Changes Treatment Center
Changes Treatment Center provides an intensive outpatient program Irvine adults attend from our center in nearby Costa Mesa. IOP treatment Irvine residents get here means 9 to 15 hours of structured care a week, CBT, DBT and trauma-informed therapy, built around your work or your coursework rather than on top of it. It’s for people who need real, consistent treatment for addiction or mental health but can’t put a job or a degree on hold to get it. We work with major insurance plans and verify benefits in about 15 minutes.
Reach out for confidential support, no pressure, no judgment. We’re here to help you take the next step.
Yes. The closest structured intensive outpatient program for most Irvine residents is Changes Treatment in neighboring Costa Mesa, about 12 to 18 minutes away by the 405 or 73. Use the Get Directions button to map the route from your village or neighborhood.
Our Bristol Street facility in Costa Mesa is roughly 8 miles from Irvine, usually a 12 to 18 minute drive depending on where you start and traffic.
Our IOP runs about 9 to 15 hours a week across several sessions, which leaves room for work, school, and family while still providing serious clinical treatment.
Most people complete IOP over roughly eight to twelve weeks, though the length follows your progress rather than a fixed calendar.
No. Changes provides outpatient care. If you need medical detox or a higher level of care first, we will help you find it before beginning IOP with us.
We treat adults for alcohol, opioids including prescription painkillers and heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and other stimulants.
Most commercial plans cover outpatient treatment with prior authorization. We verify your specific benefits free in about 15 minutes, and many Irvine-area clients begin within a day or two. Call (949) 807-2008 to start.
Irvine runs on ambition, a major university, a dense tech and business corridor, a lot of students and early-career professionals with a great deal riding on not losing momentum. For people in that position, the fear that getting help means pausing school or derailing a career can keep them from getting help at all. An intensive outpatient program is built precisely so it doesn’t come to that.
Irvine is one of the communities served by our intensive outpatient program across Orange County, run from our nearby Costa Mesa center. Because IOP is a few focused sessions a week rather than full days, it’s designed to fit around a class schedule or a working week, you treat the problem seriously without stepping out of the life you’re building. For a lot of Irvine students and professionals, that’s the whole difference: help that addresses something real without costing them the degree or the job they’ve worked for.
If you’re new to this, an IOP, intensive outpatient program, is a level of addiction and mental-health care that sits between weekly therapy and full-time treatment. You attend structured sessions several days a week, usually 9 to 15 hours total, and live at home the rest of the time. It’s more support than a single weekly appointment, but far less disruptive than checking into a residential facility or spending full days in a program.
That middle position is exactly why it works for busy people. You get real clinical intensity, group therapy, individual sessions, skills work, psychiatric care, while keeping your classes, your job and your routine intact. For many people it’s the first level of care that feels both serious enough to help and realistic enough to actually do.
IOP fits adults at a particular point, and in Irvine that often means someone mid-degree or early in a career who’s realized the problem isn’t going to resolve on its own. Some step down into it from a partial hospitalization program or residential care, keeping momentum while returning to a normal week. Others step up because weekly therapy stopped being enough. And many start here because the problem is serious but doesn’t warrant stepping away from school or work to address it.
What they share is enough stability to live at home safely while needing more than a once-a-week appointment. If it turns out you need more intensive, full-day structure, PHP is the better starting point, and the assessment determines which level fits.
We treat the full range of substance use disorders at the IOP level, alcohol, opioids (including fentanyl and prescription painkillers), stimulants, benzodiazepines, and dependence on marijuana, 7-OH and kratom. Most people arrive managing more than one at once, and the plan covers the whole picture.
Mental health is treated in the same program, not referred out. Our mental health IOP Irvine care addresses anxiety, depression and trauma alongside the substance use, led by a board-certified psychiatrist. The two almost always feed each other, and treating one while ignoring the other is how progress unravels. Handling both together, every week, is what makes the gains hold once treatment ends.
Every schedule starts with an assessment, because the right hours and focus depend on where you are. A typical IOP week runs 9 to 15 hours across several days: group therapy, which anchors the week and carries much of the real progress, individual sessions for focused one-on-one time, and skills work on managing triggers, regulating emotions and rebuilding routines.
The program moves with you. Many people start at the higher end of the hours and taper as they stabilize, stepping down toward standard outpatient care and aftercare without ever changing teams. Because you’re home in Irvine every evening, the work you do in sessions gets applied to your actual week, and your team adjusts the plan as you go.
