Changes Treatment Center
Changes Treatment Center provides an intensive outpatient program Lake Forest adults attend from our center in Costa Mesa. IOP treatment Lake Forest residents get here means 9 to 15 hours of structured care a week, CBT, DBT and trauma-informed therapy, arranged around your work and your life rather than on top of it. It’s for people who need real, consistent treatment for addiction or mental health but can keep living at home while they 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 Lake Forest residents is Changes Treatment in Costa Mesa, about 18 to 22 minutes north on the 5. Use the Get Directions button to map the route from your neighborhood.
Our Bristol Street facility in Costa Mesa is roughly 12 miles north of Lake Forest, usually an 18 to 22 minute drive up the 5 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 and family while still providing serious clinical treatment.
Our team works with you to schedule sessions that fit your week. IOP is built for people keeping up with jobs and family, and we set your session times around your commitments during the initial assessment.
No. Changes offers 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 heroin and prescription painkillers, 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 people begin within a day or two. Call (949) 807-2008 to start.
For most Lake Forest adults who reach out, the question isn’t whether they need help, it’s whether they can get it without putting everything else on hold. An intensive outpatient program is the answer to that. Instead of full treatment days, IOP runs a few focused sessions a week, built around the hours you’re already committed to, so you treat the problem seriously without stepping away from work or family to do it.
Lake Forest is one of the communities served by our intensive outpatient program across Orange County, run from our Costa Mesa center. For an inland South County city like Lake Forest, IOP is usually the level that slots into a real routine: a set number of hours across a few fixed days, planned in advance, with the rest of your week left to you. It’s structured enough to drive real change, predictable enough to build around a job and a calendar you can’t clear.
IOP fits adults at a particular point. Some step down into it from detox or residential care, keeping momentum while returning to a normal week. Others step up because weekly therapy stopped being enough, the drinking returned, the anxiety grew louder, the old patterns came back. And many start here because the problem is serious but doesn’t call for full days away from everything.
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, we also run a partial hospitalization program across Orange County, and the assessment is what determines which level fits where you are.
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 Lake Forest 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 Lake Forest every evening, you practice what you learn in your real environment and bring back what happened, so the plan keeps adjusting to your actual week.
Our center is at 2787 Bristol Street in Costa Mesa, north of Lake Forest, usually a 20-to-30-minute drive up the 5 to the 55 or the 405, depending on where you start and traffic. It’s a straightforward freeway run, and at the IOP level, where you’re coming in a few times a week rather than every weekday, it’s an easy trip to build into a routine. There’s on-site parking, and because the days and times are set in advance, most Lake Forest residents fold the drive into a fixed weekly routine rather than treating it as a recurring hurdle.
A common first question is how much does outpatient rehab 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. Rather than guess at the IOP cost yourself, 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.
One short call is enough to understand your options. Reach us at (949) 807-2008 or verify your benefits online to take the first step.
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.
