How to Choose the Right IOP Program: What to Look For

If you feel you need more support than you’re currently receiving, an intensive outpatient program (IOP) could be the next step. And if you’re here reading this, you’re likely not just thinking about the level of support you might need but also how to get that support, where to go, and how to make the right choice. 

IOP is proven to help people dealing with depression, anxiety, and trauma. But not all programs are built the same way. IOPs can vary based on structure, clinical approach, group size, even location can have an impact on your experience. Choosing the right IOP for you, gives you the best chance of achieving your desired outcome at the end. 

Here’s everything you need to know about finding the right IOP for you. 

How Do You Know if IOP is the Right Level of Care?

Before you start comparing programs, the first step is to make sure that IOP is the right level of care for you. Generally speaking, people start IOP after a recommendation from a primary therapist who believes that more support will be beneficial. We also see some people self-referring, knowing that they need more support. That said, knowing IOP is the right level of care should always come above anything else. 

IOP sits between weekly therapy sessions and a partial hospitalization program (PHP). During IOP, you’ll spend roughly half a day in structured treatment for three to five days a week. 

An IOP tends to fit when you’re okay to be at home and go about your normal life outside of treatment but weekly sessions with a primary therapist aren’t supporting you enough anymore. 

Judge the Program by How It Runs Its Groups

The majority of sessions in an IOP will be focused on group therapy. Often, that surprises people because when most of us picture therapy we default to the television version with a patient laying on a couch, talking to a therapist for an hour.

Intensive outpatient care is built around the group, and the research backs that up. Group therapy works about as well as individual therapy for conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, and OCD, according to the American Psychological Association.

There’s a reason IOP focuses on group therapy. Mental health struggles tend to be isolating. When we’re struggling, we often stop wanting to connect, withdraw our emotions, and can struggle to be around others. Group therapy rebuilds that connection and helps us to pick up the skills being shared by therapists. 

Not all groups are alike, and this is where programs differ the most. A strong group is run by a licensed clinician who keeps it safe and teaches something real. It follows a genuine curriculum with concrete topics, like how to tell a healthy relationship from a toxic one, or how to sit with the things you can’t control. A weaker group looks more like an open-ended support circle with whoever happens to be free sitting in.

When you’re researching your options for IOP, look into how big groups are, what the curriculum looks like, and what types of sessions are running during treatment. You’ll often be able to find this on a practice’s website, but if not, or if you want to go deeper, the admissions team should be able to help with any questions you have. 

How Do You Check an IOP’s Credentials and Accreditation?

The first thing to look for is accreditation. Accreditation is a stamp from an independent body that’s reviewed a program against its rigorous standards. One of the main accreditations you can look for is CARF Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (LAOP is CARF accredited). 

Next, look at the team. A program is only as good as the people in the room, so it’s worth checking who they are, what qualifications and certifications they have, and also how they think about therapy and IOP. You should expect to see licensed clinicians and psychiatrists as well as qualified experts who lead group sessions like music therapy, art therapy or yoga. You can get to know the LAOP team here. 

Care is also a personal decision. How you feel when you speak to the admissions team, what they say, whether they understand you. It’s completely okay to want a therapist or team that understands you or to be somewhere openly affirming of who you are. Be open and direct when you’re speaking to programs to ensure you get care that feels right for you. 

Match the Therapies to What You’re Carrying

Every practice offering IOP will sound similar on their website. They’ll all be “Evidence-based” and backed by sound science and practices. What matters is the type of therapies they offer and different types can work for different situations and experiences. 

• CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) and DBT (dialectical behavior therapy) can help you change how you react and handle hard emotions.
• EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) and exposure therapy are aimed at trauma, which often doesn’t respond to talk therapy alone because it can settle into the body.
• Art, music, yoga, and movement help when you’re in a bad place and the creative side of your brain tends to go quiet, getting you back in touch with your body.
• Family and relational therapy rebuilds the support around you.

