SAFE HARBOR IOP

Safe Harbor IOP is an Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program (IOP) that addresses addictions and other dependencies that do not require detoxification or round-the-clock supervision. It is used in conjunction with Safe Harbor’s Supportive Housing facilities in order to offer optimal care for our clients.

It is designed to establish support mechanisms, help with relapse management, and provide coping strategies.

Participation in a group offers support for clients in a variety of ways:

• It offers clients the chance to enhance their communication skills and provides a new resource for socialization. This is especially important in addiction, as individuals’ previous socialization is often with others who use drugs or alcohol.
• It gives participants access to an environment where people in similar situations provide support, comfort, and honest feedback.
• It can reinforce healthful ways of interacting and provide a safe space that is vital to recovery efforts.
• Group members who are farther along in their recovery often offer valuable assistance and empathy to those who are early in the recovery process.
• It provides a forum for therapists and group leaders to pass on important information, teach new skills, and guide clients.
• Groups can be a place to witness more positive behaviors associated with recovery and to practice new modes of dealing with addiction.

Safe Harbor IOP consists of 3-hour group sessions, 3 days a week.

Other IOP services include individual counseling, case management, introduction to support groups, and psychiatric screening.

The goals of the Safe Harbor Intensive Outpatient Programs include:

• Maintaining abstinence.
• Achieving behavioral change.
• Participating in support systems such as 12-step groups.
• Addressing psychosocial issues such as housing, employment, and meeting probation requirements.
• Developing a support system
• Improving problem solving skills

Safe Harbor IOPs use several different types of therapies:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy: CBT is based on the idea that thoughts and behaviors—including self-destructive behaviors such as drug abuse—are learned and that people can learn new ways of thinking and behaving. Participants learn the triggers—or people, places, and things that lead them to use drugs—and acquire skills to deal with these triggers.
• Motivational interviewing: For this approach, the counselor helps a person understand their reluctance to engage in treatment and work through that hesitation. The counselor asks the client to examine how drugs are interfering with their life goals and teaches them to take responsibility for developing healthier behaviors.
• Matrix Model: The Matrix Model draws on several other approaches, including CBT, motivational interviewing, and the 12 steps. It is mainly used with people who are addicted to stimulant drugs, such as cocaine and amphetamines. The Matrix Model focuses on establishing a strong counselor-client relationship, teaching clients how to effectively manage their time, practicing relapse prevention techniques, and engaging in community peer support groups.
• 12-step facilitation: This approach helps participants to learn the principles of 12-step programs, start to work the steps, and attend 12-step groups in their communities.

Contact Director of Recovery at 844-921-HOPE ext. 8223