Outpatient drug rehab is a type of substance abuse treatment where the patient continues to live and stay at home, attending treatment remotely or in person by traveling to a facility regularly. Outpatient treatment programs are usually set within larger inpatient facilities since the two levels of care are meant to work together. After inpatient treatment, outpatient services are usually recommended.
The patients usually meet at a scheduled time for a group counseling session and may also have individual sessions weekly. They may also be screened for substance use and given assignments to perform while at home to further their recovery. Most group sessions include patients discussing and sharing their experiences around a specific recovery topic and may include support group meetings like Alcoholics Anonymous.
There are many different types of outpatient treatment. "Outpatient" only describes the fact that the patient doesn't live at the facility where treatment is rendered. So, many different types of rehabilitation have outpatient services. But outpatient drug and alcohol treatment is usually found wherever inpatient programs exist.
Outpatient treatment is best utilized as the next step after inpatient treatment is completed. As a supplement to a complete rehabilitation program, outpatient rehab doesn't provide a person who is actively using substances with the tools or support to stop. Although it may seem attractive to the prospective patient only to attend an outpatient program to treat their addiction, taking such a shortcut isn't advised. The recommended course is detox, inpatient treatment, and outpatient rehab. After completing outpatient treatment, the hope is that no further rehabilitation will be needed.
The questions from Addicted.org's "Ask a Professional" are answered by Michael Leach, CCMA. If you need further clarification on any of the questions above or have any other questions you can contact him directly at M.Leach@Addicted.org.
