Intensive Outpatient Program
Intensive outpatient programs for adolescents offer a frequent level of care that allows teens to receive regular treatment while continuing to live at home and remain connected to their families, school, and community. At Tessera Adolescent Health, our goal is to meet teenagers where they are and provide care that recognizes both their challenges and their capacity to move toward a happier, healthier way of life.
Learn more about the services we offer or verify your insurance today!
About Our Intensive Outpatient Programs for Adolescents
Adolescent IOP provides several treatment sessions each week without requiring a teenager to stay overnight at a treatment facility. This can make it a useful option for families who need more involvement than traditional outpatient therapy can offer but want their teenager to maintain as much of their normal routine as possible.
Treatment is built around the individual teenager rather than a one-size-fits-all schedule. Our clinical team considers symptoms, substance use, family circumstances, previous treatment, school responsibilities, and safety when developing a personalized plan.
We treat:
Who Is Adolescent IOP Designed For?
Our intensive outpatient care may be appropriate for teenagers who are experiencing ongoing mental health or substance use concerns that are affecting their daily lives but who can safely remain at home between treatment sessions.
An adolescent may benefit from IOP when:
- Symptoms continue despite traditional outpatient therapy.
- Emotional or behavioral concerns are affecting school, friendships, or family relationships.
- A teenager is stepping down from PHP or residential treatment.
- Substances are being used, but the teen does not require a higher level of care.
- A teen needs more frequent therapeutic contact and opportunities to practice coping skills.
- Family relationships or communication difficulties are contributing to ongoing concerns.
An evaluation can help determine whether IOP is appropriate or whether another level of treatment would better match the teenager’s circumstances.
What to Expect During IOP
Beginning intensive outpatient treatment can bring a mixture of relief, uncertainty, and resistance. Teenagers may not always understand why they need more treatment, particularly if they feel they should be able to handle things independently. The early stages of IOP provide an opportunity to explain the treatment process, establish goals, and create a setting where the adolescent can participate without feeling defined by a diagnosis.
Throughout the program, teens participate in scheduled therapeutic services and work on concerns that are relevant to their everyday lives. Sessions may address emotional regulation, relationships, substance use, communication, decision-making, and other challenges identified during their assessment.
Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment
Mental health and substance use concerns can overlap in ways that make treating either one in isolation more difficult. A teenager may use substances to cope with anxiety, depression, trauma, or other distress, while substance use can also make existing symptoms more difficult to manage.
Research from the National Institute on Drug Abuse found that more than 60% of adolescents receiving substance use disorder treatment also met criteria for another mental illness. This overlap is one reason Tessera Adolescent Health considers both mental health and substance use when developing treatment plans. Overall, addressing co-occurring concerns together can give teenagers and their families a more complete picture of what is happening and what needs to change.
Therapies and Treatment Services
At Tessera, we combine several forms of clinical care so teenagers have different ways to understand their experiences and develop practical skills.
The types of services we offer include:
- Family Therapy: Helps teenagers and caregivers work through conflict, communication difficulties, boundaries, and changes within the family.
- Group Therapy: Gives adolescents a supervised setting to learn from peers and practice interpersonal and emotional skills.
- Interpersonal Therapy: Examines relationships, communication patterns, transitions, and interpersonal stressors that may affect mental health.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Helps teens recognize patterns connecting their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Builds skills for handling intense emotions, stressful situations, relationships, and impulsive behaviors.
- Psychiatric Services: Provides evaluation, medication management, and continued clinical supervision.
Balancing Treatment, School, and Home Life
One of the advantages of intensive outpatient programs for adolescents is that treatment does not require a teenager to step away from home completely. Depending on the treatment schedule and clinical recommendations, adolescents may be able to continue participating in school while attending the program.
Remaining at home also means teenagers can begin applying what they discuss in treatment to real situations. A difficult conversation with a parent, stressful interaction with a peer, or challenging school day can become an opportunity to work through what happened during treatment rather than waiting until the next crisis.
Family Involvement in Adolescent IOP
Teenagers do not experience mental health or substance use concerns in isolation. Family relationships, communication patterns, expectations, and stress at home can all affect how an adolescent is doing. Family involvement gives caregivers an opportunity to better understand what their teenager is experiencing and learn ways to respond outside of treatment. Simultaneously, it gives adolescents a place to express concerns that may be difficult to discuss at home. It is important to note that each situation is unique. Therefore, the level and frequency of family participation will depend on the teenager’s needs and treatment plan.
Why Choose Tessera Adolescent Health?
Tessera Adolescent Health focuses specifically on the needs of teenagers and their families. We recognize that seeking treatment can be difficult, particularly when a teenager is unsure about participating or a family has already tried several approaches.
Our approach includes:
- Adolescent-focused Care: Treatment is designed around the developmental needs and experiences of teenagers.
- Ongoing Clinical Evaluation: Treatment can be adjusted as the teenager’s needs and response change.
- Multiple Levels of Care: Families can access different treatment options as clinical needs change.
- Evidence-based Therapies: Teens have access to established therapeutic approaches such as CBT and DBT.
- Integrated Treatment: Mental health and substance use concerns can be addressed together.
- Family Participation: Parents are invited to remain involved in appropriate parts of treatment.
Start an Adolescent IOP in Pennsylvania
When your teenager is having a difficult time, knowing where to turn can feel overwhelming. They may need more consistent care than a weekly therapy appointment can offer, yet leaving home for residential treatment may feel like too much. Tessera Adolescent Health offers intensive outpatient programs for adolescents who need a higher level of clinical attention while continuing to live at home.
Visit our admissions page or call our team at 215-810-0061 to explore available options and find out whether an adolescent IOP may fit your teen’s needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
IOP involves several treatment sessions each week, which last for a few hours at a time. Your teenager’s exact schedule will be established during the treatment planning process.
There is no universal timeline. Some teenagers may participate for several weeks, while others benefit from a longer period of care before transitioning to traditional outpatient treatment.
PHP provides a more intensive schedule, often involving treatment for the majority of the day. IOP involves fewer treatment hours each week while still providing more frequent care than standard outpatient therapy.
Often, yes. Because IOP does not require overnight treatment, school participation can generally be incorporated into the teenager’s schedule when clinically appropriate. Our treatment team can help determine what arrangement makes sense based on your teen’s needs.
Many insurance plans provide coverage for intensive outpatient behavioral health treatment when it is medically necessary, and the teenager meets the plan’s requirements. Coverage, authorization procedures, deductibles, and other costs vary by plan. Our knowledgeable staff is ready to answer any cost-related questions you may have or help verify your insurance.
Addiction Specialists
Meet Our Team
Mary Montgomery
Executive Director
Mary Montgomery
Executive Director
Mary Montgomery
Executive Director
Contact Us Today
Tessera Adolescent Health is here to provide evidence-based treatment for teens with addiction and mental health disorders. We also support families of teens who struggle.
Contact us today to get your teen the help they need to thrive into young adulthood.
