Detox, residential, partial-hospitalization, intensive outpatient and alumni — five steps in one place. Same care team from the first 72 hours through the year that follows.
Bliss Recovery's intensive outpatient program (IOP) is structured addiction and dual-diagnosis treatment that fits around real life. IOP runs three to five days a week at our Los Angeles outpatient clinical center, with sessions in morning, afternoon, or evening tracks — built so clients can keep working, stay close to family, and continue clinical care without putting life on pause.
IOP is step 4 of 5 in the continuum of care. Most clients arrive from PHP. IOP is also a starting level of care for adults with moderate clinical need. ← Learn about PHP · Aftercare & Alumni →
An intensive outpatient program is a structured outpatient level of care that sits one step below partial hospitalization. At Bliss Recovery, IOP runs three to five days a week with lighter daily programming than PHP — typically three to four hours per session. Clinical work is the same calibre as our higher levels of care: evidence-based, trauma-informed, and built around individual and group therapy with psychiatric oversight as clinically indicated.
IOP is not the end of treatment — it is the bridge between intensive structure and fully independent recovery. Clients live at home or in sober living, maintain regular clinical contact, and bring real-world situations directly into the therapeutic process.
IOP is the bridge between intensive treatment and life on your own. Coming out of PHP, IOP keeps the structure of regular clinical contact while loosening the schedule enough to start carrying weight again at work, school, or home. For clients entering treatment for the first time at a moderate clinical level, IOP is often the right place to start — enough structure to make real progress, with enough flexibility to make it sustainable.
IOP is the right fit for adults who:
Call our admissions team. We answer 24/7 and can verify your insurance in the same conversation.
Begin admissions →IOP keeps recovery work consistent during the phase where life starts moving again. With regular clinical contact, clients can:
IOP is built to fit around schedules. Programming runs in morning, afternoon, or evening tracks, typically three to five days a week, with sessions usually three to four hours long. A representative session:
The exact schedule is built around clinical need and what's compatible with your work or family life.
Individual therapyContinued sessions with your dedicated clinician. The therapeutic relationship and care plan continue uninterrupted from residential and PHP.
Group therapyClinician-facilitated process groups addressing emotional regulation, relapse prevention, and peer support. At IOP, clients bring real-world situations directly into the group process.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Structured sessions targeting the thought patterns that drive substance use and co-occurring symptoms. Skills are practiced in real-world settings between sessions.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)DBT skills modules — distress tolerance, emotional regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness — applied to the situations clients encounter outside programming.
Motivational InterviewingClient-centered, collaborative conversation that strengthens internal motivation for change. Particularly effective when ambivalence about recovery arises.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Used when clinically indicated to process trauma, reduce intrusive symptoms, and lower the emotional charge of past experiences.
BrainspottingA focused, neurobiological approach to trauma processing. Available when the clinical team determines it is appropriate.
Relapse prevention and coping-skills developmentStructured, individualized relapse prevention work — identifying high-risk scenarios, developing concrete response strategies, and building accountability structures.
Psychiatric oversight as clinically indicatedContinued medication management and psychiatric monitoring. IOP does not reduce clinical attention to co-occurring conditions — it maintains it in the context of daily life.
Case management and progress monitoringScheduling coordination, sober living support, aftercare planning, and insurance management. The infrastructure of sustainable recovery continues through IOP.
Family therapy, when clinically indicatedAvailable when it serves the client's treatment plan. Sessions focus on communication, repairing trust, and supporting the reintegration process.
Therapies are matched to each client's needs, history, and long-term goals.
