Partial hospitalization (PHP)

What it is

A partial hospitalization program delivers a full day of treatment, most days of the week, and then sends people home at night. Despite the name, it is not always in a hospital. Many are run by treatment centers, and some pair the program with sober housing so people have a safe place to sleep.

The day looks much like a day in residential care: group counseling, individual sessions, education about addiction and recovery, and often medical or psychiatric visits. The difference is where the person sleeps.

Who it is for

PHP fits people who need daily, structured care but do not need to be watched overnight. That includes people leaving detox or a residential stay who are not yet ready for a few hours a day, and people whose use is serious but who have a stable, sober place to live. It is often used when a mental health condition needs close attention alongside substance use, since many programs have a psychiatrist or nurse on the team.

It is not the right level for someone who is medically unstable or at risk in the evenings, and a program will say so. A facility's assessment decides where someone starts, and a PHP can move a person up to residential care or down to an intensive outpatient program as things change.

What to expect

Programs usually run on weekdays, starting in the morning and ending in the afternoon. The day is scheduled: a check-in, several groups, lunch, individual counseling on some days, and time with medical staff for people taking medicine. Family sessions are common. Most programs test for substance use and expect people to attend every day.

Medicine for opioid or alcohol use can be started or continued in PHP. Buprenorphine, naltrexone, and, through a linked program, methadone are all possible, depending on the facility. Evenings are the person's own, which is why a stable home, or program housing, matters.

How long it takes

Usually a few weeks, sometimes longer. A PHP is meant as a bridge, so most people step down to an IOP once they are steady, and the program sets that timing with the person. Insurance often reviews a PHP stay week by week, and the facility handles that review.

Cost and coverage

PHP costs more than an IOP and less than residential care. Medicaid covers it in many states. Medicare covers partial hospitalization. Private plans generally cover it when medically necessary, and in-network programs cost the person far less. Some facilities offer a sliding fee scale, and some have public funding. If a program includes housing, ask whether that is billed separately, since insurance often does not cover it. Each listing shows what the facility reports accepting; ask the facility to confirm your coverage before starting.

How it compares

PHP is the most intensive level of care that does not include an overnight stay. Residential adds the bed and the round-the-clock staff. Intensive outpatient is the next step down, several hours a day rather than most of the day. Outpatient is regular appointments. Detox comes before any of these when withdrawal needs medical care.

How to choose

Questions to ask a facility:

• What hours does the program run, and how many days a week?
• Is there a doctor, nurse, or psychiatrist on the team, and how often will I see them?
• Can I start or keep taking medicine for opioid or alcohol use?
• Is housing available, what does it cost, and is it separate from the program?
• What happens in an evening if I am struggling?
• How do you decide when someone steps down to an IOP?
• Do you take my insurance, and what will I owe?

Every state page on this site can be filtered to facilities that report offering partial hospitalization. Pick a state from the list on this page, or start from the full list of states.