Virtual IOP (VIOP)

What is Virtual IOP?

Virtual IOP (VIOP) is part of an intensive outpatient program for individuals undergoing rehab treatment for substance use disorders. It’s a level of treatment that falls between regular outpatient treatment (OP) and more intensive levels of care, such as inpatient residential treatment and partial hospitalization programs (PHP).

VIOP is a form of telehealth for addiction treatment that can utilize different forms of technology to allow patients to receive the rehab care they need without having to travel long distances to access a facility’s addiction specialists’ services in person. With the use of internet services such as videoconferencing apps like Zoom, texting, phone conversations and other web-based tools, patients can remain connected to their treatment plan through this virtual continuum of care option for outpatient care.

Digital tools like text messaging communications and smartphone apps have often been used to supplement treatment in rehab treatment plans of all types, making VIOP a natural addition to many intensive outpatient programs for the convenience of patients who are ready to return to work, continue with their schooling or simply are busy with daily family-related and other obligations.

How Does VIOP Work?

Participation in a VIOP works similarly to a typical Outpatient Program for most patients, although the rehab work is performed from a distance, with little or no in-person meetings.

Patients in rehab that can access a Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program may need to meet through web-based apps with their addiction counselor or therapist a few times a week, much as they would do if they were in a traditional outpatient program. You’ll meet with your counselor in virtual therapy sessions from wherever you are, usually your own home.

If your program includes medication-assisted treatment (MAT), some apps and wearable devices are available that will measure whether you’re taking the appropriate medication amounts.

Individual and groups VIOP meetings conducted via the internet may occur in three-hour sessions and can take 14-16 weeks to complete the program. Once an individual meets their goals for sobriety, through various therapeutic modalities that make up their individualized treatment plan, outpatient care is the next level of care upon discharge.

To complete VIOP treatment successfully you need to have these essentials:

Benefits of VIOP

Whether or not your participation in a VIOP is right for your addiction treatment regimen is something that you and your substance abuse specialist can discuss in detail when you’re deciding upon the best way to achieve your goals for long-term sobriety.

There are many benefits, however, that go along with completing your rehab with VIOP.

Flexible Scheduling:

Your ability to schedule virtual meetings can be more flexible with VIOP than they would be in person. Some nighttime and weekend schedules can often be more easily adapted when parties don’t have to travel to be somewhere at a certain time on a specific day of the week. You may find that it’s easier to fit VIOP into your personal schedule than it would be with a typical intensive outpatient program.

Convenience:

Because you can hop online for your rehab meetings anywhere you are, as long as you have a stable internet connection, VIOP is one of the most convenient forms of addition therapy. Whether you’re traveling out of the country, sipping coffee in a local café or lounging in your backyard, you’ll still be able to access your meetings for addiction recovery. Imagine being able to access hope and strive towards healing from the comforts of home, with no physical barriers separating you from your sobriety goals.

Comfort:

Like many people, you probably feel the most safe and comfortable when you’re in your own home. VIOP lets you relax and attend meetings without having to get in the car or take public transportation to your sessions. Instead, you can place more focus on understanding your relationships with addiction and/or mental health disorder as you continue to live at home, go to work or school, connect with family and friends and stay present in your own life.

High Quality of Care:

You can expect to receive the same high quality of care during VIOP meetings as you would with physical in-person therapy sessions, group therapy sessions, educational seminars and other treatment modalities. The tools to help you heal are all available to you through VIOP telehealth services.

Privacy:

For patients who are worried about being seen entering an addiction treatment facility, they avoid this perceived stigma when accessing treatment via VIOP in the privacy of their homes.

Availability of Therapists:

You’re no longer subject to the available open hours of a facility when therapists and addiction specialists can treatment during what were typically off-hours. You’ll also be able to access prompt support when you most need it through telehealth means.

Different ways of accessing telemedicine for addiction treatment give you more ways to connect with your therapists, counselors, addiction specialists, group meetings and educational supporters. You can take advantage of VIOP in many ways, depending upon your most preferred methods and those of your treatment team and your addiction center.

Various forms of VIOP methods involve the following:

1. Interactive Voice Recognition (IVR): Automated telephone systems that give patients answers to frequently asked questions. This has been found very helpful for patients completing outpatient treatment for alcohol addiction.
2. Online Rehab: Web-based applications are available for assessing substance use disorders and reducing alcohol consumption.
3. Videoconference: This treatment is used in addiction treatment for:

Video Therapy: You’ll connect with therapists on a computer or smartphone from your own home
Recovery Support: Your counselor or a peer (mentor) supports you in recovery when you need guidance due to cravings, triggers, etc.

Specialty Services: Some patients need access to specialists online who can prescribe medications, such as buprenorphine for opiate addiction treatment.

Telehealth and Addiction Treatment

Regardless of where you live, addiction treatment is available to you through telehealth means. This makes you recovery journey that much easier if you live in rural area that makes travel to a rehab facility difficult for outpatient treatment. It’s also a simpler way to access treatment if you live in a big city or a suburban town when you can’t attend an in-person treatment program on regular basis for one reason or another.

Telehealth for addiction treatment can help you heal from substance use disorder and most co-occurring mental health disorders you suffer from that may have led to or contributed to your drug or alcohol addiction.

VIOP recovery can provide you with help in the following areas:

VIOP at Resurgence Behavioral Health

At Resurgence Behavioral Health, we offer our patients the option of treatment via a Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program at some of our locations. This is conducted through a specialized telehealth online platform to help our clients maintain the success they’ve achieved for long-term recovery.

This program is especially helpful for our patients who needed to travel from their homes in distant areas to complete their residential treatment programs, but who are now able to go back home and move on with their outpatient treatment via our VIOP at Resurgence Behavioral Health. This ability to continue maintaining their rehab treatment from the comforts of home is a huge bonus for those patients accessing rehab care in our locations that offer VIOP.

The VIOP intake process is very similar to our in-person IOP program, during which time we assess whether virtual telehealth treatment is right for your needs. These diagnostic assessments can usually be completed via the telephone or through a secure video app. It’s possible that you’ll need a period of residential detox and/or inpatient rehab treatment before you can shift over to a virtual intensive outpatient program.

Help and healing through a VIOP at Resurgence Behavioral Health may be exactly the path to recovery that you’ve been seeking. Call us today to find out more about what’s available to help you reach your future goals for long-lasting sobriety.