When weekly therapy isn’t enough, an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) offers the structured, consistent support that makes real progress possible, without putting your life on hold. At Connections Wellness Group, our IOP is built around accelerated group therapy, evidence-based treatment modalities, and a multidisciplinary care team committed to helping you heal.
Our IOP is ideal for adults and adolescents who need more support than individual sessions can provide, or who are stepping down from a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) and continuing their recovery with more flexibility. Programs are available in person across North Texas and virtually throughout the state, so expert care is always within reach.
What Is an Intensive Outpatient Program?
An intensive outpatient program is a structured mental health treatment program that provides significantly more therapeutic support than traditional weekly therapy without requiring an overnight stay. IOP participants receive 3–4 hours of therapy per day, several days a week, allowing them to continue living at home, working, or attending school while receiving the care they need.
Our IOP program typically runs 4–6 weeks and is built around our accelerated group therapy model, one of the most clinically effective approaches available. A typical day includes both open psychotherapy and skill therapy. By the end of a single IOP program, patients receive 90+ hours of therapy, which is the equivalent of nearly two years of weekly individual sessions.
As patients progress, our clinical team works collaboratively with each individual to support a smooth transition into the next phase of care, whether that’s continued group therapy, individual counseling, or medication management.
What Issues Are Treated In This Program?
Our IOP addresses a wide range of mental health challenges, including:
- Self-harm
- Chronic depression
- Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness
- Domestic/relationship strife
- Chronic anxiety with or without panic attacks
- Low frustration tolerance
- Poor impulse control
- Symptoms of isolation and withdrawal
- Difficulties coping with recent loss or death
- Assistance in coping with traumatic experiences
- Thoughts of death and/or dying
- Chemical use/abuse
If you’re unsure whether IOP is the right level of care, our team offers same-day assessments to help determine the best next step.
What to Expect in Our IOP: How It Works
Our programs are delivered by a cohesive, multidisciplinary team of experts including physicians, advanced practice providers, registered nurses, and licensed therapists, because we believe treatment is strengthened by access to multiple voices and diverse clinical perspectives.
Group Therapy Sessions
Led by a Licensed Therapist
The foundation of our IOP is structured, open group psychotherapy led by a master-level clinician. Sessions draw from multiple evidence-based modalities including ACT, CBT, and DBT, and include process groups, psychoeducational groups, and experiential groups. Patients engage at their own pace, and no one is pressured to share more than they’re ready to.
IOP for Adults
- Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-noon with afternoon, evening and virtual options also available
- 3 hours of group therapy per day that includes
- Process groups
- Psychoeducational groups
- Experiential groups
- Medication Management
- Medication education
IOP for Students Ages 8-18
- Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
- 4 hours of group therapy per day
- Includes process groups
- Includes psychoeducational groups
- Includes experiential groups
- Independent classwork time
- Quiet school environment at our facilities to focus on independent schoolwork
- Monitored by a CWG staff member
- Medication management
- Completed by a child and adolescent board-certified psychiatrist or psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner
- Nursing evaluations
- Completed by a registered nurse
- Medication education
Adolescent IOP Programs
At Connections Wellness Group, we understand that adolescents face unique challenges and that getting mental health care shouldn’t mean falling behind at school. Our adolescent IOP is specifically designed for young people ages 8–18, combining intensive group therapy with dedicated academic support time.
Teen group sessions are facilitated by clinicians who specialize in adolescent mental health and are structured to create a safe, age-appropriate environment where teens can connect with peers who genuinely understand what they’re going through. Many teens are surprised by how quickly the group feels like a community.
Academic support is built into every adolescent program. Quiet, supervised classwork time is available at our facilities so students can keep up with their school responsibilities without having to choose between their education and their mental health.
High school students who are 18 will be placed in our teen program. For parents with questions about what to expect, same-day assessments are available. We’ll walk you through every step before your child’s first day.
Virtual IOP Across Texas
For patients across Texas who prefer to receive care from home, or who face distance, transportation, or scheduling barriers, our full IOP program is available via secure telehealth. Virtual IOP delivers the same structured group therapy, the same licensed clinicians, and the same evidence-based curriculum as our in-person programs.
