Day treatment (PHP & IOP)
Sometimes weekly therapy or medication visits are not enough, but symptoms are not so dangerous or severe that you need to be in a hospital overnight. Day treatment fills that gap: intensive, structured care during the day that you go home from each afternoon.
When is day treatment the right level of care?
Day treatment, also called a partial hospital program (PHP) or intensive outpatient program (IOP), sits between regular outpatient care and an inpatient stay. It tends to be the right fit when:
- You are stepping down from an inpatient stay and need structure before returning to weekly visits.
- Your symptoms need more support than weekly therapy or medication visits are providing.
- You can safely sleep at home, so a full hospital admission is not necessary.
What does a day in the program look like?
The schedule. Programs run three to five days a week, three to six hours a day. People stay in a program anywhere from two weeks to a few months, depending on the program and how they are doing.
Group work. The core of the day is group therapy, psychoeducation, and skill-building, with people working on similar challenges.
Medication. Your medications are reviewed and adjusted as you go, with more frequent contact with your psychiatrist than regular outpatient visits allow.
Evenings at home. This is not a locked ward. You come and go each day, go home each evening, and sleep in your own bed. That is the main difference from inpatient care, and for many people it makes intensive treatment far easier to accept.
When is day treatment not the right fit?
Day treatment is not a crisis service. If you are in immediate danger or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988, or go to the nearest emergency room. If symptoms are dangerous enough that you cannot stay safe at home, inpatient care is the right level instead.
It can also be more than you need. If weekly therapy and medication visits are keeping you steady, there is no reason to add this. Day treatment is for when weekly care is clearly not enough.
How do I get started?
We help identify the right program for your situation and coordinate the referral, then stay involved. Your BPA psychiatrist works with the program team throughout your care.
If you are not yet in our care, the first step is a phone call to the Alta Bates Day Treatment team at 510-204-4040, who evaluates whether day treatment is the right level of care for you. Most major insurers cover medically necessary day treatment, usually with a prior authorization, which our staff handles for you.
What happens after the program?
When you finish day treatment, you step down to regular outpatient care, weekly therapy and/or medication management, and we help you arrange that handoff so nothing falls through the cracks.
Physicians who provide day treatment
Common questions
How long is the program?
Most programs run 3 to 5 days a week, 3 to 6 hours a day. People stay anywhere from two weeks to a few months, depending on the program and how they are doing.
Will I keep seeing my own psychiatrist?
Usually yes. Your BPA psychiatrist coordinates with the program team throughout, so your overall plan stays consistent.
Is day treatment covered by insurance?
Most major insurers cover medically necessary day-treatment programs, usually with a prior authorization. We help work through that.
Can I work during day treatment?
Not full-time, given the daytime hours. Many people use FMLA or short-term disability for the few weeks of the program.
What happens after the program?
You step down to weekly outpatient therapy and/or medication management, and we help arrange the handoff so there is no gap.
How to get started with day treatment
Call the Alta Bates Herrick Campus day treatment team to begin the intake process.