Intensive Outpatient Mental Health Treatment is a form of treatment designed to help those with mental health conditions, substance abuse disorders, and dual diagnoses through a combination of group and individual therapy. Qualified mental health professionals lead clients through behavioral health programming, providing personalized treatment plans, evidence-based programs, and psychoeducation resources.
Studies have demonstrated that “IOP treatment group made statistically reliable and clinically significant improvements on every symptom scale, moved to a less severe range of functioning, and improved GAF (Global Assessment Functioning) scores while being treated on an outpatient basis.”1 The goal of intensive outpatient treatment is to equip clients with mental health services and coping skills for long-term recovery and wellness.
IOP programs provide comprehensive mental health treatment and thorough access to health care, but at a more flexible schedule. AMFM Mental Health Treatment in California offers outpatient programs, with both in-person and virtual treatment options to meet your unique needs.
Inpatient Treatment usually refers to live-in 24/7 residential mental health treatment services, while Outpatient Treatment refers to mental health programming that’s limited to a certain number of hours a day. Inpatient treatment tends to provide a higher level of care, due to the around-the-clock nature of the programming, and may be helpful for those with more intense mental health or physical health needs.
However, both inpatient and outpatient treatment plans with AMFM Mental Health Treatment offer a high standard of care and attention, thorough programming, psychiatry assistance and medication management, and upon exit, aftercare and relapse prevention strategies.
AMFM Mental Health in California also offers partial hospitalization programs (PHP) which usually consists of a higher frequency of programming than IOP, but not quite as often as residential treatment. Some may see IOP as a step-down from residential care, but only in the number of hours, never the quality of care.
AMFM is here to help you or your loved one take the next steps towards an improved mental well-being.
It’s estimated that more than one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness.2
AMFM Mental Health Treatment has extensive experience treating a variety of mental health conditions and substance use disorders through dual diagnosis treatment and evidence-based therapies, including but not limited to the following:
IOP programming focuses on reducing the impact of trauma by teaching grounding skills, addressing triggers, and learning how to process painful experiences.
When it comes to BPD, IOP programming focuses on emotional regulation, relationship stability through proven therapies like dialectical behavior therapy.
IOP programming for bipolar disorder focuses on stabilizing mood swings and improving daily functioning via group therapy, psychoeducation, and ongoing psychiatric support.
IOP programming for schizophrenia consists of medical monitoring, medication management, and structured therapy to reduce the severity of symptom flare-ups.
IOP programming for anxiety disorders focuses on learning practical ways to reduce the physical symptoms associated with these disorders.
In depression IOP treatment, clinicians focus on reducing isolation, increasing activity, and restoring emotional balance.
AMFM Mental Health Treatment outpatient services offer both virtual and in-person programming; outpatient mental health treatment helps provide a more flexible alternative to residential treatment, with a combination of individual and group therapies meeting on weekly or bi-weekly schedules.
Because many IOP programs are virtual, they can allow you or your loved one to continue with regularly scheduled activities, like work and/or schooling, while continuing to put your mental and emotional health at the forefront of your life. Our outpatient programming usually consists of nine or more hours of mental health care spread out over a few days, and can be available for morning and evening scheduling. IOPs provide a supportive environment, hands-on case management, and holistic, compassionate care.
Mental health programming usually consists of a combination of psychotherapy modalities, including but not limited to the following:
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of therapy that’s focused on restructuring and reprogramming maladaptive and negative thought processes4. Psychologists are trained to help you change your cognitive and emotional processes in order to outgrow coping mechanisms that may no longer be serving you. CBT has been proven to help with increasing mindfulness for long-term recovery.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is most commonly referred to as “talk therapy,” and is designed to help foster healthier emotional regulation. Qualified professionals offer psychological therapy to move forward with healthy ways of engaging in interpersonal relationships and alleviating physical and emotional distress.
EMDR Therapy is a renowned method of reprocessing most often used in trauma therapy5. By activating the prefrontal cortex through a series of bilateral stimulation, qualified professionals can lead you through traumatic experiences, helping you to alleviate the distress symptomized by trauma.
