Substance Abuse
Intensive Outpatient Program In Charlotte, North Carolina

This question gets asked a lot, one because people do not know the meaning of the initials (pun intended) but mostly because they would love to know more about our Charlotte substance abuse and addiction outpatient program. SAIOP stands for Substance Abuse Intensive Outpatient Programs. Substance abuse treatment centers have been negatively viewed for the longest time; this has led to the emergence of new programs that offer the same services but at the comfort of being an outpatient client. Although a lot of awareness needs to be conducted to make everyone understand what SAIOP is all about, some people have embraced the idea and are out to seek drug treatment from BHIC’s Charlotte substance abuse and addiction outpatient programs.

There are significant differences between SAIOP and inpatient substance abuse treatment in which without grasping the concept correctly, one might dismiss the whole purpose of SAIOP. Similar to inpatient drug treatment programs, SAIOPs have a comprehensive and intensive support system in which the client gets through the whole process. Our substance abuse and addiction outpatient programs ensure they walk with their Charlotte client through everything to ensure they do not fall back to the substance abuse again. There is a lot to be learned and understood concerning SAIOP programs and this article will take you through all of it.

The truth of the matter is, there are significant differences between SAIOP and inpatient programs. This is nothing to worry about, given that there are also visible differences between substance abuse patients. I mean, there are those patients that require 100% monitoring while others who do not need so much attention to them. Although, a substance abuse patient is precisely that, acknowledging these differences goes a long way in understanding what kind of drug treatment each patient needs to receive and where best to take them.

Usually, patients check themselves into SAIOPs because they understand that they have a substance abuse problem and they would like to get help to resume their healthy lives. This does not mean that families cannot get involved in a patient’s treatment by SAIOP, quite the opposite. The big difference between inpatient and outpatient drug treatment centers is that patient from the former is strictly under the supervision, and therefore chances of relapsing are close to none. The latter on the other hand is very different. Patients are expected to conduct themselves well, and they have no one looking after them. The choice of not relapsing is highly dependent on them since the support system by SAIOP can only be indirect.

Similar to inpatient drug treatment centers, SAIOP(s) are very concerned about substance abuse counseling, addiction counseling, and lifestyle management techniques to ensure their patients do not fall back or relapse after the drug treatment.

The difference in giving these services is very noticeable given that inpatient lifestyle management techniques are more involving compared to those in SAIOP(s). Patients in inpatient centers have the chance of being faced with the crisis by their friends in which they can take part in helping and learning from the experience. It is also possible for them to be given scenarios in which they can face in life and then get the chance to solve real-life problems. This will build their strength and abilities for when they get out of the centers and have finished their drug treatment. In the case of outpatient centers, patients do not really receive enough attention given that they are in the comfort of their home and therefore the crisis management classes are not intensive.

Substance abuse treatment requires some medication, which when taken without caution, does more harm than good. This means that for SAIOP(s) to work effectively, the said patient has to be in control of the drug treatment and the whole substance abuse situation. Inpatient treatment centers are very careful about monitoring their patient’s during the drug treatment and medicine administration.

SAIOP(s) highly involve the patient’s family. This is a different case compared to those in inpatient centers for drug treatment. The treatment offered in inpatient centers involves the patient more to help them take charge of their life after the treatment. The truth is, inpatient treatment centers are usually meant for people who need a lot of help in their drug treatment. More often than not, admitted patients are usually at the point of losing themselves. The rehabilitation is extensive and expensive compared to SAIOP.

Although SAIOP(s) is a new concept, they have their characteristics that make it the best drug treatment option for a lot of people. The most significant investment that SAIOP has is time. Among other therapeutic substance abuse treatments, SAIOP(s) stands out from the rest. SAIOP invest a lot of time in their clients to ensure that they have an all-time full support system. SAIOP requires a minimum of 90 hours for you to complete the treatment; this means that you have to commit at least 9 hours a week. The whole drug treatment takes ten weeks.

The SAIOP creates and designs programs according to an individual, this way every addiction problem in the patient’s life is addressed comprehensively. The point is to ensure that after the program, a patient has taken complete charge of their life. If a particular drug treatment program is not working out as expected by the counselors, a new approach is created for the patient. The counselors put a lot of effort into ensuring that the patient’s life is back on track and that the program is working effectively. The point is to get rid of the substance abuse problem completely.

Well, 90 hours in 10 weeks ought to be a long time; this means there must be so much going on from the inception of the program to its finish. There are different services offered by SAIOP that is tailor-made to nip substance abuse in the bud and provide top-notch drug treatment. The services include:-

• Individual counseling and support
• Family counseling and training
• Biochemical essays to help identify recent drug use
• Group counseling and support
• Relapse crisis management
• Crisis contingency planning
• Life skills
• Treatment support activities tailor-made specifically for people with special needs

This is what SAIOP is all about; having professional help that walks with you through the whole drug treatment process. With all the perks that come with SAIOP, one has to decide whether they will benefit from the program or not. Although it is different from inpatient treatment centers, SAIOP offers something different due to the new approach. It never hurts to try.