If you’re experiencing PTSD or a phobia, trauma-focused treatments like EMDR and exposure therapy may be most hopeful. If you’re dealing with depression or anxiety, a program leaning on CBT and DBT may be the right option. Many programs will include EMDR, exposure therapy, CBT, and DBT, so in some cases it’s just a case of making sure what you need will be a part of the program. 

Understand How Your Insurance Will Shape the Care

If you’re leaning on insurance for your care,  it can decide more than just what you want to pay. Insurance can also impact how long you get to stay in care.

The biggest factor is whether a program is in or out of network. In-network providers already have an existing contact in place with the provider and rates agreed ahead of time. This usually keeps your out-of-pocket costs low. 

Insurers authorize treatment in blocks. Initially you’ll be approved for a set number of days or weeks in IOP, then as that block concludes your care facility will work with your insurer to add additional treatment periods if required. 

When a program is out-of-network it means there’s no contract in place and the out-of-pocket costs can be higher. 

You can learn more about Insurance and IOP here: Does Insurance Cover IOP? Costs & Coverage Explained

Before committing to a program, speak to the admissions team to see whether they work with your insurer and what your out-of-pocket costs are. Any admissions team should be able to give you the full picture before you commit to the program. 

What Comes Before and After an IOP?

An IOP is one rung on a ladder of care, and the best programs hold more than one rung.

Care should follow your recovery in both directions. A strong setup runs from PHP at a full day, down to an IOP at three to five days a week, and eventually to weekly therapy. 

Discharge planning should start early, and should be something your program’s team is thinking about from day one. A good program is always thinking about what’s next for you and how to help you get where you want to be. Ask a program how it decides when to step you down, and what completing the program looks like. Many people spend somewhere between 45 and 90 days in this kind of care, but the honest answer depends on your progress.

Weigh How the Program Feels and Fits Your Life

The environment your treatment takes place in makes a huge difference to how you feel during the program. When a room feels warm and safe, you open up. When it feels cold and institutional, you hold back, and holding back is the opposite of what the work needs. The best programs make that environment intentional, so trust your gut when you walk in for a tour.

You also need to think through the practical side of getting there for every day of treatment. Check the commute and whether the schedule fits your life, including evening options or a three-day track if you’re working. Ask about parking, help with transportation, and whether meals are provided. Every barrier a program removes is one fewer reason you’ll have to skip a day, and skipped days are how people fall out of treatment.

Questions to Ask Before You Commit to an IOP

Everything you’ve read to this point should give you an idea of what you’ll want to know before you decide which IOP is right for you. To summarize, here’s a list of questions you should look to answer when speaking with a potential care provider:

• Who leads the groups, and are they licensed?
• Are you accredited, and by whom?
• Which therapies will I actually get each week?
• Are you in-network with my plan, and what happens if coverage runs out?
• What does aftercare look like?
• Can I tour before I decide?

It’s more than okay to ask hard questions of a place you’re trusting with something this important. 

The Best Program Is the One That Works for You

Treatment isn’t a one-size-fits-all thing. It’s about finding the right program for you. A program might look incredible on paper but if the in-clinic vibes don’t feel right or the location makes it stressful for you to get it, it’s probably not the best option for you. 

So when you weigh your options, put the most weight on the things that keep you in the room: the quality of the groups, the people running them, how the program works with your insurance coverage, and what the aftercare or post-IOP process looks like. Once you’ve made your choice, you can turn to preparing for your first day.

You don’t have to work all of this out on your own. If you’re in Los Angeles and considering your options, that’s a conversation we’re glad to have. Los Angeles Outpatient Center is a CARF-accredited PHP and IOP in Culver City. 

We’re in-network with Blue Shield of California, Cigna, Optum, Uprise, TRICARE, and TriWest, and we work with other major insurers like Anthem, Aetna, and UnitedHealthcare out-of-network. Call us at 888-449-0852 or fill out the form on our site, and our admissions team will run a free benefits check and help you figure out whether the program is a good fit for you. 

If you’re in crisis right now or having thoughts of suicide, please call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. A trained counselor is available any time, day or night. The call is free and confidential.