Recovery and mental health treatment do not always require putting your entire life on hold.
For people who need more support than traditional outpatient therapy but do not require the intensity of a Partial Hospitalization Program, an Intensive Outpatient Program, commonly called IOP, can provide an important middle ground.
At Rainbow Hill Recovery, our Intensive Outpatient Program in Los Angeles provides structured mental health and substance use treatment while giving clients greater flexibility to begin balancing treatment with work, school, relationships, recovery, and everyday responsibilities.
IOP can be a starting point for treatment or the next step for someone transitioning from a higher level of care.
An Intensive Outpatient Program provides structured clinical treatment several days each week without requiring clients to live at a treatment facility.
IOP offers more support than traditional weekly outpatient therapy while allowing for greater independence than PHP or residential treatment.
At Rainbow Hill Recovery, we offer different IOP schedules based on each client’s clinical needs. Some clients may participate in programming five days per week, while others may attend three days per week as they develop greater stability and independence.
Programming generally consists of approximately three hours of treatment per day.
The appropriate schedule is determined based on clinical needs, progress, treatment goals, and level of support required.
IOP may be appropriate for someone who:
Not everyone follows the same treatment path.
Some clients begin directly in IOP, while others transition into IOP after completing a more intensive level of care.
Our Intensive Outpatient Program is designed to help clients continue doing meaningful clinical work while beginning to apply what they are learning outside of treatment.
Depending on individual clinical needs, treatment may include:
Individual sessions provide space to address personal concerns, explore patterns, process experiences, and work toward individualized treatment goals.
Group therapy allows clients to develop skills, receive support, gain perspective, and connect with others who are working through their own challenges.
Past experiences can influence how we respond to stress, relationships, emotions, substances, and the world around us.
Our clinical approach recognizes the role trauma can play while helping clients develop healthier ways of understanding and responding to those experiences.
Treatment may incorporate approaches such as DBT, EMDR, Brainspotting, and other evidence based and experiential modalities when clinically appropriate.
For clients experiencing substance use concerns, IOP can provide continued accountability while addressing triggers, coping patterns, relationships, relapse prevention, and the emotional experiences connected to substance use.
When clinically appropriate, psychiatric evaluation, medication management, and coordination of care may be incorporated into treatment.
Mental health and substance use often overlap.
Someone may be experiencing depression while using substances to feel something different.
Someone else may be struggling with anxiety and using substances to quiet their thoughts.
Trauma, grief, relationships, identity, family dynamics, and life transitions can influence both.
Rainbow Hill Recovery provides IOP treatment for individuals experiencing mental health concerns, substance use disorders, and co occurring conditions.
Treatment focuses on understanding the whole person rather than treating one symptom or diagnosis in isolation.
Recovery should evolve as you do.
Some clients need the structure of treatment five days each week. Others have reached a point where three days of programming provides the appropriate amount of support.
Rainbow Hill Recovery offers different levels of IOP programming so treatment can gradually adjust as clinical needs change.
Our IOP 5 programming generally consists of approximately three hours per day, five days per week.
Our IOP 3 programming generally consists of approximately three hours per day, three days per week.
Clinical recommendations determine which schedule is appropriate.
This allows treatment to become progressively less intensive without removing support all at once.
The primary difference between PHP and IOP is the intensity and amount of treatment provided.
At Rainbow Hill Recovery, PHP generally consists of approximately five hours per day, five days per week.
IOP generally consists of approximately three hours per treatment day, with programming available either five or three days per week depending on clinical needs.
Someone who needs significant daily stabilization may begin in PHP.
As stability improves, that person may transition into IOP.
The goal is to provide enough support to help someone move forward without providing more structure than they clinically need.
IOP is an important stage of treatment because more of life begins happening outside the treatment room.
Clients may begin taking on additional responsibilities, rebuilding relationships, returning to work or school, strengthening recovery communities, and practicing new ways of responding to everyday stress.
Treatment becomes somewhere to process what is happening in real life and continue developing the tools to navigate it.
That is an important part of lasting change.
At Rainbow Hill Recovery, IOP generally consists of approximately three hours of programming per treatment day.
Depending on clinical needs, clients may participate in IOP five days per week or three days per week.
IOP provides greater flexibility than PHP and may allow clients to begin balancing treatment with work, school, or other responsibilities depending on their schedule and clinical needs.
