Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) for Mental Health

Teenagers today encounter unprecedented challenges that other generations did not have to deal with. From the constant access to peers through social media, an increase in academic and athletic pressures, unfiltered exposures to violent events throughout the world, and the comparison to others, teenagers are experiencing increasing rates of anxiety and depression. In 2023,  adolescents between the ages of 12 – 17, more than 5.3 million had been diagnosed with a behavioral health condition such as anxiety or depression (Sappenfield et al., 2024). Teenagers need the opportunity to build resiliency and learn adaptive coping skills to help regulate emotions and learn to sit in the uncertainty of life. 

Much like everyone else, teenagers do their best to try and solve their own problems. This can lead to maladaptive coping skills such as self-harm, isolation, loss of interest in hobbies / activities, decrease in academic performance or attendance and conflict and arguments – impacting relationships. We do the best we can with the information we have at that time. There is hope to be held that we can learn how to manage the painful moments with adaptive skills – when we have the support and opportunity to do so. 

Our Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program for Mental
Health (AIOP) is a structured program that aims to increase emotional
regulation, develop adaptative coping skills and promote meaningful,
sustainable functional change across home, school, and social settings. AIOP
provides accountability and structure similar to inpatient treatment with
opportunity to stay connected in your life and faces the difficult moments with real time supports. 

With integrating treatment approaches including Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance
and Commitment Therapy (ACT), our groups focus on understanding and challenging
triggers and vulnerabilities, challenging avoidance of difficult tasks /
situations through exposure, increasing awareness into behaviors, and
developing insight into identity and values to help foster resiliency.

Why group therapy?

Group therapy provides the opportunity for teens to build connections with individuals who share similar experiences. It can help to reduce stigma related to mental illnesses by hearing other perspectives and experiences. Group therapy allows teens to share success with each other and have support during hardships. While having support, teens can feel empowered to following through with shared goals, increasing accountability and engagement in treatment. 

You may be asking yourself – how would I manage school, sports, extra curriculum activities, etc. with group therapy? You may also be asking yourself do I really need this? We understand that the IOP schedule can feel demanding and overwhelming. At HPA/LiveWell, our fundamental belief is that people should be able to stay in their lives while receiving treatment that matches the intensity of symptoms. IOP is a temporary disruption to some activities to allow teens to stay at home while receiving life-changing treatment. Take a moment to reflect on how these activities have been impacted by symptoms of anxiety or depression. Are you able to be in the moment? Are you able to go to school consistently? Are you able to enjoy times with your friends or are your thoughts constantly interrupting? IOP allows for the opportunity to participate in a 12-week, skill-based program that fosters and encourages long-term, sustainable change to emotional regulation, mood, interpersonal relationships, and increases value-based living.