Recovery is harder in isolation. Family therapy is part of clinical programming at Bliss Recovery, available when it serves the client's treatment plan. Sessions focus on communication, repairing trust, and giving family members a clear understanding of what supports — and what undermines — early recovery. Family involvement is encouraged but never forced.
| Category | Intensive Outpatient (IOP) | Partial Hospitalization (PHP) |
|---|---|---|
| Days per week | 3–5 | 5–6 |
| Hours per day | Several hours, typically 3–4 | More — closer to a full-time schedule |
| Typical fit | Step-down from PHP, or starting with moderate need | Step-down from residential, or starting at high intensity |
| Living arrangement | Sober living or independent living, case-dependent | Vetted sober living |
| Psychiatric oversight | As clinically indicated | Regular |
| Work / school during program | Often possible | Generally not recommended |
If a higher level of clinical intensity is the right fit, learn more about our partial hospitalization program.
Bliss Recovery's residential facilities are located in the Hollywood Hills, but IOP doesn't take place there. Programming happens at our dedicated outpatient clinical center in Los Angeles, and clients live in vetted sober living homes or in their own independent housing — whichever is clinically appropriate. Our admissions team helps work out the right arrangement based on home environment, support system, and clinical need.
Many IOP programs in Los Angeles treat either substance use or mental health. Bliss Recovery is built for dual diagnosis — both, integrated, at the same level of clinical depth. Our IOP runs as integrated care: substance use treatment and co-occurring conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and ADHD treated together by the same clinical team.
Dual diagnosis specialtyA clear specialty in dual diagnosis across eight co-occurring conditions — depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, ADHD, OCD, and others.
Trauma-informed clinical workEMDR, Brainspotting, and trauma-aware group programming. Trauma is treated alongside substance use from the beginning and continues through IOP.
Flexible scheduling for professionalsMorning, afternoon, and evening tracks built for working professionals and adults managing real-life responsibilities. IOP fits around your existing commitments.
Family-system focusFamily therapy is woven into clinical programming during one of the most pivotal phases of recovery, when external relationships are being rebuilt.
Discretion for professionalsSuited to professionals, executives, and high-profile clients who need a program that respects confidentiality, reputation, and professional continuity.
NAATP membership and licensed California careBliss Recovery is a member of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) and operates under licensed California clinical care.
Small clinical scaleClients are known by name, not census number. Small clinical groups and individual attention are the rule, not a premium add-on.
The stressors that accompany real-world reintegration — employment, relationships, financial pressure — are precisely the triggers that make co-occurring conditions harder to manage and relapse risk higher. IOP maintains the same dual diagnosis integration as all previous levels of care.
After IOP: Aftercare & Alumni
On completing IOP, clients transition into ongoing alumni membership — monthly gatherings, continued access to your clinical team, and a peer community that lasts well beyond formal treatment. Learn about Aftercare & Alumni →
IOP runs three to five days a week, typically three to four hours per session. The schedule is built during admissions based on clinical need and the rest of your week.
In most cases, yes. IOP is built for working professionals and adults with school or family responsibilities. We offer morning, afternoon, and evening tracks so clinical work can fit around your existing commitments.
Length of stay depends on clinical need and progress. Many clients are in IOP for eight to twelve weeks, though some are shorter or longer. We adjust the plan as treatment progresses.
Living arrangement is case-dependent. Some clients live in vetted sober living homes coordinated through admissions; others continue in their own homes if home environment and support system are stable. Our admissions team works this out with you during assessment.
Many PPO insurance plans cover intensive outpatient. Coverage depends on your plan, benefits, and medical necessity criteria. The fastest way to know is to verify insurance — verification is confidential and takes a few minutes.
PHP is more clinically intensive — more days per week, more hours per day, and typically with regular psychiatric oversight. IOP is a step down with a lighter schedule, often appropriate after PHP or for clients who need structured outpatient support without full-time programming. Learn more about PHP →
Yes. IOP at Bliss Recovery is built for dual-diagnosis treatment — substance use and conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, ADHD, OCD, and others, treated together by the same clinical team.
For clients who do best with extra structure outside programming hours, sober living provides accountability, peer support, and a substance-free environment. For clients with stable home environments, that level of structure may not be needed. Our admissions team helps figure out the right fit.
IOP gives you structured group and individual therapy several times a week — designed to fit around work, family, and daily life.
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