Therapy 101: Levels of Care
Ivy Griffin
While there is a lot of talk about therapy being positive and helpful, a lot of people don’t realize that there are different levels of care. Because of this, some people end up in services that are not the right match for the current severity of their symptoms and this can lead to individuals disengaging from services prematurely if they feel like therapy can’t help them. Below I have outlined the different levels of care to help you better ascertain what your therapeutic needs may be.
Outpatient
This is the traditional level of services most people are familiar with. Sessions tend to happen about 1x a week. There are occasional exceptions to this, however if you are finding that you are consistently needing services more than 1x a week, a higher level of services or adjunct services (support group, group therapy) may be what’s needed. The frequency of sessions will typically decrease as symptoms improve and strengths are built. Sessions can be for individuals, couples or families. Sessions are typically 50 minutes. At this level of care if you are being seen by a licensed therapist. Therapists in the state of CA can not prescribe medication so if you need medication, you would need to follow up with your PCP (primary care provider, i.e. Dr.) or reach out to a psychiatrist.
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
In this level of care the frequency of services is more intense. Usually a participant will have sessions multiple times a week, and the length of sessions may be longer as well. Client’s in IOP will usually be involved in both individual and group therapy-though there tends to be more group therapy sessions (2-3 x’s a week) than individual (1x a week). Sometimes, especially with minors, family sessions are also a part of the program. Psychiatric services may be available depending on the program. Additional therapeutic modalities may be available (art therapy, music therapy et cetera) but can vary from program to program.
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
This is the highest level of therapeutic care one can engage in without inpatient treatment. In this level of care services are typically Monday-Friday with weekends off. Participants go in for services which are about 5-6 hours of the day depending on the program, and then return home. The length of each service in the program can be longer than the standard 50 minutes. Generally individual, group and family sessions are part of the therapeutic process. Again, group therapy tends to be more frequent than individual therapy. Psychiatric services are typically available, as well as additional therapeutic modalities.
Inpatient /Psychiatric Hospitalization
This is one of the highest levels of care-it is meant to be brief (typically 3-15 days) and to serve as a source of stabilization to support the participant in safely getting through a crisis. In this level of care, services are round-the-clock and the individual involved is removed from their usual environment and temporarily resides in a safe and secure environment and receives psychiatric care to support their stabilization. Services typically included are psychiatric services, individual therapy, group therapy, medication management, and various additional therapeutic modalities.
Residential/Long-term inpatient
This level of care tends to be rarer/less accessed as it is not often as financially feasible for most individuals. Most of these programs are from 30-90 days, and much like in-patient/hospitalization – the individual is removed from their usual environment and the triggers that exist within it, and are placed in a secure environment for the duration of the program. Participants engage in individual therapy, group therapy, psychiatric services and sometimes family therapy depending on the program. Participants also engage in different classes, and learn skills and habits to prepare them to reintegrate more successfully when they return to their normal environment.
With warm regards,
Megan Bell, LMFT # 114303
Thrive Therapy & Counseling
2131 Capitol Ave, Suite 306
Sacramento, CA, 95816