Clinically Reviewed by
An intensive outpatient program (IOP) combines several therapy sessions each week with living at home, so you get real structure without stepping away from your work, your studies, or your family.
If you have been told IOP might be the right next step, you may be picturing something bigger than it is. Most of the week still belongs to you, and the hours you do spend in program look more like conversation than crisis.
Our women-only intensive outpatient program in Riverside serves adult women across the Inland Empire and Southern California. All of our IOP care is delivered in person, at our Riverside center.
What an IOP program actually is
IOP sits between weekly therapy and full-day programming. You come in several days a week for a few hours at a time, then go home to your own bed and your own routine.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s clinical guidance on intensive outpatient treatment (TIP 47) describes programs providing nine or more structured hours per week, spread across three to five days.
Its consensus panel recommends flexing that number to the person. Two women in the same program can be on different day counts, and that is by design.
Our IOP at Sol Women’s Treatment runs three to five days a week, three to four hours a day, in small all-female groups. We are certified by the California Department of Health Care Services for outpatient and intensive outpatient services, and licensed by the California Department of Social Services as an Adult Day Program.
What a week in IOP looks like
Most of your program hours are spent in group. The rest is individual time, skills practice, and quieter wellness work that helps your nervous system settle.
You leave each day with a plan for the hours in between. Women often tell us that part surprised them most.
The therapies you will take part in
Our IOP is trauma-informed and dual-diagnosis, so mental health and substance use are treated together instead of separately.
The National Institute of Mental Health’s overview of evidence-based psychotherapies describes these approaches as skills-based, with the learning reinforced through practice between sessions. IOP hours are spread across several days so you have those gaps to practice in.
Much of this work happens in women-only group therapy sessions, where many women tell us it feels safer to speak honestly. If trauma is at the heart of what brought you here, our trauma-targeted track for women shapes the work around that.
Is IOP the right level of care for you?
IOP tends to fit when weekly therapy is not quite holding you, but full-day care would take more from your life than it gives back.
IOP may suit you if you are medically stable, can travel to sessions reliably, and want to keep work, school, or caregiving going while you get real clinical support. It also works well as a step down after a higher level of care.
Sometimes something more supportive comes first. If you are in medical detox, need around-the-clock care, or are in acute crisis, that is not a closed door. It means a different first step, and we will help you find it.
If you would like to compare PHP and IOP before you decide, we have written that out in detail.
Some women also need a steadier place to live while they are in program. Our supportive housing for women pairs with IOP, with a 24/7 female house manager on site.
Your first day, step by step
What to bring on your first day
Arrive ten to twenty minutes early so paperwork does not eat into your first group, and leave valuables at home. The rest we can sort out here.
Privacy and safety in an all-female group
Groups only work when women trust the room. What is said in group stays in group, and every member is asked to hold that.
Confidentiality has legal limits, as it does anywhere in behavioral health. Clinicians have a duty to act on imminent risk of harm, suspected abuse of a child or dependent adult, or a court order. If that happens, we tell you what has to be reported and why, and we bring you into the plan.
You can ask for privacy accommodations at any point, and you do not need a reason. Some women ask to keep details out of group notes. Others ask for a check-in after group when a topic has stirred something up.
Our census is capped at 25 clients, so those requests are easy to honor.
If you are pregnant, postpartum, or caring for a small child, tell us at intake so we can plan around it. Our writing on mental health support during pregnancy may also be a gentle place to start.
What happens when IOP ends
Leaving program can feel hopeful and unsteady at once. Neither feeling means you are going backwards.
Your treatment team reviews your progress with you as you go, and together you decide whether to continue, step down to a lighter outpatient schedule, or move toward independent therapy. SAMHSA’s guidance commonly cites a minimum of around 90 days, though the right length is individual and yours will be shaped with your clinician.
You will leave with a written plan covering your triggers, your early warning signs, the coping steps you actually trust, and who to call. Book your follow-up appointments before your last day, while you still have us to help.
Starting, whenever you are ready
Most women call with questions long before they call to enroll. You do not need to be in crisis, or even decided.
The simplest first step is to verify your insurance, and a woman from our admissions team will respond within 24 hours. Or call us at (951) 633-7724 and we will talk it through.
Sol Women’s Treatment is an all-female outpatient program at 4175 Brockton Avenue in Riverside, serving women across the Inland Empire and Southern California.
Written by the Sol Women's Treatment clinical team and reviewed by Tania Acevedo, MA, LPCC. Content is grounded in women's mental health, trauma-informed care, and outpatient behavioral health practice. Updated regularly for clinical accuracy.
This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact a qualified healthcare provider or call 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). Sol Women's Treatment is a CDSS-licensed outpatient program — not inpatient or residential care. Individual results vary and no specific outcomes are guaranteed.
