The Benefits Of Outpatient Rehab

What Is Outpatient Rehab?

Outpatient rehabilitation is when someone seeking treatment for a drug or alcohol problem attends treatment during the day but returns home every night. This is different than inpatient rehab, where someone seeking treatment lives at the rehab facility for an extended period of time. There are different types of outpatient treatment programs that require different amounts of attendance. Outpatient treatment often happens in local health department offices, counselor’s offices, mental health clinics, or hospital clinics. Intensive outpatient treatment can range from 3 to 7 days per week, and each day is 3 hours with one individual therapy session per week. The minimum required hours of intensive outpatient treatment is 9 hours per week. Standard outpatient therapy consists of 1 or 2 sessions a week for up to a year. Sessions are not as frequent because outpatient therapy is a longer-term therapy.

Sessions entail group therapy or counseling where participants focus on recognizing their triggers and learning coping mechanisms. One of the greatest benefits of group therapy is identifying with other people’s experiences and emotions and learning that the person is not alone in their struggles. Humans base many of their choices on what they experience in groups and from the people around them. While this can lead some towards deviant behaviors, joining a group of supportive and positive people can help others progress towards living a sober and more fulfilling life.

What Are The Benefits Of Outpatient Rehab?

There are many reasons someone may choose outpatient rehab over inpatient rehab. One of the benefits of outpatient rehab includes the option for people to keep working while they go through treatment, including other benefits like reduced cost and being less disruptive to daily life.

Maintaining Employment

Some outpatient rehabs operate in the evenings or off hours, so that participants can maintain employment while receiving treatment. While a leave of absence to attend drug or alcohol rehab is typically protected by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), meaning you cannot be fired for seeking treatment for an addiction, some may still not want to leave work for a variety of reasons. The FMLA protects people from being fired, but the time off is unpaid. This can pose problems for people that are the breadwinner of a family or have someone else to take care of. People who are the sole caregiver for children may also not want to attend inpatient rehab if the children do not have someone trusted to care for them full-time. Outpatient treatment also allows individuals to have control of their schedule while receiving care.

Outpatient Detoxification

Detoxing from drugs or alcohol can be challenging; however, many factors influence the severity of one’s detox. Before focused treatment can begin, the patient must detox. In some cases, there is an increased risk of complications occurring during the detox process, especially when the symptoms are not managed by a medical professional. It is not safe to attempt detoxing alone. Detoxing at an outpatient facility is safe and effective, and medical staff can provide medications to ease symptoms while also monitoring vitals. It may be beneficial for outpatient detox patients to maintain family and social relationships while detoxing, instead of being isolated from supportive family and friends. Outpatient detox patients are also likely to return to the same clinic that they detoxed at to continue their treatment. Another benefit of outpatient rehab is that the detoxification care costs less money. It is important to note that outpatient detox is not recommended for everyone. Depending on the person’s age, substance(s) of choice, physical health, and emotional health, inpatient detox may be required.

The Cost Of Outpatient Rehab

The cost of rehab facilities varies widely, based on the type of center, location, treatments offered, amenities, and medications used during treatment. Before receiving treatment for certain drugs and alcohol, patients may need medications to help wean them off of their abused substance during detox. These costs may be covered by one’s insurance company. In general, outpatient rehab is less expensive than inpatient rehab. Some intensive outpatient programs can cost $5,000 per week, but the cost of treatment will vary based on the level of care. Additional factors that can determine the cost of treatment includes the length of stay, room and board costs, and if an individual has insurance. Insurance often covers a large percentage of the cost of rehab, but for those who are paying out-of-pocket, outpatient may be a better option financially.

Family Focus

Because people in outpatient treatment usually have more family support than those in inpatient treatment, it may be beneficial for them to maintain a close relationship with their family while receiving treatment. Family therapy can be incorporated into outpatient rehab and can offer guidance to the entire family, instead of only the individual. Family therapy assesses the entire family as a system and works in the belief that a change in the system will bring about changes in the other parts. One of the main purposes of family therapy is to find the strengths and resources in the family and use those to develop ways to live without substances. This is also an opportunity to educate families on their loved one’s addiction and teach them the medical, behavioral, and psychological consequences of addiction.

Alcohol Rehab Guide is not affiliated with any insurance.

Is Outpatient Rehab For Me?

Outpatient rehab has many benefits, but it is not necessarily for everyone. Some factors to consider when choosing whether to go into inpatient vs. outpatient include physical health, psychological health, finances, housing, support system, etc. If you want to find out more about treatment options, contact a treatment provider today.