Virtual sessions run through a HIPAA-compliant platform that’s purpose-built for clinical care. Many patients find that the comfort of their own environment makes it easier to open up. Clinical outcomes for virtual IOP are equivalent to in-person programs.
Whether you’re in Dallas, Fort Worth, Denton, McKinney, or anywhere else in Texas, virtual IOP makes expert mental health care accessible without the commute.
Why Choose Our IOP Program in Texas
Our master-level clinicians employ a range of evidence-based and holistic approaches, tailored to each patient’s unique needs:
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): The foundation of our curriculum. ACT helps patients embrace difficult thoughts and feelings rather than fighting them, and build a life aligned with their values.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Identifies and reshapes the negative thought patterns driving difficult emotions and behaviors.
- Solution-Focused Therapy: Goal-oriented sessions that help patients identify strengths and build practical paths forward.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Builds skills in mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.
- Motivational Interviewing: A collaborative, patient-centered approach that supports readiness for change.
- Cognitive Processing Therapy: Addresses how traumatic experiences shape beliefs and behaviors.
- Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy: Helps patients identify and challenge irrational beliefs that contribute to emotional distress.
- SMART Recovery: A science-based alternative to 12-step programs for patients working through substance use challenges.
Does Insurance Cover IOP Treatment?
Connections Wellness Group is in-network with most major insurance plans, and both IOP and PHP programs are typically covered. Our team will verify your benefits before you begin so there are no surprises about cost or coverage.
We are currently in-network with:
Blue Cross Blue Shield · Aetna · Cigna · TRICARE · Magellan · Humana · Optum · UHC (UMR, All Savers, United Shared Services) · Baylor Scott and White Health Plan · Bright Health Care · Behavioral Health Systems · Oscar Health
We also accept all major credit cards, checks, and cash. Superbills are available upon request at no charge. For patients with questions about coverage, reach out at (877) 747-4294. Our team is happy to walk you through your options. Explore our FAQs for more information about coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
PHP (Partial Hospitalization Program) is a more intensive level of care, typically 5 days a week for 4 hours a day, for patients who need the highest level of outpatient support or who are stepping down from inpatient or ER care. IOP is structured but less intensive, running several hours per day for 3 to 5 days a week and offering more flexibility for patients who are stabilizing and able to manage at home. Many patients transition from PHP into IOP as they progress in their recovery. Our clinical team will help determine the right level of care during your initial assessment.
The primary difference is intensity and structure. A standard individual therapy session is typically 50–60 minutes, once per week. IOP delivers 3–4 hours of structured group therapy per day, 3 to 5 days a week, providing 90+ hours of therapeutic support over the course of the program. That concentrated, community-based care creates faster and more durable progress for many patients. IOP also includes a multidisciplinary team (therapists, psychiatrists, and registered nurses), whereas individual therapy involves a single clinician.
Yes. Flexibility is one of the core advantages of IOP over more intensive levels of care. Adult programs offer morning, afternoon, and evening options, as well as virtual attendance, making it possible for many patients to continue working around their treatment schedule. For adolescents, academic support time is built directly into the school-day program so students don’t fall behind. Our care coordinators will help you identify the schedule that works best for your situation.
Yes. Medication management is available as part of our IOP for both adults and adolescents. Adult patients receive medication management as clinically needed. Adolescent patients receive evaluations completed by a child and adolescent board-certified psychiatrist or psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, as well as nursing evaluations and medication education from our registered nursing staff.
Learn About Our Unique Curriculum for PHP and IOP accelerated Group Therapy
Schedule Your Same-Day Assessment for IOP Support in North Texas
If you or someone you love is ready to take the next step, we’re here to help. Connections Wellness Group offers same-day assessments for our IOP and PHP programs across North Texas, including Fort Worth, Denton, McKinney, Plano, and surrounding communities, as well as virtually throughout the state.
Call (877) 747-4294 or get started online today. Same-day appointments are available.