At Palmetto-Lake Charles, our program is based on the disease model of addiction. That means we see addiction as a chronic, progressive disease that affects you and your family physically, psychologically, and spiritually. Our program provides intensive treatment for clients with substance use disorders or a dual diagnosis of a substance use disorder and a co-occurring mental health issue. IOP clients learn about the disease model of addiction, the stages of addiction and how to locate themselves in that progression, how to cope with the kinds of emotional stress that can lead to substance use, how to use the 12-step model for recovery, and strategies for preventing relapse.
An IOP is one option on a continuum of care for addiction. Early intervention services are at one end of the continuum and medically managed intensive inpatient treatment is at the other. Intensive outpatient treatment is right in the middle. An IOP provides a high level of care while still allowing the client to live at home. There are a number of reasons an IOP might be a good fit for a given client. First, someone may have a substance use issue that is serious enough that lower levels of care weren’t adequate. There may also be a co-occurring mental health issue such as major depression, an anxiety disorder, PTSD, bipolar disorder, or other mental health issues often associated with addiction. Unless these issues are treated simultaneously, recovery is not likely to last. Despite relatively serious substance use issues, an ideal IOP client will have a stable home life and won’t have medical or psychological issues serious enough to require 24-hour care.
A client may also choose an IOP out of practicality. Some people may benefit from a higher level of care but taking 30 to 90 days out of their lives to get that care is just not possible. They may have to take care of children or meet financial obligations. An IOP can allow clients to meet responsibilities related to family, work, or school, while still receiving a high level of treatment for substance use.
Another common reason clients enter an IOP is that they are stepping down from a higher level of care, such as inpatient treatment. Clients in inpatient treatment are fairly sheltered for the duration of treatment. They have a fixed schedule, they enjoy the support of staff and other clients, and there is no temptation from drugs and alcohol. Abruptly moving from this kind of environment to the stress of regular life is sometimes overwhelming. There’s a high rate of relapse in the early weeks after leaving inpatient treatment. An IOP can make this transition easier. An IOP provides continuing support and guides clients while they adapt the skills they learned in treatment to regular life.
There is no fixed length of time for the IOP. How long a client participates in the IOP depends on their progress in the program. Fixed program lengths have little to do with clients’ needs. Progress depends on a number of individual factors including length and severity of substance use, relapse history, family support, co-occurring mental health issues, and commitment to the program. Typically, it takes about three or four months to make enough progress to leave the program. When the client leaves the program is determined based on recommendations from the counselor and the client’s physician.
An IOP requires nine hours a week and meets for three hours on three days. The Lake Charles IOP program meets every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. This schedule typically allows clients to keep working or going to school while they participate in the program.
We want to ensure that quality addiction treatment is both accessible and affordable. We work with most insurance companies to provide clients with IOP care. We would be happy to discuss payment options with you.
As the opioid crisis in the US continues to get worse every year, it has continued to affect Louisiana as well. In 2017, more than 70,000 Americans died of drug overdoses; nearly 48,000 of those deaths were opioid-related. In Louisiana, the overdose rate continues to exceed the national average. In 2017, 21.7 out of every 100,000 Americans died of a drug overdose. By comparison, in the same year, 24.5 out of every 100,000 people in Louisiana died of a drug overdose. Not only is that higher than the national average, but it is also an increase of more than 12 percent over the fatal overdose rate in 2016. There were more than 1100 opioid-related deaths in Louisiana in 2017 and 27 of those deaths were in Calcasieu Parish. If you live in Lake Charles or Calcasieu Parish and are struggling with a substance use disorder, Palmetto’s Lake Charles IOP can help you overcome your substance use issues while still meeting your work, family, and school obligations. No-cost assessments are available. For more information or to make an appointment, call us at 318-728-2970 or use the contact form below to request more information.
