Benefits of Partial Hospitalization Programs

If you or a loved one is abusing drink or drugs or dealing with substance abuse and you’re ready to commit to recovery, you’ll be faced with many options for addiction treatment. Partial hospitalization programs are one of the levels of care that may be able to help you. Learning about the many benefits of partial hospitalization programs is key if you are looking into addiction treatment options. That said, let’s first take a look at the bigger picture.

Broadly, addiction treatment programs can be cleaved into two methods of delivery:

Inpatient Rehab
Outpatient Rehab

We’ll be looking today at the benefits of partial hospitalization programs, a form of outpatient treatment, and we’ll show you how to start a partial hospitalization program here at The District Recovery Community, too.

Firstly, some fundamentals about this affordable, evidence-based form of addiction treatment.

Partial Hospitalization vs. Full Hospitalization

A partial hospitalization program (commonly abbreviated to PHP) is also known as a day program.

PHPs provide you with the framework and support essential for mild and moderate addictions not requiring a full commitment to residential rehab.

Part of the treatment you receive during a PHP is delivered at a treatment center. This is the partial hospitalization component. You return home after each session.

This is the key difference between partial hospitalization and full hospitalization. Full hospitalization is more commonly referred to as residential rehab or inpatient program. With this form of treatment, you remain at the rehab center for anywhere from 30 to 90 days or more.

Full hospitalization is the most intensive form of addiction treatment, and it’s also the most expensive. Many insurance policies will not meet the full costs of full hospitalization programs, and this is one of the many benefits of PHPs: you’ll receive similar services at a reduced cost as you won’t be paying for room and board.

Now, while partial hospitalization programs are affordable and typically covered by most major health insurance policies, not everyone is the right fit for this treatment option. Before we outline the pros and cons of PHPs and highlight when they make most sense, we’ll examine what these programs are used to treat.

What Does Partial Hospitalization Treat?

A partial hospitalization program can be effective for treating the following:

Alcohol use disorder
Substance use disorder
Mental health disorders

Partial Hospitalization Program for Addiction

Here at The District Recovery Community, our partial hospitalization program is most commonly used to treat alcohol use disorder and substance disorder, especially when symptoms are mild or moderate.

The core components of our PHP treatment plan are:

You can also expect access to both individual therapy and group therapy.

When you come to The District Recovery Community, you’ll meet with our team of full-time healthcare experts. The initial examinations and analysis of your circumstances will allow us to create a personalized program tailored to your circumstances, your finances, and the extent of your addiction and/or mental health disorder.

You can expect to answer questions concerning your substance use, both past and present. You’ll also be tested to determine your health status.

If you’re presenting with alcohol use disorder or substance use disorder, your symptoms will be assessed using the diagnostic criteria set down in DSM-5, the fifth edition of the APA’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Symptoms are classified as mild, moderate, or severe. This depends on how many of the criteria you meet.

Assuming you have a mild addiction to drink or drugs, a PHP is likely to be suitable. It may also be a practical option in some cases requiring moderation drug or alcohol addiction treatment.

Although our partial hospitalization programs here at TDRC are flexible, they are also highly structured. You will benefit from close support throughout your treatment from therapists, counselors, and medical professionals.

Partial Hospitalization Program for Mental Health

Based on 2019 NSDUH data, over 20 million people in the United States have substance use disorder. 9.5 million Americans have co-occurring disorder. Co-occurring disorder, also known as dual diagnosis, is when addiction and a mental health condition present simultaneously. Examples of co-occurring mental health disorders include:

Major depressive disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
Panic disorder
PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)
Bipolar disorder
Schizophrenia

PHPs can be used to treat those mental health conditions not acute enough to warrant intensive inpatient treatment.

Delivery of PHPs follows roughly the same pattern for mental health issues as for addiction. Medications are routinely prescribed to help counter the symptoms of depression and anxiety. You’ll also have access to the same forms of psychotherapy like CBT and DBT.

Are Partial Hospitalization Programs Effective?

Partial hospitalizations can be highly effective if they are used in the right circumstances. Many people who want close medical supervision and a high level of accountability without the cost or the restrictions of residential rehab find PHPs deliver the best of both worlds.

If you are stepping down from inpatient treatment to a less intensive form of treatment on the continuum of care, a PHP could be effective. Alternatively, PHPs can work well when you’re stepping up from a regular outpatient program or an intensive outpatient program.

PHPs, then, bridge the gap between inpatient and outpatient treatment. They are especially useful for treating co-occurring disorders.

Some research shows that not only are outpatient programs like IOPs (intensive outpatient programs) and PHPs effective, but they can be just as effective as inpatient treatment in some cases.

Consider a PHP if:

You are running into problems at home, work, or school
You are medically stable
Your home environment is stable and supportive
You present no risk of harming yourself or others
You have a co-occurring mental health disorder
You are highly motivated to pursue treatment

Consider inpatient treatment instead if:

You’re a victim of abuse or trauma
You do not have an adequate support system in place
Members of your family abuse substances
You have previously recovered but relapses

How to Start a Partial Hospitalization Program

Before anything else, you need to detox your body from drink or drugs.

Following detoxification, you’ll then attend your scheduled sessions several times each week at our Orange County treatment center.

Getting started is as simple as committing to recovery and then getting in touch with our friendly admissions team. They will help you get started on your journey to sustained sobriety and sound mental health, and we’ll help you every step of the way.

Finding a PHP at The District

Here at The District Recovery Community, we’ll help you engage with a partial hospitalization program that’s customized to your requirements, and tailored to the scope and severity of your addiction.

If you have a co-occurring mental health condition, we’ll ensure you receive integrated treatment attacking both addiction and mental illness head-on at the same time.

Perhaps you feel a partial hospitalization program makes sense financially and in terms of your schedule and commitments, but your home environment is lacking. We can help you here, too. Our sober living homes give you a stable base from which to engage with a PHP, surrounded by peers in active recovery and removed from triggers for relapse.

Whatever level of substance abuse treatment you require, The District can help. From inpatient care to a PHP program to support groups, The District is here to ensure that you get whatever help you need.

Upon completing your partial hospitalization program at TDRC, you’ll have the skills you need in place to reintegrate with society substance-free and on your own terms.