Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program
Other Programs: Residential | Day Treatment | Intensive In-Home | Community Intervention
VIOP offers a minimum of six-weeks online intensive outpatient therapy designed for teens ages 13-17. Our treatment addresses the causes and symptoms that are interfering with school, home, and interpersonal relationships. This program is available to clients throughout the state of Georgia and Florida.
Teens ages 13-17 and their families. VIOP clients are typically able to maintain safety in the home environment and manage their academic responsibilities during the school day. However, VIOP clients need more intensive therapy and medication management than regular outpatient services. Teens who have severe depression, anxiety, or difficulties with interpersonal relationships. Teens who have non-suicidal self-harming behaviors (NSSI) or passive suicidal ideations. Teens must be able to effectively engage through telehealth platforms.
Most VIOP clients have not been hospitalized in short-term acute inpatient psychiatric hospitals or have had minimal hospitalizations. Teens who have completed treatment in more intensive treatment settings (residential or wilderness programs) and have made progress in stabilizing high-risk behaviors may also find virtual IOP to be a good transitional treatment for the aftercare.
Clients are engaged in an interactive online DBT Skills curriculum along with individual therapy and family therapy. Clients remain with the family in the home setting and usually still attend school. Clients log-on to Zoom to participate in DBT group programming Monday through Friday from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. for at least 6 consecutive weeks. The program can be extended to 8 or 10 weeks based on individual needs.
Each week of treatment, client receives:
- 15 hours of group programming based on DBT skills
- Social skills group
- Experiential therapy
- Social-emotional learning
- Individual and family therapy outside of the structured 15 hours
- Access to DBT coaching calls with a therapist outside of program hours
Parents are engaged in family therapy weekly and have the opportunity to attend parent DBT groups on Tuesday 4:00-5:30 p.m. and Family Psychoeducation groups every other Friday at noon via Zoom. Outside of group programming hours, clients engage in weekly individual therapy, weekly family therapy, and receive psychiatric medication management every other week.
Virtual DBT for Teens Program Requirements:
- Clients need to be able to safely participate in treatment online.
- A guardian or adult proxy must be present during all programming hours.
VIOP specializes in supporting clients with moderate to severe depression or anxiety, difficulties with emotion dysregulation, self-harming behavior, and passive suicidality. VIOP is most effective with clients who are willing to engage through Zoom and is not a good fit for clients who struggle with problematic electronic use, active substance use, or psychosis.
The Virtual IOP program curriculum is based on building DBT Skills.
Q: Do you take insurance?
A: Virtual DBT IOP Program at Hillside is in-network with all major insurance plans that allow for telemental health treatment including Tricare. We are also able to work with Commercially Managed Medicaid plans in Georgia: Amerigroup, CareSource, PeachState.
Q: What is the family involvement during treatment?
A: Parents are engaged in family therapy weekly as well as the Caregiver DBT groups on Tuesdays 4:00-5:30 p.m. and Family Psychoeducation session every other Friday via Zoom.
Q: What about School?
A: Most clients in Virtual DBT IOP continue to attend school while participating in treatment. Depending on the school schedule, some minor arrangement may need to be made to accommodate treatment. As the situation differs for each client, our treatment team will discuss how to manage school and treatment with each family prior to starting treatment.