At Palmetto-Lafayette IOP, we use the model of addiction as a chronic, progressive disease. Without proper treatment, addiction will cause physical, mental, and spiritual damage to the individual and the family. We provide intensive treatment for clients battling addiction or a combination of addiction and a co-occurring mental health issue. Our IOP clients will learn about the disease concept of addiction, the stages of addiction and how to locate themselves in that process, how to identify and cope with stressors that lead to substance use, how to use the 12-step model to recover from addiction, and how to manage the risk factors that can lead to relapse.

Addiction care falls on a continuum from early intervention services to medically managed intensive inpatient treatment. An IOP is right in the middle, providing a high level of care while still giving the client a lot of autonomy. There are several reasons a client may choose an IOP. Typically, someone who would benefit from an IOP has a fairly serious substance use issue, perhaps one that lower levels of treatment have failed to address. The substance use issue may be paired with a mental health issue, such as major depression, an anxiety disorder, PTSD, bipolar disorder, or other mental health issues commonly connected with addiction. However, these mental health issues won’t be so severe that clients need 24-hour attention. Neither will these clients have medical issues that require constant supervision.

An IOP client should also have a safe place to live, with a minimum of temptations and negative influences. Sometimes an IOP is just the more practical choice. It can be difficult to put your life on hold for 30 or 90 days while you enter inpatient treatment. For many people, it’s just not possible. They may not be able to take the time off of work for financial reasons or they may not be able to find someone to take care of their kids for that long. An IOP can provide intensive treatment while giving you the freedom to meet those responsibilities.

What role does an IOP play in the treatment process?

The other role an IOP often fills is to help clients step down from a higher level of care. Inpatient treatment is highly structured and residents are shielded from both drugs and alcohol and the stress of everyday life while they learn new recovery skills. Going straight from this kind of environment back to regular life can be a difficult transition and relapse typically happens in the early weeks or months after leaving treatment. An IOP can make that transition less abrupt and give clients support and guidance as they learn to apply their new recovery skills outside the context of treatment.

How long does IOP participation last?

Our IOP has no set length. Every client is different and has different treatment needs. Substance use history, relapse history, co-occurring mental health issues, family support, and commitment to the program all affect how long it takes to make sufficient progress. How long clients remain in the program is determined by assessments from the counselor and the client’s physician. Typically, clients will participate in an IOP for three or four months. Longer periods of treatment tend to lead to better recovery outcomes, since it gives clients more time to become familiar with the habits and skills of recovery.

When do you participate in an IOP?

Clients participate in the IOP program for three hours, three nights a week, for a total of nine hours a week. At Lafayette, the IOP program meets Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., which accommodates most work and school schedules and still allows them to be home at a decent hour in the evenings.

Will insurance cover an IOP?

We work with most insurers to pay for IOP treatment. We are committed to making quality treatment affordable and accessible. We are happy to work with you to find affordable payment options.

Substance use in Lafayette

The opioid epidemic in the US continues to get worse every year. In 2017, nearly 48,000 Americans died of opioid-involved overdoses and more than 70,000 Americans died of overdoses from all drugs. In Louisiana, the death rate from overdose is higher than the national average. While 21.7 Americans out of every 100,000 died of overdose in 2017, in Louisiana, the number was 24.5 for every 100,000. In 2017, there were more than 1100 overdose deaths in Louisiana and 47 of those were opioid-related deaths in Lafayette. If you live in or near Lafayette and you feel like substance use is hurting you and your family, Palmetto’s Lafayette IOP can help you overcome addiction while also giving you the freedom to meet your family, work, or school responsibilities. We offer no-cost assessments. Call us at 318-728-2970 or use the contact form below to schedule an assessment or request more information about our IOP.