IOP is 9 to 15 hours a week, for people stable enough to carry work or school alongside treatment. If you need more, a PHP in Irvine runs full days, five days a week, near-residential intensity without the overnight stay. Many people step down from PHP to IOP with the same team. The assessment settles which level you need now.
A common first question is how much does IOP cost, and it depends on your plan, your deductible, your copay for outpatient behavioral health, how many weeks your team recommends, and whether prior authorization is needed, which we handle. Let us verify your benefits free in about 15 minutes and tell you the real numbers before you commit. We work with major insurance plans and offer private pay if your coverage doesn’t fit. See insurance and payment options, or begin with the admissions process. If detox is needed first, we coordinate it through licensed partners.
The first step is a short, confidential call. Reach us at (949) 807-2008 or verify your benefits online to find out what treatment could look like for you.
Eric Chaghouri, MD, is the Medical Director at Changes Treatment Center and reviews the clinical content on this page. Dr. Chaghouri is a board-certified psychiatrist who specializes in addiction and forensic psychiatry.
Recovery is more than stopping a behavior, it’s about rediscovering who you are. At Changes, we provide a supportive space where individuals can rebuild confidence, gain clarity, and move forward with purpose through personalized care.
We focus on strengthening identity, encouraging presence, and supporting overall well-being. By addressing self-sabotage and fostering community, we help turn intention into lasting change, walking with you every step of the way.
Our licensed professionals bring years of expertise in addiction and mental health treatment.
We customize treatment for every client to ensure long term success.
From detox to aftercare, Changes walks with you every step of the way.
Our Costa Mesa location offers a calming, bright, and rejuvenating atmosphere.
A Simple Path to a New Beginning with Changes
We understand that taking the first step toward recovery can feel overwhelming. Our admissions process is designed to be simple, confidential, and stress-free.
Fast, confidential coverage check to help you understand your benefits and available treatment options.
Personalized support to guide you through the process and answer any questions with clarity and care.
Start your path to a brighter future with structured support, expert care, and a plan built around you.
Take a moment to answer these questions honestly.
There are no right or wrong answers.
This assessment is not a medical diagnosis, but it can help you determine whether alcohol may be having a greater impact on your life than you realize.
In the past 12 months…
Developed by Patrick Conod, LCSW, and Cari Lawyer, CATC I, on behalf of the Changes Treatment Center Clinical Leadership Team.
A Self-Assessment for Family Members and Friends
Watching someone you love change because of alcohol can be confusing and heartbreaking. You may find yourself questioning what you’re seeing, wondering if you’re overreacting, or hoping things will get better on their own.
This assessment is designed to help you reflect on the behaviors you’ve noticed. It isn’t a diagnosis, but it may help you determine whether it’s time to seek guidance or support.
In the past 12 months…
Developed by Patrick Conod, LCSW, and Cari Lawyer, CATC I, on behalf of the Changes Treatment Center Clinical Leadership Team.
When we are struggling with deep stress, anxious thoughts, or a low mood, it is incredibly natural to look for immediate relief. Sometimes, we turn to alcohol or other substances just to quiet our minds, get some sleep, or feel normal for a night.
This short self-assessment is designed to help you pause and look at how these two parts of your life might be influencing each other. It is entirely anonymous and takes less than two minutes.
It’s common for habits to slowly shift over time, especially during stressful seasons. Often, we find ourselves using a substance to cope, unwind, or get through the day, only to realize it is starting to take up more space in our routine, thoughts, or relationships than we’d like.
This quick, 10-question check-in is a quiet space to reflect honestly on how your use is impacting your life. It is entirely anonymous, completely free of clinical judgment, and takes less than two minutes.
We all experience days when we feel down, exhausted, or just completely unmotivated. But when those heavy feelings start lingering, it can be hard to tell if you’re just going through a rough patch or if it’s something more.
This quick, confidential check-in is designed to help you pause and reflect on how you’ve actually been feeling lately. It is completely anonymous, entirely non-judgmental, and takes less than two minutes.
Is your evening glass of wine a harmless habit, or is it starting to catch up with you? It’s not always easy to tell where “social drinking” ends and “too much” begins.
Take this quick, 2-minute quiz to check in on your relationship with alcohol and get clear, personalized insights.
