Substance use disorders are linked with detrimental effects on people in all walks of life and across all age groups. These effects are highly prevalent, persistent, and serious in most cases. However, the good news is that they are treatable and many people recover from these disorders with the right timely treatment.

Substance use treatment

Substance use disorders are treated at varying levels of care in different clinical settings. Since every patient differs in the type and severity of abuse and intensity of symptoms, it is not practical to define a common line of treatment for all patients.

The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) has developed six key areas to assess what treatment strategy would suit a particular patient. These areas are:

  • Degree of intoxication and level of withdrawal
  • Presence of comorbid or other medical conditions
  • Presence of other behavioral, emotional, or cognitive conditions
  • Risk of relapse or continued drug use
  • Readiness or motivation to change
  • Recovery environment (e.g., family, peers, school, legal system)

Based on the scoring in these key areas, the medical team suggests an effective treatment program for a patient, which might be residential, outpatient or a partial hospitalization plan.

Partial hospitalization programs ensure faster recovery

A partial hospitalization program (PHP) refers to a short-term, elaborate and intensive clinical treatment program to help patients recover from substance use disorder. It falls in between an inpatient hospitalization and traditional outpatient care. Patients who experience acute psychiatric symptoms that are difficult to manage at home but are not severe enough to require 24-hour hospitalization qualify for a partial hospitalization plan. Partial hospitalization programs offer individualized care by addressing specific issues related to the mental health of the patient.

In addition, multidisciplinary professionals comprising physicians, counselors, social workers, nurses and psychologists, and other mental health practitioners are available at PHPs to assess and take care of the patient with a substance-related disorder. At the same time, they also attend to the patients with both a substance use disorder and a co-occurring emotional, biomedical, or behavioral condition. Programs including group therapy allow the patients to interact with other people who are in similar situations.

Partial hospital programs aim at building confidence and self-esteem in people with mental health problems so that they can better handle their lives while learning how to manage their symptoms. According to experts, partial hospital program facilitates in aftercare planning, while reducing burden on patients.

A partial hospitalization program treatment may use the same set-up and services as an inpatient facility. However, like inpatient admission, PHP does not require 24-hour hospitalization and the patient can go home after undergoing assessment and treatment sessions for a few hours.

The different treatment levels at PHP include:

  • Detoxification (the process of removing drug and other toxins from the body)
  • Behavioral counseling including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
  • Medication (for opioid or alcohol addiction)
  • Long-term follow-up to prevent relapse
  • Assessment and treatment of co-occurring mental health problems such as anxiety and depression

Taking care of people with mental illness

Be it any mental problem, the support, love, and care of the people around are the most effective remedy. However, sometimes even caregivers feel like giving up or may experience mental health problems. Therefore, they may consider sharing their workload with experienced medical personnel available at a partial hospitalization treatment program. PHPs have been found to significantly improve recovery period and severity of symptoms.

Since it is important to find a good partial hospitalization program in California, we can help you. We can guide you in your search and ensure that the partial hospitalization program selected by you offers relevant treatment options. You can call us now at our toll free number 855-355-1116 for more information or chat online with our experts for further assistance.