Tucson Outpatient Program for Addiction & Mental Health

Some people need more intensive services than traditional outpatient therapy provides but do not require the round-the-clock support of inpatient or residential care. At Sonora Behavioral Health Hospital, we offer the following outpatient programs to meet our patients’ various needs: 

• Adolescent partial hospitalization program 
• Adult partial hospitalization program 
• Substance abuse intensive outpatient program  
• Mental health intensive outpatient program 
• Adolescent intensive outpatient program 
• Trauma intensive outpatient program  
• Co-occurring intensive outpatient program 
• Eating disorder intensive outpatient program 

These programs are often excellent sources of step-down support for those who have just completed a higher level of care, but they can also be a great place to start the healing process. 

When people receive truly focused support, it can set the groundwork for lasting healing. To accomplish this, we organized the outpatient programming at our Tucson, Arizona, outpatient center into two tracks: 

• Chemical dependency: This track serves people who are suffering from addictions to substances like alcohol, cocaine, and heroin. 
• Mental health: This track serves people who have been struggling with mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety disorders, and bipolar disorder. 
• Co-occurring: This track serves people who are struggling with both mental health and addiction concerns. 

We offer each track at both the PHP and IOP levels of care, ensuring that you can get the type and level of support that is right for you. 

Our partial hospitalization programs (PHPs) serve as a resource for adolescents and adults who are in need of intensive care for mental health and addiction concerns to maintain their level of functioning and avoid relapse.  

Our skilled clinicians provide support and teach the skills necessary to help patients heal. The therapies we offer can help people enhance their coping skills while addressing their unique needs using evidence-based practices. By doing so, we are able to work with patients to set goals, ensure the development of effective therapeutic relationships, and achieve the treatment outcomes identified by the patient. Our PHPs also integrate medical education with a focus on healthy living. While in our PHPs, patients can also receive psychiatric services. 

When the patient is ready, they can discharge from the partial hospitalization program and transition to one of our intensive outpatient programs.  

Care in our substance abuse intensive outpatient program (IOP) consists of group therapy, psychoeducation sessions, and family education.  

In group therapy, patients are able to actively participate by working with an experienced therapist as well as with their peers. Being surrounded by peers adds a layer of support that can be extremely beneficial in a person’s recovery process.  

Group members develop an understanding of the personal motivations that have led to their substance use and can begin to work through those concerns in a safe environment. 

Our mental health intensive outpatient program (IOP) is offered for patients who are ready to transition back to their daily lives or who no longer require the round-the-clock and daylong psychiatric care that is provided in inpatient and partial hospitalization programs. 

Our mental health IOP can be helpful for patients who are struggling with concerns like depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) because it gives them a chance to process emotional and psychological barriers that have caused their distress.  

Patients can learn techniques they may continue to use for the rest of their lives to help them thrive on their healing journey. 

Our adolescent intensive outpatient program provides structured, individualized, and gender-inclusive care for adolescents ages 12-17 who have been struggling in their day-to-day lives because of mental health or addiction concerns.  

While in the adolescent IOP, patients receive individualized treatment plans that take into account their particular needs, strengths, and abilities. As part of those treatment plans, adolescents may participate in group therapy sessions, which give them an opportunity to meet with other kids who may be experiencing similar challenges. This can help them build a sense of community and remove feelings of isolation. 

Our trauma intensive outpatient program (IOP) is designed specifically to help people who have experienced traumas like natural disasters, abuse, and war. Care in the trauma IOP includes group therapy and psychoeducational sessions that can help patients come to understand how trauma can affect them not only emotionally, but physically as well. While in the trauma IOP, patients can feel safe and connected as they process their experiences and learn coping skills that can help them as they heal. 

Our co-occurring intensive outpatient program (IOP) is similar to our mental health IOP but is designed for people who are struggling with both mental health and addiction concerns. This program is ideal for patients who do not need the 24/7 care that is offered in inpatient or residential programs or the daylong structured care that is provided in partial hospitalization programs. By participating in group therapy sessions, patients can work through the struggles they’re facing with trained professionals while also getting support from peers. 

Our eating disorder intensive outpatient program (IOP) is designed to provide intensive support for people who are suffering from eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating disorder, and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). The focus of the eating disorder IOP is to help patients build healthy relationships with food while also addressing what led to the development of the disorders. In this program, patients can also learn coping skills and strategies to help them heal. 

The group therapy sessions in our eating disorder IOP have a holistic focus that combines the benefits of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), emotion regulation techniques, body image acceptance, weight restoration, mindfulness skills, and expressive therapies to address the multilayered symptoms that are associated with disordered eating. 

Cornerstone to this program is the nutritional component that includes meal support, meal planning, nutrition education, and mindful eating skills. Patients can also learn the intricate role nutrition plays in the mind and body.  

While in the eating disorder IOP, patients may also go on therapeutic outings that provide real-life exposure to dining out and grocery shopping.  

The program schedules for the outpatient programs at Sonora Behavioral Health Hospital in Tucson, Arizona, are as follows: 

• Partial hospitalization program: Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. 
• Five-day IOP: Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-noon 
• Substance abuse and mental health IOPs: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m.-noon 
• Co-occurring IOP: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 5:30-8:30 p.m. 
• Eating disorder IOP: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 4:30-7:30 p.m. 
• Adolescent IOP: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 5-8 p.m. 

We also offer a second mental health IOP that meets Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 1-4 p.m. 

The length of time a patient spends in any of our outpatient programs will vary depending on their needs and the progress they make while in our care.  

We provide transportation to and from our outpatient center free of charge for adults who live in the Tucson area. 

Sonora Behavioral Health’s outpatient programming is designed to help you achieve greater stability, improve your ability to function, and enable you to return to conventional outpatient therapy with your regular provider for continued support.  

Regardless of which treatment track you are participating in, you will receive personalized services that are designed according to your unique strengths, needs, and goals. 

Group therapy is the main method of care we use in the outpatient programming at Sonora Behavioral Health. Under the direction of trained and experienced professionals, group therapy sessions provide participants with structured and supportive environments in which to share insights, learn from the experiences and perspectives of others, and practice healthy interpersonal communication skills. 

While the specific content of any group will depend on the contributions of participants, topics that may be addressed in a group therapy setting include developing healthier acceptance, change, and relapse prevention skills. 

Of course, these topics will be addressed from the perspective of mental health or addiction recovery depending on the specific track in which a patient is participating. 

Sonora Outpatient Services is conveniently located in the Desert Life Medical Plaza, 3130 E. Broadway, Suite 196, in Tucson, Arizona, less than 15 miles south of our main campus. If you have any questions about the programs offered or the admissions process, or if you need to contact outpatient services directly for any other reason, please call (855) 382-2312.