Hospitalization or PHP
A good PHP outpatient program is by far the most restrictive outpatient rehab option. It requires the client to report for treatment at least 5 days each week. In some cases, the rehab facility’s administrative staff might prescribe a full 7 days week of treatment.
As for time requirements, the client is expected to attend counseling sessions for up to 8 hours each day. For the most part, these time restrictions will typically stay in place until the client shows significant progress towards recovery.
During treatment, the client will devote a lot of time to individual therapy. In many cases, those in PHP will also get opportunities to take part in group therapy sessions. This will allow them to participate and interact with other clients who are struggling with similar issues.
Intensive Outpatient or IOP
With the intensive outpatient rehab option, the client would likely need to report for treatment at least 3 days a week, up to 5 days a week as needed. Each day, counseling will last for a few hours. During treatment, the client will devote most, if not all, of his or her time to individual counseling.
Standard Outpatient or OP
If a client demonstrates that his or her addiction issues are moderate and manageable, that client might qualify for standard outpatient rehab. Outpatient rehab requires its patients to attend treatment a couple of days a week for a couple of hours a day. All of the time for outpatient program treatment would go towards individual counseling.
What is an Outpatient Program (OP) – More Details
In terms of outpatient rehab, a standard outpatient program, or OP, is by far the least restrictive option. It’s an option that a treatment center in South Florida would offer to a client who seems able to manage his or her impulses.
Let’s assume that you’re well-suited for outpatient program treatment. During the treatment process, you’ll be expected to attend all scheduled individual counseling sessions. During counseling, the therapist will be looking to work with you on a mission of self-discovery.
What are you looking to discover? Somewhere in your being, there are reasons why you feel the need to abuse drugs or alcohol. It might have to do with personal problems or even a mental health disorder. Regardless of what the reasons might be, you need to know why you feel the need to self-medicate.
If you can find the root causes of your addiction, that would position you to develop a line of defense against your addiction. It would also provide you with the basis for developing better targeted coping skills.
If you can find the root causes of your addiction, that would position you to develop a line of defense against your addiction. It would also provide you with the basis for developing better targeted coping skills.
What are targeted coping skills? We are all vulnerable to temptations and personal triggers. For the addiction sufferer, these temptations and triggers ignite the need to abuse substances. If you can learn to avoid temptation and cope with your triggers, there is a good chance that you can avoid relapses.
Let’s look at two more aspects of an OP.
Following the Rules
Given the alternative, it’s beneficial for you to qualify for outpatient rehab. However, there are rules that you would need to adhere to at all times. While outpatient rules may vary from one facility to the next, here are some general rules you might encounter:
- Zero tolerance for substance use
- Willingness to accept random drug testing
- Attend all appointments and arrive on time
- Continue making good progress
If you can follow these rules, your recovery would likely go well.
What Happens if Problems With Outpatient Treatment Occur?
If for any reason, things didn’t go well during outpatient treatment, you would likely be given two options. First, the rehab facility might offer you an opportunity to upgrade treatment to a higher level. If you were unable or unwilling to make that choice, they could ask you to remove yourself from the program altogether.
If you’re suffering from an addiction issue, we encourage you to contact us here at Harm Reduction as soon as possible. During our initial contact with you, we would be happy to share information about our facility and treatment services.
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