Adolescent IOP

The adolescent intensive outpatient program at Longleaf Hospital serves young people who have a variety of mental health and addiction concerns, including: 

• Depression 
• Anxiety
• Self-harm
• Conduct disorder
• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Substance use disorders 

Additionally, our adolescent IOP is equipped to provide excellent support for those who are healing from the effects of trauma.  

The length of participation in our IOP for teens can vary based on individual needs. However, in general, each young person takes part in our structured outpatient programming for about 12-16 weeks. During this time, our caring IOP professionals provide customized services for each patient and help them make progress toward achieving their therapeutic goals and setting the stage for ongoing success.  

When your child takes part in our adolescent IOP, they will receive regular intensive programming but will be able to return home at the end of each session. This approach to care allows for more flexibility than an inpatient or residential program while still offering a level of focus and support that can help your teen make progress and thrive.  

Our adolescent IOP includes a comprehensive set of therapies and services and provides personalized care for each person in the program. We also incorporate evidence-based therapies into our IOP so that your child can have access to a range of therapeutic approaches and discover what may work best for them. For young people who are taking medication as part of their care plans, we also provide medication management services. Our medication management services include meetings with a psychiatrist twice a month along with monitoring and administering of medications by our IOP staff.  

The IOP level of care provides a valuable opportunity for adolescents who are struggling with behavioral health concerns to attend to their needs and receive expert guidance. Young people who take part in intensive outpatient care often come away with a variety of benefits, including better problem-solving skills, improved self-awareness, greater self-confidence, and stronger communication abilities. 

The convenient structure of an intensive outpatient program makes it possible for young people to continue participating in everyday activities and fulfilling daily commitments while receiving treatment. Adolescents in our IOP can continue attending school and meeting their academic goals outside of programming hours. They can also use skills and techniques they learn in our program to improve their day-to-day lives at home and with family members.  

Intensive outpatient programming can also serve as an excellent continuing care option after a young person completes a more intensive form of treatment like an inpatient program. Stepping down to a comprehensive IOP can allow your teen to transition back to regular routines with the focused support of a team of professionals. These professionals can monitor their progress and help them navigate challenges along their path to longer-term healing.  

Conversely, some families may turn to an IOP such as ours when traditional outpatient services have not been able to meet their child’s current needs.  

The adolescent IOP at Longleaf Hospital is appropriate for young people who are transitioning from a variety of therapeutic settings, as well as those who are receiving treatment for the first time. Wherever a young person might be on their healing journey, our professionals will strive to provide the highest levels of care and support for them.  

Our adolescent IOP offers a wide range of therapies that can promote healing and empowerment for patients. A young person’s IOP care plan can include the following basic therapeutic interventions: 

• Individual therapy  
• Family therapy  
• Group therapy 

Each of the above therapies takes place with a qualified social worker. In our adolescent IOP, youths usually participate in individual therapy at least once a month, although we may schedule additional sessions as needed. Family therapy also occurs on an as-needed basis. These sessions can be important opportunities for loved ones to learn how to support their child, take steps to resolve conflicts, and benefit from professional support and guidance.  

Group therapy sessions occur about twice a week in our adolescent intensive outpatient program. We primarily offer process-focused psychotherapy groups and usually cover topics that relate to the disorders and symptoms patients are struggling with. Group therapy is a key component of the IOP experience at Longleaf Hospital, and patients may find that it is an important setting where they can make progress.  

Young people in our IOP may also benefit from the following therapeutic modalities: 

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) 
• Motivational interviewing (MI) 
• Motivational enhancement therapy (MET) 

• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) 

CBT is a type of behavioral therapy that focuses on solving current challenges and developing healthy coping strategies. In general, CBT can help people understand how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are related. From there, patients who are receiving CBT can begin to develop healthier thought patterns and behavior responses.  

Motivational interviewing is a counseling method that helps people harness an internal desire to change for the better. Professionals who use motivational interviewing may rely on techniques like empathy, reflective listening, open-ended questions, and recognition of patients’ strengths. The MI process doesn’t impose solutions on patients. Instead, it fosters collaboration and reflection that can lead to positive change.  

In our adolescent intensive outpatient programming, we can also offer motivational enhancement therapy, which is similar to MI in both its goals and approach.  

Additionally, we may incorporate EMDR into an adolescent’s individualized care plan if appropriate. EMDR is a focused therapy that can help people find healing from the impacts of trauma.

If you’re searching for structured youth outpatient programming in central Louisiana, we encourage you to reach out to the friendly admissions staff at Longleaf Hospital. The staff at our Alexandria hospital is ready to support potential patients and their families by answering their questions and helping them access the care that’s right for them. As with all our programs, we want our adolescent IOP to be a source of quality care and healing for those who need it.  

To begin the admissions process, you may contact our intake team to request an assessment. A member of our qualified staff will complete a detailed assessment of the young person’s needs, history, and treatment goals. Based on the results of the intake assessment, our team will be able to determine whether the young person meets the criteria for our adolescent IOP. If another level of care at our facility may be more appropriate, we will recommend admission to that program. 

If our IOP services are a fit, we’ll work with the patient and their family to ensure a smooth transition to care. We understand the stress that can come with seeking behavioral health support, and our staff is experienced in helping people as they take these initial brave steps toward a brighter future. To ensure that young people and their families can access our services in a variety of ways, we accept admissions inquiries by self-referral or referral from another provider. 

At our hospital in Alexandria, Louisiana, we are dedicated to delivering services that respond to individual, family, and community needs in a welcoming environment. If you are interested in learning whether our adolescent IOP can benefit your child, we encourage you to contact our admissions team today. 

Several features of our adolescent IOP and our facility in general may set us apart from other youth behavioral health outpatient programs. Below are some of the foundational elements of our mission, vision, and philosophy at Longleaf Hospital: 

• Treating individual patient needs: We deliver high-quality care while catering to the unique and specific needs of each patient. 
• Maintaining a qualified and caring staff: We hire skilled and compassionate professionals who can successfully support our patients.  
• Promoting positive outcomes: We help patients reclaim productive lives by empowering them and providing care that supports long-term success. 

In our premier adolescent IOP, young people can work with kind and qualified professionals who are dedicated to helping them access the resources they need to function better in their daily lives. Additionally, these professionals make sure that each youth in their care has a solid aftercare plan to guide their next steps when programming ends. Our staff knows that each person’s journey is different and tailors their aftercare recommendations to promote the most optimal outcomes for each patient. 

To learn more about our adolescent IOP, please contact Longleaf Hospital in Alexandria, Louisiana, today. We look forward to supporting you and your loved one on their journey to a healthier future.