PHP in rehab stands for Partial Hospitalization Program, an intensive outpatient program that is meant to offer structured, daily therapeutic care to individuals who do not need to be in a hospital 24 hours a day. PHP is an intermediate between inpatient rehabilitation and conventional outpatient services, which enables patients to get a few hours of treatment per day, usually 4 to 8 hours, 5 to 7 days a week, and reside in their own homes or supportive setting. It is usually used in mental health disorders, substance use disorders, or co-occurring conditions.
What is PHP in Rehab?
PHP is a hospital or medical center-based program that offers a comprehensive outpatient treatment that is comparable to inpatient programs, except that there is no overnight stay. Patients attend organized treatment a few hours a day and go home in the evenings
Primary Purpose: It provides intensive care through medical and psychiatric care, individual and group therapy, medication management, psychoeducation, and life skills training. It is an up-step of less intensive outpatient care.
What is PHP use to treat: PHP can be helpful to people who need a high level of care but are not unstable in their living situations; people at risk of relapse after inpatient treatment; people with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders; and patients who need more hours of treatment and closer monitoring than the typical outpatient program.
PHP in Substance Abuse and Mental Health Treatment
- PHP also provides evidence-based treatment; notably, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), group therapy, and family counseling, which are customized to meet the needs of addiction and mental health problems.
- Medication management, such as psychiatric assessment and medication-assisted treatment (MAT), is incorporated when necessary.
- It is customized, and a multidisciplinary team develops an individual care plan and measures the progress regularly.
Duration of PHP
| Aspect | Details |
| Duration | Usually ranges from 2 to 8 weeks, 4 to 6 weeks is typical |
| Daily Hours | 4 to 8 hours per day, 5 to 7 days per week |
| Treatment Components | Individual & group therapy, medication management, psychoeducation, life skills training |
| Living Arrangement | Patients live at home or in a supportive environment, and commute to treatment daily |
| Level of Care | Midway between inpatient hospitalization and standard outpatient care (ASAM level 2.5) |
Key Differences Between PHP and IOP
In deciding to undergo either a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) or an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), there are a number of significant differences between the two. It is important to understand these differences so that you can choose which one fits you or a loved one.
Treatment Intensity and Time
PHP is more intensive. It takes approximately 4 to 6 hours a day to attend treatment, which is usually 5 to 7 days a week. This type of care offers one of the most organized settings and a range of treatments and clinical supervision. It is directed to individuals with moderate to severe symptoms who need daily care, but not an overnight stay at a hospital.
IOP is more relaxed and less strict. Typically, patients are in therapy 2 to 4 hours daily, 2 to 5 days a week. This schedule enables more freedom to work, attend school, or take care of family members and still get care. IOP is suitable for those whose symptoms are milder or moderate, or those who are in transition to less intensive treatment levels.
Treatment and Services
Individual therapy, group therapy, medication management, and psychoeducation are present in both PHP and IOP. However, PHP provides a higher and more regular rate of care that includes medical and psychiatric supervision incorporated into the daily routine. This is especially essential to those who require more attention or changes in medication.
IOP includes supportive therapy and skill-building with less time and less medical oversight. IOP aims at stability, avoiding relapse, and a progressive increase in the coping strategies.
Living Arrangements
Both programs have patients residing in the community or a supportive living environment and traveling to treatment daily. The main distinction is that PHP is more time-consuming every day and it might feel like a full-time program on such days. IOP is more flexible and gives more time to do other things in life outside of treatment.
Time and Adaptability
PHP usually consists of 2 to 8 weeks, but the intensive sessions are condensed into a shorter period of time. IOP programs tend to be longer, up to 8 to 12 weeks but with fewer hours per day and week so that clients can maintain long-term recovery work.
The flexible schedule of IOP allows the treatment to be more accommodating to existing obligations, whereas the structured and frequent schedule of PHP provides more intensive treatment during the most crucial stages of the recovery.
Cost Considerations
Since PHP requires additional hours of treatment and clinical supervision, it tends to be more costly than IOP. IOP is more economical in terms of less time of care. Thus, affordable and accessible as a treatment and maintenance means.
Who is going to Decide Between PHP vs. IOP?
PHP is best for individuals who:
o Have high levels of need for daily, intensive therapeutic assistance.
o Discharging out of inpatient but still needs close follow-up.
o Have moderate to severe symptoms that require a holistic treatment.
o Need frequent medication and medical care.
IOP is best for individuals who:
o Intercept moderate to mild symptoms.
o Can tolerate less treatment.
o Require more flexible time to fit in treatment with work, school, or family.
o Are in recovery by having a step-down of PHP or inpatient care.
Benefits of PHP
- Enables patients to continue with home life and routines and still get intensive care.
- Offers non-hospitalization medical and psychiatric supervision.
- Provides a systematic setting and various forms of treatment and care.
- Enables a secure intermediate transition between inpatient treatment or a more intensive alternative to the usual outpatient treatment, which can help minimize the risk of relapse.
Conclusion
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) in rehab is an acute, structured outpatient treatment program providing intensive, multidisciplinary treatment to individuals with mental health or substance use disorders. PHP is a balance between inpatient and outpatient treatment, and patients are treated several hours a day and live in their communities. It is a flexible program that can be customized to fit the needs of the individual recovery process, lasting between 2 and 8 weeks, which makes it an effective program to treat individuals who need more support than traditional outpatient therapy but not full hospitalization.
FAQs
PHP stands for Partial Hospitalization Program, a high level of outpatient treatment program that allows patients to spend some hours a day in the program and live at home.
The duration of PHP treatment is usually 2 to 8 weeks, wherein 4 to 6 weeks is the most common.
PHP is generally 4-8 hrs of therapy per day, 5-7 days per week.
PHP consists of individual therapy, group therapy, medication management, psychoeducation, life skills training, and in some cases family counseling.
Patients who need a higher level of care than would be afforded by a routine outpatient therapy, but who do not need inpatient care on a 24-hour basis and are medically stable, and have a supporting home situation.
Patients are not in the hospital, like inpatient rehab is, but live at home and visit treatment sessions every day in PHP.
Yes, PHP is an integrated treatment of mental health and substance use disorder co-occurring.
