Mental Health Support for St. Louis Businesses & Community Providers

If you’re wondering whether IOP is right for your colleague or loved one, below are answers to the most common questions we receive. Don’t see your question? Just call our office at 314-388-2225, and we’re happy to give you the information you need.

What is IOP?

IOP is a short-term, intensive treatment designed to get results fast – no matter whether someone is struggling with trauma, treatment-resistant depression, severe anxiety, PTSD, or other major mental health challenges.

The focal point of treatment is group therapy. These sessions are led by a licensed therapist. And they’re designed to help clients work through the specific challenges they’re facing right now in their life. Being a part of a supportive group can provide you strength, courage, and insight no matter what people are going through.

How does IOP compare to traditional therapy?

Intensive outpatient treatment is not like traditional psychotherapy or regular medication management with a psychiatrist, which can go on for years. That kind of treatment is about keeping someone on the move forward instead of backward. Instead, IOP is a clear-cut intervention. The goal is a noticable improvement in as short a time as possible.

How short? The exact amount of time varies person to person depending on their needs/progress. Most of our clients report seeing a noticeable impact right from the first sessions. And people can expect to be in the program (and see results) for 6-10 weeks.

That said, we are huge believers in the power of individual therapy. And we’ll work with clients to help them find the ideal therapist for your needs. This gives clients the opportunity to further process the discoveries and lessons they gain in the IOP group sessions. And it ensures they’ll receive ongoing care and support after completing IOP.

How does IOP compare to inpatient care?

IOP does have some similarities to a residential program. Clients have the support of a full treatment team (therapist, care coordinator, psychiatrist, etc.). And they’ll receive direct, personalized care. However, with IOP people are still be able to live at home during treatment. This means they can stay connected to their community and support systems while receiving the care they need.

What happens when I refer someone to Plural Healthcare?

All you have to do is send them our way… and we take care of the rest.

After you make the referral, we’ll do a free consultation with the person you referred. This way we can get to know their situation and see if IOP is a right fit. If so, we’ll get them into a program as soon as possible. We take care of everything from disability leave paperwork, psychiatric evaluation (if necessary), insurance authorization, intake, treatment planning, treatment, to discharge.

How does the IOP process work?

Once we’ve determined that IOP may be right fit for someone, we start by having them establish goals that they want to meet. We take those “stated goals” to the treatment team. This team is comprised of a therapist, psychiatrist, care coordinator, and any other relevant staff. The team takes each clients’ goals and develops a specific treatment plan with organized steps and interventions. Their progress is monitored by the team on a regular basis.

Most of treatment will take place in a group setting. This includes 3 sessions per week; each 3 hours in length. Clients also regularly meet one-one-one with a psychiatrist and therapist as needed. Reach out today to get more information.

What areas can IOP help with?

Here are some common challenges that people seek out help with in IOP therapy:

How soon can people get started?

As soon as possible! When someone calls our mental health center, we’ll ask a few questions to see if IOP might be a good fit for their situation. Then we’ll try to get your psychiatric evaluation scheduled in as few as 1-2 business days. This evaluation is used to to help create a custom treatment plan. And it allows us to get authorization from your insurance for IOP – so people can get into the group sessions right away.

Do clients need to take off work to do IOP?

We recommend it, but it’s not a requirement.

IOP is different than being in a hospital or residential program. People will be able to still live at home and continue their day-to-day routines while getting treatment. And since the group sessions take place on three afternoons a week, they may choose to keep working part-time.

However, most people find it helpful to take a break from the stresses from their job or school. That way they can better focus on their treatment. If clients need to take leave for mental health reasons, we’re here to help take care of all necessary paperwork.

Is IOP covered by insurance?

Yes. Our IOP is in-network for most major private insurance plans (including Aetna, BCBS, Beacon, Cigna, and United Healthcare). We also accept out-of-network plans and have self-payment options for those without insurance.

We believe in being upfront about financial costs. We’ll confirm coverage with each client’s insurance and provide them with a detailed financial estimate (based on your insurance plan, deductible, and out-of-pocket maximum).

How can I know for sure if IOP is the right option?

IOP provides focused treatment to those facing serious mental health challenges. And it’s not for everyone. However, if you’re at all curious about how it may help – or if you just want to get a bit more information – please call us today for a free consultation. We’ll help you determine what mental health care is best.