Outpatient drug rehab is designed for adults who are addicted to drugs, alcohol or both, and who understand that formal therapeutic support will greatly enhance their chances of maintaining permanent sobriety.
As with inpatient substance abuse programs, outpatient rehab addresses the root causes of addiction through individual and group therapy. While outpatient and inpatient programs overlap in many substantive ways, the major difference is that outpatient participants continue to live in the community. In many cases, participants successfully juggle work and school commitments in addition to regular outpatient attendance.
Because outpatient participants aren’t required to live at a residential rehab center, this type of care is best suited for someone who has already graduated from a residential program, or who can manage their substance abuse absent round-the-clock accountability to a structured home. Outpatient costs are more cost-effective than residential substance abuse programs. It’s common for outpatient drug rehab participants to also reside at a sober home, so that they are flanked by communal support during vulnerable evening and early morning hours.
Outpatient drug rehab programming is usually offered for a specific number of hours each day. Participants follow a set schedule of group therapy sessions, in conjunction with more personalized work alongside a skilled and knowledgeable case manager. The schedule may be adapted to meet individual needs and outside obligations. As with inpatient programs, outpatient drug rehab participants are expected to remain sober, and relapsing may result in removal from the program.
