[nottrustin]

I notice people here refer to IOP programs as well as PH...is there a difference??

I work in an outpatient program and wondered what the difference is in different places>

Again, depends on the hospital. The hospital I use also has a IOP program. It is not actually on the inpatient floor but instead in another area of the hospital. It is only three days a week and only for I think 3 hours a day. Generally, my understanding is the step down is from IP to PHP to IOP at our hospital as far as transition goes. I've never done them myself because the hospital is quite a drive from where we live, but I heard good things about the IOP program.

[ThisWayOut]

for the programs I have attended, php tends to be a full 5 days with slightly longer days (5 hours instead of 4). iop has been 3-4 days for only 4 hours.
The recent IOP intake I attended was the first one I went to on a locked unit though. It was run very much like a regular locked unit (very little structure or actual therapy), only patients arrived in the am and left after 2. They still needed permission to leave the unit, and groups were very loose. The only day I was there (for the intake), in 3 hours, there was one 15 minute group and it consisted of people talking over each other without much facilitation from the therapist. It was too triggering for me, so I did not return. Past iop/php programs I had attended elsewhere were much more structured and helpful. They were *not* on locked units, and we actually accomplished therapeutic activities.

[nottrustin]

Thank you I was just curious. At the hospital I work at the only difference is caused by insurance. The clients all attend the same sessions and such. Iop is 4 hours a day 4 days a week. However medicare requires the program be 5 hours. The those parties have one other group.