Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOPs)
A Higher Level of Mental Health Support
When you need more mental health support than your weekly therapy sessions, we offer short-term, intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) for adults and teens at UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial. Our IOPs provide a higher level of psychiatric care that’s structured yet flexible, so you can get the help you need while still maintaining your daily routine.
We offer IOPs at four UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial locations in Calumet City, Flossmoor, Harvey and Tinley Park. Secure virtual options are also available.
Intensive mental health support is available when and where you need it.
Call us at 708-915-8600 for a no-cost, confidential assessment
What is an Intensive Outpatient Program?
IOPs are short-term, specialized mental health programs led by a team of psychiatric providers and master’s level clinicians, such as social workers and therapists. In an IOP, you typically spend nine to 16 hours a week under our care. You’ll receive intensive mental health support during one-to-one sessions with a therapist and small peer groups that meet several times a week virtually or in person. You can also benefit from personalized management of your mental health medications.
You might think of an IOP as the “middle” level of care between traditional outpatient therapy that typically meets once a week and inpatient psychiatric care.
Our IOPs can provide a path forward if you or your teen has:
- Depression
- Bipolar disorder (BD)
- Anxiety, panic attacks and phobias
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Difficulty adjusting to life changes, such as divorce, job loss or a medical condition
- Grief and loss
- Hallucinations, such as from schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder
- Trauma after a life-changing event or experience
- Personality disorders, such as borderline personality disorder (BPD)
- Behavioral issues like oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD)
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and other related disorders
- Substance use related to an underlying mental health condition like depression
Why Choose Our Intensive Outpatient Programs
Our IOPs are part of the full spectrum of mental and behavioral health services at UChicago Medicine. From inpatient psychiatric care to IOPs to outpatient services offered across the health system, you can always find the right level of care if your needs change.
When you choose our IOPs, you receive:
- Intensive mental health care without hospitalization
- Specialized programs for teens and adults
- Convenient in-person and virtual options
- Flexible scheduling, with morning, afternoon and evening sessions available
- Small, supportive group settings as well as individual therapy
- Personalized medication management with a psychiatric provider
Learn more about determining if an IOP is right for you.
Call us at 708-915-8600 for a no-cost, confidential assessment
Frequently Asked Questions About IOPs
In an IOP, you receive a higher level of support compared to traditional therapy, with longer and more frequent treatment sessions each week. With this approach, you may make meaningful progress more quickly, while still maintaining your daily routine at work, school or home.
You’ll also benefit from the expertise of our team of mental health specialists. Besides your care team, your peers will also provide support, which can help you feel less isolated and more motivated to keep making progress.
You may be a candidate for an IOP if you:
- Have mental health symptoms that aren’t improving with weekly outpatient therapy
- Haven’t started therapy but want sessions more than once a week
- Find it difficult to keep up with your responsibilities at home, work or school
- Notice that your mental health is affecting your relationships
- Don’t feel like showering or getting out of bed
- Recently completed inpatient psychiatric care and want support as you return to your daily life
You can schedule a no-cost assessment by calling 708-915-8600.
As a parent, you know when your teen doesn’t seem like their usual self. Your teen may benefit from an IOP if they:
- Have trouble completing school assignments or chores at home
- Skip showering and other forms of hygiene
- Withdraw from friends, family or activities they once enjoyed
- Have difficulty adjusting to life changes, such as starting a new grade level at school
- Appear depressed, hopeless or overwhelmed
- Have persistent anxiety at school or in social situations
- Have more frequent outbursts, irritability or mood swings
- Engage in risky behaviors like self-injury or substance use
- Have mental health symptoms that aren’t improving with weekly therapy or their current medications
Whether your teen is facing challenges with their mood, behavior or both, we’re here to support them. IOPs are available during the daytime or evening for teens ages 12 to 17.
During the summer, we also offer a specialized mental health program for teens to help them recharge and learn coping strategies they can use when they head back to school.
To learn more about our services for teens, please call 708-915-8600.
What to Expect When You’re in an Intensive Outpatient Program
We’ve designed the IOPs at UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial to be flexible, so when and how you attend your sessions is up to you. You’ll spend nine to 16 hours per week in individual and group therapy sessions.
You can schedule your one-to-one sessions with a therapist in person or virtually at convenient times that work for you.
Group sessions take place Monday through Friday during mornings, afternoons and evenings in Calumet City, Flossmoor, Harvey and Tinley Park. Sessions usually last three hours, and you can attend in person or virtually.
Family sessions are also available to help parents or relatives learn how to support their loved ones.
We’ll recommend a schedule of individual therapy based on your symptoms, goals and preferences. Our therapists are trained to provide culturally competent care that not only reflects your mental health needs but also respects your social and cultural needs.
Personalized medication management is also available through the IOP. If your mental health symptoms are not under control, you can meet with a psychiatric provider to adjust your medications.
After your initial assessment, we’ll match you to a peer group based on your symptoms and treatment goals. Each three-hour, therapist-led group session includes:
- One hour for discussing symptoms and sharing peer support, which helps you develop a sense of community while you’re healing
- One hour for education on mental health topics, so you feel more empowered to manage your condition
- One hour to learn practical skills like coping strategies and stress management, which you can apply to your daily life
Many patients say the peer support they receive during the group sessions helps them feel less isolated and more motivated to improve their mental health.
In addition to individual and group sessions, your IOP will also include expressive activities like art, journaling and meditation. You’ll learn how to use these activities as tools to help you cope with your mental health condition.
Most people participate in an IOP for four to eight weeks, but each person is different. When you’re ready to graduate from the program, we’ll connect you to providers in your community, so you can continue your outpatient therapy and stay focused on healing.
[MUSIC PLAYING] If you're feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or alone, you're not the only one. Help is closer than you might think. An intensive outpatient program, often called IOP, is a structured level of behavioral health care, designed to support your mental health. It allows you to continue to be present in your daily life and gives you flexibility to keep attending your personal responsibilities, such as work, school, and caring for your family. Intensive outpatient programming can be your next step towards healing, if you haven't started therapy, or if you're in therapy but notice your symptoms haven't improved and recognize you may need more than one session per week. Here, you'll find a compassionate community people who understand what you're going through, and professionals dedicated to helping you move forward.
Our program typically meets for three to four hours a day and generally lasts four to six weeks, and is geared toward addressing your individualized plan through groups, individual counseling, skill-building workshops, and managing medications as a way of improving your mental health. Together, these services help you build coping skills, manage symptoms, and work towards your personal goals. To help you manage the feelings that have deeply impacted you and at a pace that feels right for you.
We understand that healing looks different for everyone. That's why we offer expressive therapies like art and mindfulness, giving you space to process emotions in ways words sometimes can't. Whether you receive care in person at one of our four convenient Chicago Southland locations or through secure virtual sessions, you'll receive expert care tailored to your individual needs.
If you are ready to take the next step, our IOP team is here to support you. Reach out today to learn more about how we can help you on your path to wellness. At UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial, you belong, you are seen, and you don't have to do this alone.
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