Daytime track
- Days per week
- 3–5
- Time per day
- About 3 hours
- What's included
- Group therapy, skills work, individual sessions
- Exact times
- Admissions confirms
Levels of care · IOP
Structure
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) in Orange County
Several Hours On Several Days
Our intensive outpatient program (IOP) in Lake Forest is for adults who need more support than weekly therapy but want to keep living at home. You come in for a few hours on several days each week for group and individual therapy for substance use, mental health, or both. Admissions can check your insurance benefits before your first day.
If you cannot leave during the day, ask about evening IOP for working professionals.
- Multi-day — Weekly structure
- Live home — Outpatient model
- Dual dx — Substance + MH
- 24/7 — Admissions line
Start recovery today
Talk with admissions
Tell us what's going on, and we'll help you find the right level of care.
Program overview
What Intensive Outpatient Is For
IOP sessions mix group therapy with one-on-one time with a clinician, and you can work on substance use, a mental health condition, or both at once.
Sessions meet at 23726 Birtcher Dr in Lake Forest. If a few hours aren't enough, you can move up to partial hospitalization (PHP), which is a full day of treatment in the same building.
At a glance
More Than One Day
You come in on several days for a few hours each time, instead of having just one appointment a week.
Work Can Stay
IOP is built so that a job, classes, or caregiving can still fit around your treatment schedule.
Both At Once
Substance use and a mental health condition are treated in the same plan instead of in separate programs.
The Hours Can Change
If IOP isn't enough, you can move up to PHP, and when it's more than you need, you can step down to shorter visits.
More about this program
When you need less, you can step down to shorter outpatient visits and keep the same team. Admissions will check your insurance before you pick a start date.
A week in IOP
What An IOP Session Looks Like
Your exact days depend on your schedule, but each session includes a check-in, time in group, and something to practice before you come back.
- Arrive
Check-In
Each session starts with a clinical check-in about your mood, cravings, and stress, and you'll set goals for the hours ahead.
- Core
Group Therapy
Licensed clinicians lead groups that use CBT, DBT skills, and process work on substance use and mental health together.
- Focus
One-On-One Time
You'll have individual time with a clinician, and your family can be involved when it fits your treatment plan.
- Carry
Practice Between Sessions
You'll leave with skills to use right away and a plan for the time between now and your next session.
Schedules depend on your level of care, and admissions can walk you through a sample week before you start.
A typical week
What A Typical Week In IOP Looks Like
Most people in IOP come in 3 to 5 days a week for about 3 hours at a time. We run daytime and evening tracks, so you can pick the one that fits around work, school or family. Schedules vary, and admissions confirms your exact days and times before you start.
A session usually follows a steady rhythm:
- Check-in. Everyone shares briefly how the days since the last session went. You can say as much or as little as you're ready to.
- A skills topic. A clinician leads a focused topic, such as handling cravings, managing anxiety, sleep, stress at work, or rebuilding trust at home.
- Practice and discussion. The group works through how to use the skill in real situations from that week.
- A plan for the days in between. You leave with one or two things to try before the next session. IOP happens in your real life, so the days between sessions matter as much as the sessions.
Alongside group, your plan includes individual time with a clinician. If you have mental health symptoms and substance use together, both are part of the same plan, which NIDA recommends over treating them separately.²
Your first week. The first session is often the hardest. Many people say they felt nervous on day one and more settled within a few sessions. You don't have to tell your whole story in group, and nobody expects you to arrive motivated. Showing up and staying open is enough to start.
Evening track
- Days per week
- 3–5
- Time per day
- About 3 hours, after the workday
- What's included
- Group therapy, skills work, individual sessions
- Exact times
- Admissions confirms
How Long IOP Lasts
There's no set number of weeks. SAMHSA's guidance on intensive outpatient treatment describes length as something that should follow each person's needs and progress, not a fixed calendar.³ Your care team reviews your plan with you regularly and looks at:
- how your symptoms, cravings and sleep are changing
- whether you're using the skills between sessions
- what's going on at home and at work
- whether you need more support or are ready for less
If you need more support, your team may suggest stepping up to our partial hospitalization program (PHP) for a fuller clinical day. When you're ready for less, you step down to outpatient care, with fewer hours each week. Before IOP ends, you and your clinician plan your aftercare, such as ongoing therapy, medication follow-up and support groups, so you don't go from several sessions a week to nothing.
