How to Prepare for Your First Day in PHP (And What to Expect)

It’s totally normal to feel nervous before starting a partial hospitalization program (PHP). It’s also normal to have questions about how it all works, and what you need to do to prepare.

The good news? There isn’t a whole lot you need to do to prepare. You’ll need to arrange time away from work or school, how you’ll get to the program each day, and pack a few essentials. The program will handle everything else.

In this guide, we’ll go over everything you need to do to prep beforehand, and what you can expect the PHP program to be like.

How To Prepare for Your First Day of PHP

Most of what you need to prep is small, logistical things. But there’s one larger thing you need to do, which is to arrange time off from work, school, or setting up childcare. We’ll walk you through each one.

What Should You Bring?

You don’t need to bring much:

• Comfortable clothes, with a layer you can add or take off
• A list of your current medications, plus any recent discharge records if you have them
• Your ID and insurance card for check-in
• A notebook if you like taking notes or journaling

Most programs provide lunch, and also have snacks and coffee available throughout the day. And, for example, at our PHP program in Los Angeles, parking is free. When you confirm your start date, ask the admissions team what they provide and what they’d suggest you bring with you.

Arrange Time Away From Work or School

PHP is a full-time program that runs for most of the day on weekdays, so you’ll need to arrange for time off of work, school, or taking care of family members.

For work, you have a few options. Some people use PTO or sick days if their time in the program is on the shorter side. But since PHP programs typically last several weeks, the most common avenue is to take a medical leave of absence. If you go that route, ask HR whether you qualify for job-protected leave such as FMLA (the Family and Medical Leave Act), and whether state disability insurance can cover part of your income while you’re out.

Whichever you choose, you don’t have to tell your employer your diagnosis. In California, your provider confirms that you need medical leave, but they don’t tell your employer what it’s for. “I’m on medical leave for a few weeks” is usually all your manager needs to hear. Give them a rough time frame for when you think you’ll return to work, and ask what paperwork they need. Your provider and the program can fill it out for you.

If you’re in school, we’d suggest contacting the accessibility office or dean of students to ask about reducing your load, incompletes, or a short medical leave. Every school is different. But mental health counts as a protected reason, so this is a normal request you’re entitled to make.

Set Up Childcare

A day in PHP will overlap the school day, as well as some time after school is over. If you have kids at home, you’ll need to line up childcare to cover drop-offs, pick-ups, and the after-school portion of the day. Or full day care if your child isn’t in school yet.

The same thing goes for anyone else who you may be responsible for during the day, like a parent or other family member that you care for.

If possible, the ideal situation is to set up a consistent plan that covers your entire week, rather than trying to piece days together as you go. You might consider asking family to cover a set schedule, or trade pick-up days with another parent. If your child’s school has an aftercare program, that can be a good option as well.

Plan How You’ll Get There

If you’re able to drive yourself, that’s the simplest option. Just make sure to check the parking situation ahead of time.

Some medications can leave you drowsy in the morning, though. If that’s you, we’d suggest setting up rides instead. This could be a family member or friend who picks you up at the same time every day, or a rideshare that gets booked the night before. Sometimes insurance can even help with transportation. For example, at our PHP program in LA, some insurance plans cover free Lyft rides to and from the center.

Plan to be Tired in the Evenings

When you first start the program, the 6-hour days can be quite tiring. We call it PHP fatigue. And the best remedy is to treat your evenings like recovery time.

That could look like an earlier bedtime, easy dinners that are planned ahead, clothes and bags set out the night before, and trying not to take on too many commitments after the program ends for the day.

It’s a bit like the first week of a new job. Once you settle into the routine, you’ll have more energy for other things. But give yourself a week or so to settle in and get used to the schedule.

If You’re Feeling Nervous, Request a Tour

Most first-day nerves come from not knowing what to expect, and not being able to imagine what it’s going to be like. But sometimes seeing the space and meeting some of the clinical team members can make you feel more comfortable.

Try calling the program’s front desk and scheduling a visit before your start date. Tours and orientations are usually welcomed, and some programs even have a short day-in-the-life video so you can see what the facility is like before you visit.

And remember, this is your care. You’re welcome to ask questions about anything, at any point, including about your treatment plan.

Is the Cost Taken Care of Before Day 1?

Yes. The cost of treatment gets handled with the admissions team before your 1st day, so you don’t need to think about it when you arrive.

When you first reach out, the admissions team will check your insurance and tell you what’s covered, and what you’d owe, if anything. So you know what the financial commitment would be before you make any decisions. Any financial questions that come up later go through admissions, not your clinical team.

One heads-up: at some point your insurer may mail you a verification of benefits (or VOB as we call it), and it can look a lot like a bill, but it’s not. It’s an itemized record of your care, and it doesn’t mean you owe anything. If one lands in your mailbox, don’t worry. Just ask the program to go through it with you.

What Happens When You Arrive on Day 1?

Day one is mainly an intake day. Nothing is expected of you beyond showing up, and the day itself is a series of small, low-pressure steps:

• Check-in and paperwork: Someone on the team will greet you, help you get checked in, and work through paperwork with you.
• Health check: A member of the medical team will take your vitals and your weight, and will ask a few questions about things like your sleep, your appetite, and how your current medications are working.
• Assessment conversation: You’ll talk through your history, what’s been going on lately, and what you want to get out of the program. This helps the team put together your treatment plan.
• Meeting your treatment team: You’ll meet your primary therapist and the group facilitators. And someone will walk you through the schedule and how things work, including the ground rules. Things like putting phones away during sessions, what’s shared in the group stays in the group, and so on.
• Your first group session: A licensed therapist will guide a small group through a topic, and on your first day you can just sit and listen. Listening counts as participating, and nobody will put you on the spot.

A good PHP program will be set up to feel warm and inviting rather than clinical, with comfortable rooms and snacks available throughout the day, because it’s so much easier to open up when you’re in an environment where you feel safe.

By the end of the first day, you’ll head home knowing what your weekly schedule will be like, you’ll have met your team, and you should have a good sense of what the program will feel like.

What Does the Rest of the Program Look Like?

After your first day, the program drops into a consistent rhythm. A typical PHP day is about 6 hours long, morning to mid-afternoon, five days a week, with a lunch break in the middle. Most people stay 2-6 weeks, although that timeline can vary based on your situation and progress.

The schedule is fairly consistent day to day:

• Group sessions in the morning and afternoon
• 1-on-1 time with your primary therapist, typically 3 times a week
• Psychiatry and medical check-ins (as your treatment plan calls for)
• Some creative sessions like art, music, and yoga mixed in

A consistent, predictable schedule gives your brain a routine to hold onto, and that predictability is a big part of how you stabilize.

Day One Is Designed to Ease You In

Ideally, all of the logistics should be arranged before you start the program, and day 1 is mostly just about you getting acquainted with the program.

The people running the program make it easier than you’d expect. Our team does this every day, so first-day nerves are something we’re used to. We meet all of our clients with the patience, compassion, and respect they deserve.

If you’re in or around Los Angeles and a PHP might be your next step, we’d be glad to show you around before you decide anything. We run a CARF-accredited PHP and IOP in Culver City, with tours before you start and a day-in-the-life video so day one is never a mystery. Call our admissions team at 888-449-0852 or check your coverage online, and we’ll answer your questions, from insurance to what your first mornings will look like. No pressure either way.

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.