ADULT OUTPATIENT TREATMENT
Adult outpatient treatment is for individuals 18 years and older that are able to engage in treatment in an outpatient setting without continuing to use alcohol and/or other drugs and are in a safe and supportive environment without any complicating medical or mental health conditions or complications.
An assessment generally accompanies the enrollment in outpatient treatment to confirm that this level of treatment is appropriate in a particular case. Outpatient treatment is provided in a group setting and will usually be done between 3 and 6 hours per week.
There are several reasons that someone may consider outpatient treatment. The most common way that people come to outpatient treatment is through a court mandate due to a DUI or other legal issue that required an alcohol/drug assessment that recommends outpatient treatment as the indicated intervention. The length of treatment will be also indicated in the initial assessment or evaluation, most likely between 20 and 30 hours.
An individual may also arrive at outpatient treatment as a step-down from intensive outpatient or from a residential program. This is a transition in intensity of treatment to gradually return the individual to a normal lifestyle.
Someone can also come to treatment voluntarily when noting that the use of alcohol and/or other drugs is becoming more and more problematic. In this case an initial assessment will be done at the agency to provide a recommendation for addressing the issues that are disturbing the individual.
Outpatient Treatment Process
As mentioned above, this level of treatment will usually involve group sessions of between 20 and 30 hours total provided in 3-hour sessions 1-2 times per week. This will depend on the recommendations of the assessment, the person’s availability, and the intensity of the problem.
For treatment to be effective, it must be structured and consistent. The individual needs to be able to follow the progression of awareness and achieve the goals of the treatment process. This means that those involved in group outpatient treatment make a commitment to the schedule that is programmed with the input of the client at intake. Failure to attend regularly can mean unsuccessful discharge from treatment.
Another element in the treatment process is complete abstinence from the use of alcohol and other drugs during treatment. Even for persons that have abused substances but are not addicted, abstinence is needed to confirm the level of substance use disorder and to best help the individual to avoid future problems.