Leaving IOP can feel strange after weeks of structure. That's common, and it's why the step-down plan starts before your last session.
IOP, PHP, Evening IOP Or Outpatient?
In the ASAM levels of care that many programs and insurers use, IOP is Level 2.1 and PHP is Level 2.5. Both sit between weekly therapy and residential care, and you live at home for both.³
PHP
- ASAM level
2.5
- Time commitment
A full clinical day on most weekdays; schedules vary
- Who it often fits
You need daily structure and close support but don't need 24-hour care
- Can you keep working?
Usually hard during program hours
- Learn more
IOP
- ASAM level
2.1
- Time commitment
About 3 hours, 3–5 days a week
- Who it often fits
You need more than weekly therapy and can keep living at home
- Can you keep working?
Often, depending on your track
- Learn more
You're here
Evening IOP
- ASAM level
2.1
- Time commitment
About 3 hours, 3–5 evenings a week
- Who it often fits
Same as IOP, but your days are taken by work or school
- Can you keep working?
Built around the workday
- Learn more
Outpatient
- ASAM level
1
- Time commitment
Shorter sessions, fewer days
- Who it often fits
You've built skills in PHP or IOP and need steady, lighter support
- Can you keep working?
Usually yes
- Learn more
Not sure which fits? Admissions can talk it through with you, and a clinical assessment decides where you start.
Why this level
Why People Choose IOP
OC Revive is outpatient only, so you get scheduled treatment hours in Lake Forest and go home at the end of each day.
- 01
More Support Without A Full Day
You get more time with clinicians than weekly OP, which helps when work or family makes a full day of PHP hard to manage.
- 02
In-Person Support In Lake Forest
You meet in person with peers and clinicians in a calm setting, so you're not working through recovery alone.
- 03
Easy To Step Up Or Down
You can step down from PHP or move up from OP and keep working with the same clinical team.
- 04
Dual Diagnosis As Standard
Mental health and substance use are treated together, so progress on one isn't undone by the other.
Good fit
IOP May Be Right If…
- 01
You Need More Than Weekly Therapy
Your symptoms, cravings, or day-to-day stability call for several sessions each week, not a single check-in.
- 02
You Can Come In During The Day
Your schedule leaves room for daytime sessions on several days while you live at home or in a sober living home.
- 03
You're Stepping Down From PHP
You still need structure and someone keeping you accountable, but you no longer need a full day of treatment.
Not the right fit
IOP Isn't The Right Fit When…
You Need A Full Day Of Treatment
If your symptoms are more severe, PHP may be the better place to start, and admissions will help you decide.
You Can't Leave Work Midday
Evening IOP meets after work hours, so it may fit your life better than daytime sessions.
You're In Crisis Or Medically Unstable
If your safety or health is at immediate risk, you need a higher level of care before outpatient treatment. If you're in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911 in an emergency.
Therapies & modalities
Therapies Used In IOP
Therapists build these into group and one-on-one sessions, so you can practice the skills in session and use them at home.
- 01
DBT And CBT
These therapies teach you to manage strong emotions, get through distress, and change unhelpful thinking, and you can use the skills the same day.
- Identify triggers and unhelpful thought patterns
- Build ways to get through cravings and conflict
- Practice skills in group and individual settings
- 02
Art And Music Therapy
Art and music give you another way to work through things when talking isn't enough on its own, and creative work can help lower anxiety.
- A way to express feelings that are hard to name
- Structured creative work that can ease anxiety
- Tied to your treatment goals, not just free time
- 03
Yoga And Meditation
Breathing, grounding, and gentle movement help you stay steady when stress spikes, including after your sessions end for the day.
- Breathwork and grounding for moments of high stress
- Gentle movement to ease tension
- Skills you can keep using at home
- 04
Group And Peer Support
In process groups, you practice recovery with people who understand what you're going through. Isolation can make substance use worse, and a group gives you accountability and support.
- Process groups led by licensed staff
- Connection with peers who won't judge you
- A safe place to practice social skills
- 05
One-On-One Sessions
In one-on-one sessions, your clinician tracks your mood, substance use, and behavior against a treatment plan written for you.
