The mental health and/or substance use problems an individual faces can touch every aspect of his/her life – family relationships, work and career performance, academic efforts, physical condition and general health, everyday activities, etc. Some can come and go with outpatient therapy whereas some require more constant and comprehensive support. Some may find a Partial Hospitalization Program to be the proper intensity of care for them, and yet does not involve living at a residential facility.
A Partial Hospitalization Program offers clients the benefits of several hours of intensive treatment throughout the daytime hours while they are able to return home (or to a sober-living arrangement) once treatment is complete for the day. But who should actually use PHP? What are the indications?
In this blog, we will talk about Who Is a Good Candidate for a Partial Hospitalization Program?
What Is a Partial Hospitalization Program?
A Partial Hospitalization Program is the next step up from outpatient treatment. This intensive behavioral health treatment usually requires more intensive care but does not typically involve overnights.
Depending on an individual’s needs and the specific treatment facility that they attend, programming within a Partial Hospitalization program may consist of
- individual counseling
- Group therapy
- Psychiatric evaluations
- Medication prescription and management
- Mental health awareness and education
- Addiction and substance abuse counseling
- Relapse prevention strategies
- stress management
- Family programs
- The development of new daily and healthier life skills.
While scheduling typically involves coming to a treatment center for a few hours each day for a week, a Partial Hospitalization Program is designed to work toward getting individuals comfortable and prepared to reintegrate into the home, school, work and the community with the support they deserve.
What kind of person is a PHP for?
The answer really depends on circumstances, there is no automatic diagnosis or situation where the answer is YES and I was automatically good. I generally felt that the PHP is a step taken when someone can’t be supported by regular, outpatient care, but doesn’t have to be overseen medically or psychiatrically 24/7.
1. Individuals With Severe Symptoms
Anyone who notices symptoms that are significantly impairing their life may benefit from an PHP. Examples of severe symptoms include:
- Persistent depression
- severe anxiety
- Panic symptoms
- Mood swings
- emotional dysregulation
- Trauma-related symptoms
- Obsessive-compulsive
- Working at work. school, or at home
These individuals may still be able to cope with the dangers of the outside world safely but still need regular support in treating and coping.
2. Persons Require Higher Than Weekly Intensive Treatment
PHP can give additional support for those whose symptoms still affect their everyday activities, even though attending traditional therapy outside of treatment, which will involve one to two sessions each week. Additional therapy sessions with frequent staff supervision, psychiatric consultations, skills teaching groups along with psychiatric therapy are present inside the PHP arrangement.
3. Individuals Transitioning from Inpatient Hospitalization
PHP might be used as a transition step from inpatient hospitalization to a more typical outpatient setting. A person who is beginning to improve from an inpatient hospitalization may continue to benefit from very focused treatment rather than immediate discharge to a standard outpatient schedule. PHP provides a continued level of supervision and treatment while the person takes steps back towards managing life within a typical outpatient schedule and day-to-day routine. This level can also provide individuals with opportunities to practice their new coping skills within their natural environment.
4. Patients with Substance Use Disorders and who need a more structured form of treatment
In some situations, the PHP may target treatment of the substance use disorder or be an addition program, where you get a combination of mental health and substance abuse treatment. The PHP care may be ideal for someone who needs regular therapy sessions, relapse prevention plans, counseling and/or behavior modification and does not need medical care and supervision during the days spent at the facility. If someone has a higher risk of withdrawal or another complex medical problem the PHP is probably not the right form of treatment for that person. A physician will be able to tell you what level of care will help someone achieve their full potential.
5. Best suited for people who are feeling the issues related to substance abuse and alcoholism
When individuals have problems with mental health and substance use, the disorders exist concurrently. In other words, an individual may suffer from depression or anxiety and turn to alcohol or drugs in an attempt to manage their painful thoughts or feelings. PHP programs that take an integrated approach recognize and treat the fact that issues of mental health and substance use are intertwined, not separate. Integrated treatment may assist consumers in identifying triggers, practicing appropriate ways to cope, maintaining current symptoms and lessening the chances of going back to destructive behavioral patterns.
Who qualifies as a candidate for PHP?
In order for someone to qualify for PHP:
- If the symptoms interfere with life in a significant manner
- If the weekly outpatient treatment is not working well enough
- There is sufficient health to permit the individual to be hospitalized for at least a twenty-four-hour period outside a medical hospital facility
- The individual is willing to come in for structured treatment
- A relatively safe and stable environment exists outside of treatment
- The individual is able to come in at the schedule needed by the PHP treatment facility
- It is necessary to provide more intensive treatment in order to avert the client getting worse or in order for them to have an opportunity to get better.
