Partial Hospitalization Program
Addiction treatment can be scary. Although addiction currently affects 21.5 million Americans aged 12 and older (according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health), it is still not a very well-understood condition. Despite naysayers, addiction is, in fact, a disease, as recognized by the DSM-V. Therefore, it should be looked at as a medical condition that requires proper treatment to get it under control.
While there is currently no known cure for addiction, there are numerous addiction treatment options available to help you or your loved one get the help needed. There are inpatient treatment programs, which consist of attending full-time therapy while also living at the facility, and outpatient treatment programs, which involve attending part-time therapy while living at alternative housing. Partial hospitalization, or PHP, falls under the latter but provides clients access to in-depth therapy while enjoying certain freedoms and the ability to engage with the community at large.
What is Partial Hospitalization?
Addiction treatment can be a little complicated. Levels of care refer to the amount of intervention on part of the professional staff (both medical and therapeutic) and treatment center. Keeping it simple, programs are considered partial hospitalization when they meet certain requirements. They must be available at least five days per week; PHP typically occurs during the day. They may also offer alternative hours as well, such as half days, weekends, or evenings.
PHP may be freestanding, meaning a separate entity from a traditional hospital, or a part of a broader system of a treatment facility that offers the “full continuum of care”. The full continuum of care refers to multiple levels of care that act as a step-down system for the client. It may also be conducted in an actual hospital. Regardless, it is always a distinct and separately organized program.
Partial hospitalization for substance abuse originally achieved its name by addicts and alcoholics attending intense therapy sessions in a traditional hospital setting from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
When therapy was concluded for the day, patients would then leave the premises and return to their homes or whatever living arrangements they may have had. This is where the term “partial” hospitalization comes from.
Today, PHP is conducted in both hospitals and private facilities. While maintaining a distinct separation from residential treatment, which is considered inpatient (living at the facility), partial hospitalization is an outpatient level of care that still provides its clients intensive, full-time therapy. It is a non-residential treatment program that provides diagnostic and treatment services on less than a 24/7 basis.
What Can You Expect From PHP?
While the actual definition of PHP can be a little bit confusing, it’s important to understand what you can expect whenever undergoing partial hospitalization treatment. There are very distinct features specialized to fit the format of partial hospitalization. It’s addiction treatment on an outpatient basis, but with more hours spent in therapy per week than one would encounter on an intensive outpatient or routine outpatient basis.
Living Arrangements
As aforementioned, PHP is technically considered outpatient. That means to qualify as a PHP program, clients cannot live on the property. That means the addiction treatment facility itself does not provide living arrangements for the clients. Alternative housing must be acquired.
That is not to say that the addiction treatment facility can not offer clients direction in finding alternative housing. Many times, PHP clients will live in sober living homes or transitional living houses. These are houses that may be either privately operated or state-run. Typically, these houses are correlated to a specific treatment program.
Regardless of the situation, at the end of the treatment day, partial hospitalization clients are to return to their own places of living. They do not pack up and return to a residence at the treatment facility or merely walk back to their own rooms in the facility. PHP days are conducted on a “part-time” outpatient basis.
Therapy Methods
While every single partial hospitalization program is unique and may have different treatment models, some of the various types of therapy you can expect to encounter are:
Various Types Of Therapy You Can Expect To Encounter Re:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Family Therapy
Group Therapy
Dual Diagnosis Therapy
Holistic Therapy
Individualized Therapy
Pharmacotherapy
These types of therapies all possess their own characteristics that make them effective in partial hospitalization for substance abuse treatment. All of these various modalities are specifically utilized to combat different facets of addiction which by nature is a very complicated disorder. Using a multi-therapeutic approach is typically more effective and yields better results than simply relying on one specific type of therapy.
Employing a variety of different methods also allows for a more individualized approach to addiction treatment. Every addict and alcoholic is different, so you may be more responsive to one particular type of therapy as opposed to another. By undergoing different methods, you’ll find what works best for you and from there a customized treatment plan can be crafted to fit your individual needs. An individualized treatment program is often the key to success in addiction treatment!