- Treatment planning and regular check-ins
- Time to work on trauma and co-occurring conditions
- Clear goals to work on between sessions
- 06
Life Skills And Relapse Prevention
You'll work on time management, communication, stress, and relapse prevention, so the hours outside treatment support your recovery too.
- A relapse-prevention plan you can actually follow
- A schedule that fits work, school, and family
- Skills for relationships and daily life
From our clinical library
In-Depth Information
Where IOP Meets
IOP sessions meet at our Lake Forest building, so you can keep your job or classes and sleep in your own bed.
Admissions will tell you whether IOP, PHP, or shorter outpatient visits fit you best, and they'll check your insurance before you start.
If You Need More Or Fewer Hours
If a few hours aren't enough, you can move up to PHP for a full day of treatment in the same building.
When you're ready for less, you can step down to shorter outpatient visits and keep working with the same team.
Our campus
Our Outpatient Campus In Lake Forest
The campus has comfortable common spaces, outdoor seating, and group rooms set up for day treatment, not a hospital ward.
Client voices
What People Say About OC Revive
“This is an amazing program with dedicated and passionate staff, counselors, and therapists. Everyone is positive and uplifting on a day to day basis. I felt very welcome and accepted during my time at the program.”
“Honestly these guys pretty much saved my life. The staff are fantastic and always there when you need them. The structure and support made recovery feel possible again.”
“OC Revive treated the whole picture—not just the substance. The team helped my family understand dual diagnosis and kept us in the conversation every step.”
What we treat together
Substance Use And Mental Health, Treated Together
When you're dealing with both, we treat them in one plan. Open the page that matches what you're going through, or call admissions confidentially.
Substances
Addictions We Treat In IOP
Mental health
Mental Health Conditions We Treat
You can see every condition we treat on the What We Treat page.
Levels of care
Where IOP Fits Among Our Levels Of Care
- 01Partial Hospitalization (PHP)A full day of treatment, the most structure we offer, and you go home each night.
- 02Evening IOPThe same kind of program as daytime IOP, held after work, usually from 4 to 7 p.m.
- 03Outpatient (OP)Shorter scheduled sessions after a longer program, with the same team you already know.
FAQ
Common Questions
If you're not sure which level of care fits, admissions will talk it through with you without any pressure to decide.
(800) 808-675701What is an intensive outpatient program (IOP)?
IOP is structured treatment for substance use, mental health or both. You attend several sessions each week and keep living at home. It gives more support than weekly therapy and less than a full-day program like PHP. In the ASAM levels of care, it's Level 2.1.³
02How long is an intensive outpatient program?
There's no fixed length. It depends on your needs and your progress, and your clinician reviews your plan with you regularly. When you're ready, you step down to outpatient care and an aftercare plan rather than stopping all at once.³
03How many hours a week is IOP?
Most people come in 3 to 5 days a week for about 3 hours a day. We offer daytime and evening tracks. Schedules vary, and admissions confirms your exact times before you start.
04Can I keep working during IOP? Will my employer find out?
Many people keep working, especially in Evening IOP, which meets after the workday. If you need time off, your HR team or leave administrator can explain whether federal FMLA or California's CFRA applies to you.⁴ Many people start by asking HR about the leave process and share medical details only on the forms that process requires.
05Will my insurance cover IOP?
Many health plans include outpatient behavioral health benefits that can apply to IOP, but coverage depends on your plan: your deductible, copay or coinsurance, and whether prior authorization is needed. Admissions can check your benefits and explain them before you start. Verify your insurance.
06What's the difference between IOP and PHP?
PHP is a full clinical day on most weekdays. IOP is about 3 hours a day, 3 to 5 days a week. People often start in PHP and step down to IOP, or step up from IOP when they need more support. See the comparison table above.
Sources
- 2.nida.nih.gov/research-topics/treatment. Also NIDA, Co-occurring disorders: nida.nih.gov/research-topics/co-occurring-disorders-health-conditions.
- 3.SAMHSA, Advisory: Clinical Issues in Intensive Outpatient Treatment for Substance Use Disorders (based on TIP 47; describes ASAM levels).
- 4.FMLA: U.S. Dept. of Labor . CFRA: California Civil Rights Department calcivilrights.ca.gov/family-medical-pregnancy-leave.
Next step
Talk With Admissions About IOP
Admissions will help verify your insurance, compare IOP with PHP and Evening IOP, and figure out the right level of care to start with.