Who would need intensive support?
PHP does not address all situations. Those who are actively psychiatric with an acute episode, significantly medically unwell, suffering acute withdrawal, or a danger to self or others outside of a secure environment may benefit from more intensive support.
The latter includes an immediate risk of self-harm or harm to others. These may benefit more from an emergency assessment and admission to an inpatient psychiatric service.
What to Expect in a PHP?
Entering a PHP may be a new and different experience for someone who has never done intensive therapy before. Each PHP will likely start off with an assessment of the individual’s symptoms, history, objectives, medications, and current situation and needs.
There are many types of therapeutic sessions conducted during this PHP Program. It might feel helpful and supportive to attend individual and group therapy sessions for dealing with individual concerns and building communication and coping skills.
Psychiatric providers are likely to assess symptoms and medications when medication management is integrated into the program.
What are the benefits of attending a PHP?
One of the main benefits of PHP is that it offers intensive psychiatric care enabling individuals to be independent and continue their day-to-day life. Possible benefits include:
More frequent contact with mental health professional(s)
- A structured daily schedule
- Opportunities to practice coping skills
- Group therapy to gain support from peers
- Ongoing monitoring and adjustment of medications when needed
- Maintained relationship with family and community
- Seamless reintegration back to home-based care as opposed to abrupt release from inpatient setting
- Encourages development of relapse-prevention and recovery skills.
Is PHP the right plan of care for you?
A diagnosis alone doesn’t determine the level of care that a patient needs. To illustrate, one patient with a specific disease may need vastly more treatment than another with the exact same illness.
If things feel unmanageable but not quite life-threatening or the situation isn’t enough to warrant 24/7 hospital care, speak to a provider or an addiction professional. They will review aspects like symptoms, danger to self or others, past treatment, current substance use, co-occurring conditions, housing, support network, and amenability to treatment and treatment plan when deciding if a person could benefit from a PHP level of care.
Summary
Partial Hospitalization Programs can be useful for individuals in need of intensive and highly structured mental health or substance use treatment services who can function in an outpatient setting. They may be of benefit to those individuals whose symptoms negatively impact daily function, individuals transitioning from an inpatient hospital program, or those requiring a level of care and structure that an outpatient therapy program cannot offer.
Pine Meadows Recovery is a top recovery center that offers the best rehab and PHP program facilities to people struggling with drug and alcohol addiction.
Contact details
Website: Pine Meadows Recovery
Phone: (866) 604-6920
Email: info@pinemeadowsrecovery.com
Address: 4633 Washington Rd., Kenosha, WI 53144, USA
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I know if I need a Partial Hospitalization program?
Our PHP program may provide the extra structure, support, and intensity if you are experiencing daily dysfunction but find our regular outpatient treatment isn’t enough for you to meet goals and heal.
2. Can I go home afterPartial Hospitalizationprogram treatment?
Yes!. Partial hospitalization programs include intensive treatment hours each day but allow you to return home or to another supportive living arrangement at the end of the treatment day.
3. Is a partial hospitalization program the same thing as inpatient treatment?
Our PHP treatment is not the same thing as inpatient treatment because it doesn’t require an overnight stay in the facility whereas inpatient services do typically require an overnight stay at the facility.
4. How long is a Partial Hospitalization Program?
TheLength Of OurPHP varies depending upon what symptoms a client is presenting with, current progress, and a particular treatment protocol or plan for care that the treatment team has been following based on the client’s clinically established needs.
5. Can someone get the combination of mental health treatment and substance abuse?
You can get treatment for substance abuse and mental issues at the same time. These programs are designed to work simultaneously for people struggling with both issues.
6. What to do in case of not seeing any positive results from the PHP program?
You can talk to the professionals and try to find a solution for it. One can get extra care for the patient and follow other measures to get the best out of the PHP Program.
7. Can I work or attend school while in PHP?
Your schedule will likely need to change because PHP includes a number of hours of scheduled treatment during the day.
8. Does PHP incorporate family?
Many PHP programs provide family therapy or education when it may be beneficial to the individual’s recovery.
9. What can I expect post-PHP?
Transitioning to a less intensive outpatient treatment setting while continuing therapy and other recovery supports is common.
10. Do I need a referral to participate in a PHP?
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Different programs have different requirements; therefore you can contact a mental health professional or treatment center to clarify the assessment process and eligibility requirements.