What is an Intensive Outpatient Program for Adolescents?

Intensive outpatient programs can be the solution for a variety of treatment needs. Most commonly, IOP treatment serves as a step down from residential addiction treatment, mental health care, or another long-term treatment plan. It allows individuals to continue learning and healing in a safe, structured environment, while enjoying increased autonomy and the opportunity to practice new recovery skills in the real world. 

Alternatively, depending on clinical acuity, IOP may also be appropriate as a first step in the journey to getting better. (Those with a need for 24/7 care should consider the support of a residential treatment model.)

Intensive outpatient programming generally requires a commitment of several hours, several times per week. 

At Stonewater, our proprietary curriculum was designed by adolescent experts to examine the developmental span through adolescence into early adulthood, and explores adolescent codependency, mental health, and addiction issues. In particular, adolescent-specific issues such as "tech addiction," gaming disorder, social media, and other dysfunctional uses of technology are covered. Pornography use is explored in the context of dynamics of sexual development and adolescent relationships. Other forms of addiction are reviewed, such as vaping, and alternative illicit substances. 

Since adolescents often cannot envision recovery as a lifelong prospect, actionable tools are provided for navigating this new way of life, building a vision of the future with long-term recovery as a viable choice.

How Does the Stonewater Virtual IOP Work?

The Stonewater Adolescent Recovery Center Virtual IOP brings world-class adolescent care to your child’s fingertips. The adolescent experts of our residential treatment program with proven successful outcomes have developed a comprehensive IOP treatment program that brings our powerful treatment approach and strong sense of community online. At the same time, the structured programming and clinical support of our virtual IOP create an environment of accountability, well-being, and purpose right within their own home. This provides a tremendous resource for adolescents struggling with mental health difficulties, to connect with others on the same path, so they're not struggling alone.

IOP participants and their families utilize an exclusive app with a mix of educational content, accountability functionalities, and live interactive sessions focused on healing substance use and mental health struggles.

Our programming begins with family of origin exploration through the eyes of an adolescent. We review family systems from an Internal Family Systems Theory perspective. From there, we cover dysfunctional family roles, including those developed during adolescence. Various adolescent treatment approaches and solutions for long-term recovery are explored.

In addition, we provide resources for families with an adolescent in recovery.