Changes Treatment Center
The intensive outpatient program at Changes Treatment Center is a 9-to-15-hour-a-week IOP program for adults and working professionals in addiction and mental health recovery. Sessions run several days a week and combine individual therapy, group work, CBT and DBT, so you get structured IOP treatment while living at home and keeping up with work, school and family. 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.
It is structured treatment while you live at home: at Changes, 9 to 15 hours a week across several sessions. It is a step down from PHP and a step up from standard outpatient care. Our full guide covers it: What is an intensive outpatient program?
9 to 15 hours a week, across several sessions. Clients who need more support attend toward the higher end of that range.
Yes. The schedule is built so you can continue work, school or family responsibilities. Many of our clients are working professionals. More detail here: Can you work while in IOP?
Most major insurance plans cover IOP with prior authorization. Changes works with most major providers and verifies your benefits in about 15 minutes, free and confidential. Private-pay options are available if needed.
Some clients need medical detox before starting IOP, and some do not. Changes does not provide detox on-site, but we coordinate a detox referral with licensed partners and bring you into IOP once you are medically stable.
PHP is more intensive, with full-day sessions about five days a week, while IOP runs 9 to 15 hours a week and leaves more time for work and family. Many clients step down from PHP to IOP as they stabilize.
Most clients are in IOP for several weeks to a few months. The length depends on your progress and clinical recommendation rather than a fixed calendar, and your team reviews it with you throughout.
If you live in Southern California, yes. People searching for an intensive outpatient program near me can attend Changes on Bristol Street while living at home, and the location links further down show the areas we serve.
Compare accreditation, state certification and who leads the medical care. When you look at intensive outpatient programs near me, ask each for its Joint Commission listing and DHCS certification number. Those two records are the fastest way to tell programs apart.
Yes. If you search for an IOP near me or an IOP program near me, our program is for adults, including working professionals.
IOP is the right level of care for adults who need structured support but not 24-hour supervision. It works best when your home life is stable enough to support recovery between sessions and you are ready to take an active part in treatment. Because it runs for part of the day, this intensive outpatient program for adults lets you keep working, studying or caring for family while you get consistent clinical support.
Most people who enter our IOP fall into one of a few groups:
If you are not sure whether IOP is the right starting point, our clinical team helps you decide during an assessment.
IOP sits in the middle of the care ladder, more support than weekly therapy, less than full days, and the right fit depends on where you are. It works well if you’re stable enough to live at home safely, have support between sessions, and can take an active part in treatment. It’s often the right starting point for working professionals, and the natural next step down for people leaving PHP, residential or detox. If weekly therapy hasn’t been enough but full-day care is more than you need, this adult intensive outpatient program is usually the level that fits. An assessment confirms it, and your team moves you up or down as your needs change.
Our IOP treats substance use and co-occurring mental health conditions together. As IOP for substance abuse, it covers alcohol, opioids, benzodiazepines, stimulants and prescription drugs, with a plan built around whatever combination applies to you.
IOP drug treatment extends to fentanyl and marijuana once you are medically stable. Daily life keeps going throughout, which is what an intensive outpatient program for addiction is designed for: real treatment without stepping away from work, school or home.
IOP at Changes runs 9 to 15 hours a week across several sessions, combining individual therapy, group sessions and skills work. The intensive outpatient program schedule is set by your treatment plan, so clients who need more support attend toward the higher end, while those further along attend fewer IOP hours.
Treatment begins with a clinical assessment. A licensed clinician reviews your history, current substance use or mental health concerns and any co-occurring conditions, then builds an individualized plan that sets how many hours a week you attend, which therapies you focus on, and a realistic timeline.
A typical week combines individual therapy with group sessions. Individual therapy gives you private, focused time with a clinician. Group sessions build the peer support and accountability that research links to better outcomes. Skills sessions cover the practical side of recovery: managing triggers, regulating emotions and handling the situations that used to lead to use.
