Inpatient programs provide mental health and substance abuse treatment for people who need highly structured care. Outpatient programs cover various levels of care, but are generally more flexible. This article explains your options and how BlueCrest Recovery can help you find which is right for you.
Key Takeaways
- The main difference between inpatient and outpatient treatment is where you live. With inpatient care, people live at the facility 24/7. Outpatient treatment means clients receive treatment while living at home or at a supportive living facility.
- Other differences include the level of clinical support, insurance considerations, the ability to maintain daily responsibilities, and the opportunity to practice coping skills in real time.
- Both treatment approaches also offer similarities, providing evidence-based care, individual, group, and family therapy.
- A clinical assessment is the best way to determine which level best suits your needs.
Table of Contents
- What Is Inpatient Care?
- What Is Outpatient Treatment?
- What Are the Key Differences Between Outpatient and Inpatient Treatment Programs?
- What Are Similarities Between Inpatient and Outpatient Care?
- How Do Clinicians Determine the Level of Care?
- How BlueCrest Recovery Supports Your Well-Being
- FAQs
Introduction
Mental health and drug addiction treatment can significantly improve quality of life. But finding the right level of care is essential. The first step involves choosing between inpatient and outpatient treatment. Inpatient programs offer more structured support, while outpatient care involves different levels with varying flexibility.
There is no ‘better’ option. The right option depends on individual factors. This article explains what each entails, so you can decide which level best fits your needs.
What Is Inpatient Care?
With inpatient or residential treatment, the client stays in the facility 24/7 for a specific period, typically 30, 60, or 90 days. They follow a highly structured schedule with set wake-up, sleep, and meal times, and therapy and therapeutic activities throughout the day. Medical management is provided when necessary.
The program removes clients from everyday triggers. It is recommended for:
- People with unstable home environments
- Individuals who have not achieved recovery through outpatient treatment programs
- Those with co-occurring or complex disorders
- People with a high risk of relapse or severe withdrawal symptoms
What Is Outpatient Treatment?
Outpatient programs allow you to attend treatment sessions while living at home or in a supportive living facility. They span various levels of care, with each level serving as a primary form of care or a step up or down from a previous level of treatment, as follows:
- Partial Care: BlueCrest offers a partial care program similar to many treatment centers’ partial hospitalization programs. At our center, clients attend a full day of care, five days a week, and return to our supportive living facility.
- Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP): At this level, clients attend treatment sessions three hours a day, three to five days a week. Day and evening sessions are available, allowing clients to plan treatment around work, school, an other responsibilites.
- Traditional Outpatient Care: Clients continue attending sessions once or twice a week, often as part of ongoing care.
These programs are generally designed for:
- People with a stable home environment
- Individuals stepping down from a higher level of care
- Those with manageable emotional and substance use issues
- People who can’t step away from work, school, and other responsibilities for treatment
What Are the Key Differences Between Outpatient and Inpatient Treatment Programs?
Inpatient and outpatient rehab differ in their clinical support, required time commitment, living environment, cost and insurance considerations, ability to maintain daily responsibilities, and real-world practice of coping skills.
- Clinical Support: Clinical support is generally more intense in residential programs, as clients may require medical supervision and crisis management.
- Living Environment: With inpatient care, clients live at the treatment facility. Outpatient clients may live at home or in a supportive living facility.
- Cost and Insurance Considerations: Each level of care, including residential, partial care, and outpatient treatment, requires different authorizations, and insurance coverage is based on what’s medically necessary.
- Ability to Maintain Daily Responsibilities: Even when possible, most treatment centers don’t advise working while attending residential or partial care programs. On the other hand, outpatient treatment is built for people who can’t step away from daily life.
- Real-World Practice of Coping Strategies: With outpatient treatment, you can try out and refine coping skills as you learn them. Inpatient care can also support coping strategies through group counseling, but to less of an extent.
What Are Similarities Between Inpatient and Outpatient Care?
While the programs vary in structure, they offer similar treatments, as follows:
- Individual Therapy: Clients work one-on-one with therapists to develop an individualized treatment plan. Evidence-based therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and motivational interviewing, are typically included.
- Group Therapy: Clients learn from each other, reducing feelings of isolation. A review of 50 studies on group-based treatment for substance use disorders, published in Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, found that approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy and contingency management groups were consistently effective at reducing use of substances including cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, and opioids, with different group approaches showing benefits for different substances.
- Family Counseling: Family involvement is key to the healing process. Families are often brought into therapy sessions to learn more about their loved one’s condition and help create a healing environment.
- Holistic Practices: BlueCrest takes a whole-person approach toward recovery, including yoga, meditation, and other mindful practices to support emotional regulation.
- Dual Diagnosis: Clients with co-existing mental health and substance use disorders require a specialized approach in which both condtions are treated simultaneously.
Additionally, a peer-reviewed systematic review in Psychiatric Services found that inpatient and outpatient treatment (IOPs specifically) produce comparable results. However, the review’s authors found two notable advantages with IOP care: longer treatment duration and the ability to practice new coping skills in a person’s actual home environment.
How Do Clinicians Determine the Level of Care?
While clients have some say in the level of care they receive, clinicians generally determine it through a thorough evaluation. Medical and mental health professionals assess the individual’s overall health and medical history and compare the results to ASAM criteria to reach a verdict. The assessment is then sent to insurance, when necessary, and coverage is provided based on medical necessity.
Assessments continue throughout treatment, and clients may move through levels of care based on progress.
How BlueCrest Recovery Supports Your Well-Being
At BlueCrest Recovery Center of New Jersey, we carefully assess clients to match them with the appropriate level of outpatient treatment, whether that be partial care, IOP, or our traditional outpatient services. We continue to support your journey as you move through treatment levels and provide ongoing aftercare after completion. Our whole-person approach increases the chances of long-term wellness.
Contact us to learn more about our comprehensive services.
FAQs
What’s the main difference between inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment?
Inpatient means living at the facility 24/7. Outpatient means attending treatment while living at home.
Is outpatient treatment as effective as inpatient?
Research on intensive outpatient programs (IOP) has found outcomes comparable to inpatient care for many people, though the right fit depends on individual severity and needs.
How do I know which level of care I need?
A clinical assessment, which reviews your withdrawal risk, co-occurring conditions, home environment, and treatment history, determines the level of care you require.
Can I work or go to school during outpatient treatment?
Most outpatient programs are structured around scheduled sessions, allowing most people to maintain daily responsibilities, except in partial care, which may limit your availability.
Can I start with outpatient even if I’ve never been to inpatient?
Yes, many people begin recovery in outpatient settings; it’s often appropriate as a first step rather than only a step-down.
Sources
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 2022 National Substance Use and Mental Health Services Survey (N-SUMHSS): United States. SAMHSA. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/quick_statistics/state_profiles/NSUMHSS-US22.pdf
- Recovery Research Institute. Residential Versus Outpatient Treatment in the US. Recovery Research Institute. https://www.recoveryanswers.org/research-post/residential-versus-outpatient-treatment-in-the-us/
- McCarty, D., Braude, L., Lyman, D.R., Dougherty, R.H., Daniels, A.S., Ghose, S.S., Delphin-Rittmon, M.E. Substance Abuse Intensive Outpatient Programs: Assessing the Evidence. Psychiatric Services (National Institutes of Health/PMC). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4152944
- National Institute on Drug Abuse. Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide (Third Edition). NIDA. https://nida.nih.gov/sites/default/files/podat-3rdEd-508.pdf
