Focused Addiction Treatment
What’s Next After Outpatient Recovery?

If you are considering entering into an IOP program or if you are already engaged in IOP, you might be wondering what happens when outpatient treatment comes to an end. What happens after outpatient treatment depends on your personal needs. When developing your personalized aftercare plan, several important factors are taken into account. In most cases, aftercare includes a combination of individualized therapy, peer support groups and a continuation of medication assisted treatment whenever necessary. Each individual aftercare plan is custom-tailored to meet all of your unique clinical needs. At Guardian IOP we remain dedicated to ensuring you feel as prepared for the entire recovery process as possible, from start to finish. If you have any additional questions about what happens after IOP, contact us today.

Planning for Discharge

Discharge planning begins several weeks before a client graduates from our IOP program. Discharge plans are not set in stone prior to program completion — they change and evolve as a client makes progress in their recovery. Discharge plans take multiple factors into account, and vary significantly on a person-to-person basis. Some of the factors we consider when developing discharge plans include:

  • Any potential barriers to continued sobriety the individual client might face.
  • Where the client is currently living and where they plan on living once treatment concludes.
  • Which peer support groups the client would benefit from participating in.
  • Whether or not longer term MAT is necessary.
  • Whether or not the client requires ongoing psychiatric care.

We run potential discharge plans by the client and their family members, ensuring the plan works for everyone involved in the recovery process. We want to ensure our clients and their loved ones feel confident and adequately prepared as they take the next steps.

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Sober Living

Sober living housing provides residents with extra support as they navigate early sobriety. In a sober living home, residents live among other sober men or women who are all working towards the same common goal — avoid relapse and successfully reintegrate as productive members of society.
At Guardian IOP we encourage our clients to move into a sober living home if they:

  • Have a personal history of relapse.
  • Do not have a supportive or sober-friendly living environment at home.
  • Would benefit from continuing to hone life skills.
  • Need an increased level of accountability.
  • Experienced homelessness as a direct result of their addiction.

While we do not provide sober living homes of our own, we work closely with reputable sober homes across the country. If one of our clients makes the decision to transition into sober living while they are in IOP or once IOP concludes, we are more than happy to point them in the right direction.

Benefits of Sober Living Housing Include:

  • Sober living provides residents with ongoing guidance and support as they navigate early sobriety.
  • Residents are held accountable, and required to stay completely abstinent from all mood and mind-altering substances.
  • Sober living provides residents with a built-in support system.
  • Many sober living homes require residents to maintain a job, participate in daily chores and attend at least one recovery meeting a day, keeping them on the right track in their personal recovery journeys.
  • Residents work towards financial independence and learn how to care for themselves before transitioning back into independent living.

Our Drug & Alcohol Treatment Services Include


Continuing Therapy

The majority of aftercare plans include a continuation of individual therapy. Once a client graduates from our IOP program they have the option of continuing with the individual therapist they worked with while in outpatient treatment. We typically encourage clients to continue with their IOP therapist, seeing as the therapist already has insight into areas that require ongoing attention and personal history. However, if a client is moving to a different area, we will help them find a licensed therapist close by. In some cases, a client and their loved ones might decide to continue with family therapy. Regardless of what type of continuing therapy is included in your aftercare plan, we are available to help you find the best therapist for you.

12-Step Programs

At Guardian IOP we often include participation in a 12-Step program in individualized aftercare plans. There are many benefits to staying engaged in a program like Alcoholics Anonymous once treatment concludes. Benefits include:

  • 12-Step programs help keep clients accountable.
  • 12-Step programs serve as a built-in sober support system.
  • Clients are able to openly discuss personal recovery-related challenges in a safe and supportive setting.
  • Clients build self-esteem and confidence in their recovery as they reach more sobriety-related milestones.
  • 12-Step programs add structure and routine to daily life.

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Alternative Support Groups

12-Step fellowships are not the only option when it comes to receiving ongoing support in a group setting. Some of our clients might benefit from participating in another type of support group in addition to a traditional 12-Step program.

what happens when intensive outpatient treatment ends?

Alternative Peer Support Groups Include:

  • Young People in Recovery – Also known as YPR, this organization revolves around providing young people with safe spaces to meet with others who are committed to overcoming drug or alcohol addiction.
  • SMART Recovery – This non-profit organization provides an alternative to AA which focuses on self-empowerment. The official website states, “Self-Management And Recovery Training (SMART) is a global community of mutual-support groups. At meetings, participants help one another resolve problems with any addiction (to drugs or alcohol or to activities such as gambling or over-eating).”
  • Al-Anon – There are other 12-Step meetings some of our clients might find beneficial. For example, Al-Anon provides support to those with loved ones who are struggling with addiction. Because addiction can be hereditary, many of our clients have other addicts and/or alcoholics in their family, and benefit from the coping mechanisms taught in this particular program.

Alumni Program

At Guardian IOP we have developed an alumni program to help keep past clients in touch. Our New Brunswick location has a thriving alumni program, seeing as this location has been open for the longest period of time. Members of the alumni program regularly arrange sobriety-friendly events and activities and serve on an alumni board, which includes a President and Vice President who are responsible for event organization. Our alumni program members also attend IOP graduation ceremonies, encouraging clients to continue with recovery and stay involved.

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If you have been considering IOP as a step-down level of care or as a standalone treatment option, Guardian IOP is available to help. If you are interested in additional details about our IOP program and what happens after IOP, contact us today. Our Treatment Advisors are always available to answer questions and to help you or your loved one get started with our simple and straightforward admissions process. As soon as you make the decision to reach out for help, we will be there. During our initial phone call we conduct a brief pre-assessment which helps our clinical team and therapeutic professionals determine which combination of treatment methods are going to be the most beneficial for each unique case. We also offer a free, no obligation insurance benefit check for those who are looking into potential coverage options. If you or your loved one is not currently covered by a major national provider or regional provider, we offer additional options including self-pay and private pay. Once the finer details are sorted out we help arrange local travel to one of our facilities. All you have to do is make the initial phone call and we will take care of the rest. Contact us today to begin.

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