No. Some clients begin treatment directly in IOP, while others transition into IOP after PHP, residential, or inpatient treatment.
Yes. Rainbow Hill Recovery provides treatment for mental health concerns, substance use disorders, and co occurring conditions.
Many insurance plans provide benefits for Intensive Outpatient Programs when medically necessary. Coverage varies by plan. Our admissions team can review your benefits and help explain your options.
You do not have to wait until everything falls apart to ask for more support.
If weekly therapy is not enough, or if you are ready to transition from a higher level of care, our Intensive Outpatient Program in Los Angeles may provide the structure you need while allowing you to continue building your life outside of treatment.
Our admissions team can help determine the appropriate level of care, review insurance benefits, and answer questions about beginning treatment.
Treatment should support the life you are trying to build, not replace it.
Joie Gyondla serves as Rainbow Hill Recovery’s Clinical Support Coordinator, bringing compassion, empathy, and a genuine commitment to supporting every client who walks through our doors. With a background in recovery support, Joie understands the importance of creating a welcoming, organized, and affirming environment where individuals feel seen, valued, and supported throughout their treatment journey.
Working closely with both clients and the clinical team, Joie helps ensure that each person’s experience is as seamless as possible, providing encouragement, guidance, and practical support every step of the way. Her calm presence and dedication to helping others foster a sense of safety and connection that allows clients to focus on what matters most: their recovery.
Joie believes that healing begins with compassion and that even the smallest acts of kindness can make a lasting difference. She is proud to be part of the Rainbow Hill Recovery team, helping create a community where every individual is empowered to build a healthier, more authentic future.
Co-Founder of the LGBTQ+ Association for Addiction and Mental Health Professionals Clinical Outreach Specialist for Rainbow Hill Recovery LGBTQ Sensitivity Training Consultant
Steven Buffin-Stewart is the Case Manager at Rainbow Hill Recovery, with over five years of experience in substance use and mental health treatment. A CADC ll professional in recovery themselves, Steven combines clinical knowledge with lived experience to provide compassionate, coordinated care and foster inclusive, affirming spaces where clients feel supported, empowered, and hopeful in their healing journey.
Steven Buffin-Stewart is the Program and Case Manager at Rainbow Hill Recovery, with over five years of experience in substance use and mental health treatment. A CADC ll professional in recovery themselves, Steven combines clinical knowledge with lived experience to provide compassionate, coordinated care and foster inclusive, affirming spaces where clients feel supported, empowered, and hopeful in their healing journey.
Janae Borrego serves as Rainbow Hill Recovery’s Cross-Cultural Relations Officer and Outpatient Therapist, where she combines her clinical expertise with a deep commitment to fostering an inclusive, culturally responsive environment for every client. Her ability to understand, appreciate, and navigate diverse cultural perspectives has made her an invaluable leader as Rainbow Hill continues to grow and evolve.
In her role, Janae works to strengthen cultural understanding throughout the organization, ensuring that clients, families, and staff feel respected, heard, and represented. She provides ongoing guidance on cultural sensitivity and inclusive practices while helping shape programs that honor the unique identities, backgrounds, and lived experiences of those we serve.
As an Outpatient Therapist, Janae is dedicated to helping clients navigate recovery, mental health, and life’s challenges with compassion, authenticity, and evidence-based care. She believes that meaningful healing begins when individuals feel safe to show up as their authentic selves and receive support that acknowledges the whole person.
Janae is passionate about creating spaces where diversity is celebrated, connection is strengthened, and every individual has the opportunity to heal and thrive. Her leadership continues to advance Rainbow Hill Recovery’s mission of providing affirming, trauma-informed care that meets the evolving needs of the communities we serve.
With over a decade of experience in addiction recovery, Andrew is passionate about helping individuals reclaim their lives and find lasting healing. As Co-founder and Director of Rainbow Hill Recovery, he is dedicated to creating a supportive environment that fosters hope, resilience, and transformation.
Joey Bachrach is the Co-Founder and CEO of Rainbow Hill Recovery, an LGBTQ-affirming mental health and substance use treatment center in Los Angeles. Drawing from both professional leadership and lived recovery experience, Joey is dedicated to creating safe, inclusive spaces where individuals are fully seen, affirmed, and supported on their healing journey.