Changes Treatment Center
Intensive Outpatient Program at Changes Treatment Center is a 9-to-15-hour-per-week outpatient program for adults and working professionals in addiction and mental health recovery. Sessions run several days a week, combining individual therapy, group work, CBT, and DBT. We accept most major insurance 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.
An IOP is a structured treatment program that provides therapy and clinical support while you live at home and keep up with daily responsibilities. At Changes, IOP runs 9 to 15 hours a week across several sessions. It is a step down from PHP and a step up from standard outpatient care.
IOP at Changes is 9 to 15 hours a week, spread across several sessions. The exact hours depend on your treatment plan, so clients who need more support attend toward the higher end of that range.
Yes. Changes Treatment Center provides IOP at 2787 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. We serve Costa Mesa and the surrounding Orange County area, and most clients can start within a few days of verifying benefits.
Yes. IOP is designed to be flexible so you can continue work, school, or family responsibilities while in treatment. Many of our clients are working professionals, and the schedule is built to protect that.
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.
IOP is the right level of care for adults who need structured support but do not require 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 rather than around the clock, IOP 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. Some are stepping down from a higher level of care, such as PHP, residential treatment, or detox, and need continued structure as they return to daily life. Others are working professionals who cannot step away from a job for weeks at a time and need treatment that fits around their schedule. Others still are earlier in the process and need more than a weekly therapy session, but not full-day care.
If you are not sure whether IOP is the right starting point, our clinical team can help you decide during an assessment. The goal is to match you to the level of care that fits your needs now, and to move you up or down as those needs change.
IOP at Changes runs 9 to 15 hours a week across several sessions, combining individual therapy, group sessions, and skills work. The exact schedule is set by your treatment plan, so clients who need more support attend toward the higher end of that range, while those further along may attend fewer 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 with you. That plan sets how many hours a week you attend, which therapies you focus on, and what a realistic timeline looks like.
A typical week combines individual therapy with group sessions. Individual therapy gives you private, focused time with a clinician to work through the issues driving substance use. Group sessions build the peer support and accountability that research consistently links to better outcomes, and they give you a place to practice new skills with people working toward the same goal. Skills-focused 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. That structure is a feature, not a limitation. It lets you apply what you learn in the environment where you actually live, then bring real situations back into the next session. Over the course of the program, your clinician tracks progress and adjusts the plan, stepping you up to more support or down to less as your stability improves. IOP in Orange County provides a supportive environment where you can engage with others facing similar challenges. The program often incorporates local resources, ensuring that participants can take advantage of community services.
Our IOP uses evidence-based therapies matched to each client’s needs, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, trauma-informed care, and relapse-prevention strategies.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the foundation of the program. It helps you identify the thoughts and patterns that drive substance use and replace them with healthier responses you can use day to day. CBT is practical and skills-based, which is why it carries so much of the clinical work in an outpatient setting.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches emotional regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness. It is integrated for clients who struggle with intense emotions or co-occurring mental health conditions, and the skills it builds are ones you keep using long after the program ends.
Motivational Interviewing strengthens your own reasons for change rather than imposing them from outside. It is especially useful early in treatment, when ambivalence is normal and commitment is still forming.
Trauma-informed care addresses the experiences that often sit beneath addiction. Rather than treating substance use in isolation, our clinicians account for how past trauma shapes present behavior, so treatment does not retraumatize and recovery holds.
Relapse-prevention strategies run throughout the program. You learn to recognize your own warning signs, plan for high-risk situations, and build a concrete response for the moments when cravings hit.
Our IOP treats substance use and co-occurring mental health conditions together, including alcohol, opioids, stimulants, and benzodiazepines, alongside anxiety, depression, and trauma. Treating both at once matters, because addiction and mental health conditions frequently reinforce each other, and addressing only one tends to leave the other to pull recovery off track.
Changes Treatment Center works with most major insurance providers, and we verify benefits on any plan in about 15 minutes. Most commercial plans cover IOP with prior authorization, though the exact coverage, deductible, and out-of-pocket cost depend on your specific plan.
The fastest way to find out what you would pay is to let us check for you. Verification is free, carries no obligation, and we handle the back-and-forth with the insurer so you do not have to. If you do not have coverage that works, we offer private-pay options and will talk through the most realistic path on a confidential call.
PHP and IOP are both outpatient, but they differ in 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 responsibilities and need fewer hours of structured support each week.
Dimension | PHP | IOP |
Hours per week | Full-day sessions, ~5 days | 9, 15 hours, several days |
Best for | Step-down from residential; needs daily structure | Working professionals; step-down from PHP |
Lives at home | Yes, returns home evenings | Yes, throughout |
Insurance | Covered with prior authorization | Covered with prior authorization |
Many clients step down from PHP to IOP as they stabilize, moving from full-day structure to a schedule that lets them return to work and family. Our clinical team recommends the right starting level during your assessment and adjusts it as you progress. Learn more about our Partial Hospitalization Program.
Orange County has been hit hard by addiction. The county recorded an estimated 490 accidental overdose deaths in 2023, and its opioid overdose death rate nearly tripled between 2017 and 2021, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency. The agency also notes that cities along the coastal and southern parts of the county, Costa Mesa among them, tend to see higher rates of drug- and alcohol-related hospitalizations than inland areas. Encouragingly, county figures for 2024 show overdose deaths beginning to fall, a shift local health officials attribute to wider access to treatment and naloxone.
Changes Treatment Center is located at 2787 Bristol Street in Costa Mesa, serving adults across Orange County who need intensive outpatient care close to home. For people balancing treatment with work and family, staying local means less disruption and a support network within reach. Insurance verification typically takes about 15 minutes, and most clients can begin within a few days.
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.
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.
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.
