Parham Doctors’ Hospital has launched a new adult Intensive Outpatient Program, expanding access to behavioral health services for individuals who need more support than traditional outpatient care but do not require an inpatient hospital stay.
The new program is designed to serve adults experiencing mental health challenges such as depression, trauma, post-traumatic stress, grief or difficulty managing daily responsibilities. Participants receive structured treatment while continuing to live at home and remain connected to work, family and community life.
The new Intensive Outpatient Program builds on Parham Doctors’ Hospital’s existing behavioral health services, which include inpatient care and a partial hospitalization program. By bringing the intensive outpatient level of care to the Parham campus, the hospital can offer patients a more complete continuum of behavioral health support in one location.
“Many people think of hospitalization as the only option when someone needs a higher level of behavioral health care, but there are other important levels of support,” said Ryan Banks, director of behavioral health programs for Henrico, Parham and Retreat Doctors’ Hospitals. “This program gives patients the opportunity to receive intensive treatment while still returning home each day and continuing to engage with their lives outside of treatment.”
Intensive outpatient care typically provides about nine hours of treatment per week. It can serve as a step-down level of care for patients leaving partial hospitalization or inpatient treatment, or as a step-up option for individuals in the community who need more structure than weekly therapy or medication management.
The program is 100% voluntary and is intended for patients who are clinically appropriate for outpatient care. Patients may be referred following an inpatient stay or may enter from the community when they need additional support to regain stability and coping skills.
A key feature of the Parham Doctors’ Hospital program is access to medication management, which is available through the hospital’s shared behavioral health resources. Not always available within intensive outpatient programs, the medication management benefit is designed to make care more convenient and coordinated for patients.
“Our goal is to help people access the right level of care at the right time,” Banks said. “At Parham Doctors’ Hospital, patients can move across inpatient care, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient care and traditional outpatient support as their needs change.”
The program will initially serve adults in an integrated model, with the ability to expand into separate general and trauma-focused tracks as enrollment grows. The anticipated capacity is up to 20 patients per track, or 40 total as the program develops.
The launch comes during Mental Health Awareness Month, a time when health care providers and advocates work to reduce stigma and encourage people to seek help when they need it.
“We want the community to know that behavioral health care is not one-size-fits-all,” Banks said. “There are multiple levels of care that can support someone’s journey toward mental wellness, and our hope is that Parham Doctors’ Hospital is seen as a place where people can find the level of support that best fits their needs.”
An open house for the new program will be held on June 22 from 3:00 - 6:00 pm.