Art therapy allows clients a more expressive way to confront their mental health challenges, with visual and emotional processing at the forefront of the methodology. AMFM Mental Health Treatment California offers art therapy, as well as somatic therapy and narrative therapy.
Both inpatient and outpatient facilities usually offer family support groups and resources for family members on a regular basis. At AMFM, we know that healing and growing can take a village, and you and your loved ones are in good hands.
AMFM Mental Health Treatment accepts most major insurance providers and can find out what your coverage levels would look like for an intensive outpatient mental health program in California.
For more information on you or your loved one’s eligibility, coverage, or referral details, you can fill out the form below confidentially, or call us to speak confidentially with a member of our care team.
Insurance can be complicated but we are here to help. AMFM has over a decade of experience in the mental health field and is in-network with many large insurance providers.
By using our form, we can quickly determine if you are in-network at one of our facilities. Insurance benefits vary greatly depending on the policy you have, so we obtain a detailed quote of your coverage.
It usually takes between sixty to ninety minutes depending on the time of day.
Our team will check insurance coverage and determine the benefits available to you for mental health services.
We also have private pay options available.
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To start your search for a local intensive outpatient provider in California, trying using some, if not all, of the following steps during your search:
Search engines like Google or Bing are commonly used to start the treatment the selection process for a mental health treatment provider.
Depending on whether or not location is a large factor in your decision making, you can use location specific terms in your search to narrow down the results.
Other sites like yelp.com and recovery.com are great resources for you to identify potential providers.
Reach out to mental health helplines, hotlines, and local support organizations. They may be able to provide recommendations for short-term treatment programs in your community.
Professional: Speak with your primary care physician or mental health provider about your symptoms. They can help you determine which type of program would be appropriate for you, and provide you with referrals for short-term recovery programs in your vicinity.
Personal: Ask your friends, family members, or others for treatment recommendations. They may have personal experiences or insights into nearby recovery centers.
Reviews are great social proof you can use to make an assessment of whether or not you would be interested in attending a particular mental health treatment center.
Look through available reviews and testimonials from others to get an idea of the quality of care provided within the one-month treatment program. This can include details about the staff, amenities, and overall program satisfaction.
Ensure that the recovery centers you are considering are licensed by the appropriate regulatory bodies. This tells you that their program is effective and ethical.
Intensive treatment programs generally provide information about their available services on their website. This can help you understand available options for therapy, counseling, and aftercare support.
Contact short-term treatment centers directly with your questions and concerns. You can ask about their staff’s qualifications, amenities, and what sets them apart from other shot-duration recovery programs.
Verifying your insurance can help you determine which residential treatment facilities are in-network. This can help you learn about what you would pay out-of-pocket for treatment, and additional expenses you may encounter.
Many insurance carriers also offer provider search pages which will allow you to find a mental health treatment provider in-network with your carrier.
AMFM Mental Health Treatment in California is established in the mental health industry, with over a decade of experience in helping people return to their daily lives with adjusted and healthy coping mechanisms, strong foundations in recovery, and tools for cognitive and behavioral health.
With over 10 locations across the state, AMFM is only a phone call away.
Take a tour of our residential mental health facilities located in California. Our locations offer peace & comfort within a residential environment where you can relax and focus on yourself.
Our well-appointed facilities are located in Carlsbad, Dana Point, Fallbrook, Laguna Hills, Laguna Nigel, Lake Forest, and San Juan Capistrano.
Additionally, we offer both in-person and virtual outpatient services in California so you can be supported after leaving residential.
Wise, E. A. (2003). Empirical Validation of a Mental Health Intensive Outpatient Program in a Private Practice Setting. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 73(4), 405–410. https://doi.org/10.1037/0002-9432.73.4.405
“Mental Illness – National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).” National Institute of Mental Health, https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness. Accessed 3 March 2025.
“APA Dictionary of Psychology.” APA Dictionary of Psychology, https://dictionary.apa.org/cognitive-behavior-therapy. Accessed 20 February 2025.
“Psychotherapy: Understanding group therapy.” American Psychological Association, 31 October 2019, https://www.apa.org/topics/psychotherapy/group-therapy. Accessed 20 February 2025.
“What is EMDR?” EMDR Institute, https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/. Accessed 20 February 2025.
