Inpatient vs. Outpatient care and is it right for you?
Inpatient Treatment
One form of intensive mental health treatment can be through residential recovery programs which provide around-the-clock support. These often include a strict regime of treatments, usually blending care such as a variety of therapies, medication and related supervision, and detox if relevant. Simply put, inpatient care requires a patient to live in the treatment facility throughout the program.
Outpatient Treatment
Outpatient programs also blend a number of treatments specific to the individual for comprehensive and continuous regimen. However, patients do not live at the facility. The length of daily treatment can vary. Intensive outpatient programs (often referred to as intensive outpatient treatment or IOT) require patients fulfill full days of treatment and return home at night.
Note:
Inpatient and outpatient treatments are a wonderful option for many people. However, at times, individuals can be involuntarily placed in inpatient facilities. This can happen for a number of reasons including through court order or by a guardian’s decision. Most often this is for the individual’s safety and health.
However, in these cases, it is still important to know your rights and be a part of your treatment plan. You can find a list of your legal rights and corresponding exceptions at this link. This link may include Texas-specific information.
Costs:
Some insurance plans will cover the cost of inpatient/outpatient programs. However, many plans will limit the number of days in a facility that are fully covered.
Check out The Harris Center for their in patient and outpatient options in the Houston area.
Disclaimer: We are not mental health providers.