Adult Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)

IOP Treatment: Why Choose Fairfax Behavioral Health?

Do you need extra mental health support? The Fairfax Behavioral Health adult intensive outpatient program (IOP) can help. Our program helps you manage your symptoms while you live at home and continue your daily responsibilities.

This outpatient mental health program is for adults 18 and up. You focus on building practical, long-term skills, coping strategies and effective communication tools. We’re here to help you succeed.

Our intensive outpatient program gives you a higher level of care than traditional weekly therapy. We meet three hours a day, three days a week. We typically recommend attending the program for eight weeks to get the most out of it.

Highlights of our program include:

• Flexible options: You can choose from morning, afternoon and evening options, as well as virtual tracks. Our IOPs include mixed-gender options and one for people who identify as female. Our virtual options are for people in rural parts of Washington, Oregon and Alaska.
• Bridge with support: Some people use IOP to step down from our partial hospitalization program (PHP) or inpatient adult psychiatric treatment program. Others enter the program directly. We also offer a substance use disorder IOP.
• Real-life applications: You have opportunities to apply what you learn during therapy to your daily life. Practice your skills and then come back to work through your challenges.
• Strong support system: We foster a sense of community as you go through this journey with your peers.
• Help for all: We value everyone. We support and affirm LGBTQ+ individuals. We’re also neurodivergent-friendly and present learning materials in various formats to accommodate different learning styles.
• Caring providers: You receive encouragement, support and guidance as you progress toward your mental health goals.

What to Expect With the Intensive Outpatient Program

Our IOP program focuses on dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). This type of therapy provides you with a toolkit for managing everyday challenges. DBT can help build skills in mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation and more.

Your treatment includes:

• Daily group therapy: These sessions are for shared healing and connections.
• Skills groups: You learn how to build successful strategies.
• Psychosocial education: Gain a deeper understanding of what mental wellness looks like.
• Medication management: We find the medications that can help you.
• Regular check-ins: These meetings help us evaluate how you are progressing and what changes you may need.
• Family meetings: You may choose to involve family members in your care.

Focus on group therapy

We use group therapy in most aspects of our intensive outpatient program. Group therapy offers you a sense of community and the opportunity to learn from others. You also get the chance to practice your new skills with others who understand.

Adult IOP: Conditions We Treat

IOP is for adults with moderate mental health conditions who need extra support and help to function their best. Some conditions we treat include:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Bipolar disorder
• Suicidal thoughts, under certain conditions
• Thought disorders
• Trauma

Getting Ready for Discharge

We help you prepare for your next steps before you leave the program. We check that you’re doing well on your medication before we discharge you. We also help you find a therapist if you don’t already have one and provide community resources, like support groups, to smooth your transition.

Our Locations

You can find our intensive outpatient programs in Bellevue and Kirkland in the eastern Seattle metropolitan area. Our modern, welcoming facilities include spacious meeting rooms and quiet areas for you to take a break when you need it.

Get Help Now

Call us at 425-821-2000 for an assessment or message us for more information. Read more about the Fairfax Behavioral Health admissions process.

In case of a mental health crisis, call 988 or seek the nearest emergency room.