Residential vs IOP For Teens: Choosing A Level Of Care
Residential vs IOP for teens comes down to where your teen sleeps and how much support they need between sessions. Hillside Horizon offers residential treatment, a virtual intensive outpatient program (IOP), and outpatient care, so admissions can talk through which level fits your teen.
Clinically reviewed by Alejandro Alva, M.D., Medical Director.
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How Residential, IOP, And Outpatient Care Compare
Each level of care changes how much of the day is treatment and where your teen spends the night.
- Residential treatment
- Your teen lives in one of our homes with staff overnight, therapy every day, and school on site.
- Virtual IOP
- Nine to twelve hours a week of group, individual, and family therapy on school-night evenings, from home.
- Outpatient care
- Your teen sleeps at home and comes to our Southern California campus after school for individual and group therapy.
Signs A Teen Needs A Higher Level Of Care
Residential treatment fits when weekly therapy or outpatient care has not produced a lasting change, or when safety at home is the question.
If two in the morning is when things feel hardest, outpatient care is not the right level of care. The same is true of virtual IOP when nights at home are not safe.
When IOP Or Outpatient Care Can Be Enough
IOP or outpatient care can fit when your teen can get through a day at their own school. It also helps when you feel comfortable going to sleep at night and meals are not a crisis.
A remote program has no overnight staff, so a parent needs to be in the house during virtual IOP sessions.
Stepping Down From Residential To IOP
Many families use virtual IOP or outpatient care as a step down after a stay in our houses, with a team that already knows your teen. If outpatient starts and the week becomes too hard, admissions will recommend residential care instead.
Where Do PHP And Inpatient Care Fit?
A partial hospitalization program (PHP) is a day program that sits between residential care and IOP. Inpatient care is a hospital stay for acute safety needs. We do not offer PHP or inpatient hospital care, and admissions will tell you if your teen needs either.
If someone is in immediate danger, call 988 or 911 first.
How To Verify Insurance For Each Level Of Care
Coverage differs by level of care and by plan, so ask admissions to check the levels you are considering. The benefits check is free, and benefits vary by plan.
FAQ
Level Of Care Questions
Short answers to what families ask when comparing levels of care. If yours is not here, call and a person will pick up.
What is an adolescent IOP?
An intensive outpatient program (IOP) is several hours of therapy a week while your teen lives at home. Ours is virtual, with nine to twelve hours a week on school-night evenings.
Is IOP enough for anxiety or depression?
It can be when your teen gets through a school day and nights at home are safe. When symptoms keep returning despite outpatient care, residential treatment is the next step to discuss.
How long does virtual IOP last?
A typical course runs eight to twelve weeks. It may run longer when your teen is stepping down from residential care.
Can my teen move from IOP to residential care?
Yes. If the week becomes too hard at a lower level of care, admissions will recommend residential treatment. We do not stretch a level of care past what it can safely offer.
Do you offer a partial hospitalization program?
No. We offer residential treatment, outpatient treatment, and a virtual IOP for teens, and admissions can help you compare them.
Get Your Answer On One Call
Call admissions at (855) 746-8378 or send the insurance form, and we will check your benefits at no cost before anyone is asked to commit.