Because IOP is outpatient, you return home after each session, apply what you learn where you actually live, and bring real situations back into the next session. Your clinician tracks progress and steps you up or down as your stability improves.
IOP is built to fit a working life, so sessions cluster into several days a week rather than filling every day. A typical week combines group therapy, where most of the clinical work and peer support happens, with individual therapy for the issues that need private focus, and skills sessions on managing cravings and high-risk situations. Because the schedule leaves room for work, school and family, you apply what you learn immediately in the places where recovery is actually tested, then bring the results back into the next session. That back-and-forth between treatment and real life is the point of intensive outpatient treatment, not a compromise on it.
Our IOP uses evidence-based therapies matched to each client.
See all therapies, plus recovery coaching and fitness therapy.
Mental health is treated in the same program, by the same team, alongside substance use. Our dual diagnosis IOP addresses anxiety, depression and trauma together with addiction, with medication management led by a board-certified psychiatrist.
People often search for a mental health IOP or an intensive outpatient program mental health option. At Changes, that care is delivered together with addiction treatment, because each condition tends to undo progress on the other when treated alone. If depression or anxiety is tangled up with your drinking or drug use, our intensive outpatient program for depression and intensive outpatient program for anxiety support treats both at once rather than one in isolation.
Finishing IOP isn’t the finish line; it’s a transition. Most people step down to the Outpatient Program and then to aftercare and support groups, tapering support as their stability grows rather than stopping abruptly. The relapse-prevention work you do in IOP, knowing your warning signs and having a plan for them, is what carries you through that step-down. Keeping the same clinical team across levels means you’re not re-explaining your story each time, which is one of the practical advantages of doing intensive outpatient rehab inside a full continuum.
IOP sits between PHP and standard outpatient care, and most clients reach it as a step on the way down. If you need medical detox or residential care first, we coordinate that through licensed referral partners and bring you into IOP once you are stable. As you stabilize further, you step down to the Outpatient Program and then to aftercare.
Because the same clinical team stays with you at every step, you never restart with strangers. That continuity is the practical advantage of intensive outpatient rehab here over moving between separate providers.
Most major plans do, usually with prior authorization. Intensive outpatient program cost comes down to a few things: your deductible and how much of it you have met, your copay or coinsurance for outpatient behavioral health, how many weeks your team recommends, and whether your plan needs prior authorization, which we handle for you.
The fastest way to know your IOP cost is to let us check. We work with major insurance plans, verification is free and takes about 15 minutes, and private pay is available if you do not have coverage that works. See insurance and payment options.
PHP and IOP are both outpatient; the difference is intensity. PHP is the right level when you need full-day clinical structure five days a week. IOP is the right level when you can return to work or family and need fewer hours each week.
Dimension | PHP | IOP |
Hours per week | Full-day sessions, about 5 days | 9 to 15 hours, several days |
Best for | Step-down from residential; daily structure | Working professionals; step-down from PHP |
Lives at home | Yes, evenings at home | Yes, throughout |
Insurance | Usually covered with prior authorization | Usually covered with prior authorization |
Our clinical team recommends the right starting level during your assessment. Learn more about our Partial Hospitalization Program or read the full PHP vs IOP comparison.
Changes Treatment Center runs its intensive outpatient program California clients attend at 2787 Bristol Street, CA 92626, certified by the California Department of Health Care Services. If you are comparing IOP California providers, check each one’s state certification and accreditation first. Insurance verification takes about 15 minutes, and most clients can begin within a few days.
IOP in Orange County · IOP in Costa Mesa · IOP in Santa Ana · IOP in Anaheim · IOP in Huntington Beach · IOP in Newport Beach · IOP in Laguna Beach · IOP in Dana Point · IOP in Irvine · IOP in Lake Forest · IOP in Tustin · IOP in Long Beach
Start IOP with a confidential call. Verify your insurance in about 15 minutes and our team will build a plan around your schedule. Call (949) 807-2008 or verify your insurance online.
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.
