Understanding Levels of Care

Selecting the right level of care for your mental health is about finding the right fit for your current needs.
It is also helpful to be assessed by a professional to know what level may best match your current level of needs. Let’s explore the available options, starting with the least intensive (also known as “lowest level of care”) to higher support programs:
What does “levels of care” mean?
- Range of available psychiatric services, varying in frequency, intensity, and duration
- More severe needs (active psychosis, safety concerns such as risk of harming self/others, chemical dependency, etc.) may indicate a need for a “higher level of care”, meaning more frequent care/support
Why is it important?
Depending on severity of mental health concern, more intensive treatment may be needed to get to a place of stabilization, starting at a lower level of care when not appropriate can lead to symptoms worsening.
1. Outpatient Therapy
- Lowest level of care
- Meeting, on average, weekly for 45–50-minute sessions
- Can be for individual/family/couples therapy as well as medication management and/or group therapy
2. Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
- Group and individual therapy 3-4 hours per day meeting 3-5 days a week
- Structure while providing flexibility to work or attend school part-time and maintain daily routines
- Duration ranges from 4-6 weeks but varies based on individual needs
3. Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
- Often recommended upon discharge from residential treatment or hospitalization
- Intense, structured program, meeting for 6-8 hours several days a week, does not require an overnight stay in the hospital
- Typically includes individual and group therapy with med management
4. Residential Treatment
- Less restrictive than inpatient hospitalization but still well-monitored
- Stay ranges from 30 to 90 days or more depending on the program; treatment includes group therapy, individual therapy, and individualized psychiatric care in a community like environment
5. Inpatient Hospitalization
- Safety and stabilization
- Actively suicidal or experiencing a psychiatric episode (such as psychosis or mania) that pose a safety risk to self or others
- Ranges from 3-7 days on average but can be extended based on psychiatric and safety needs; 24/7 monitoring
- Includes daily doctor visits and a team of professionals, including psychiatrist/therapist

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