Intensive Outpatient Program · Houston & The Heights
Structured group and individual therapy, nine or more hours per week, on five-day, three-day, or evening schedules that protect work, school, and family. Mental health, substance use, and dual diagnosis treated together by master’s-level clinicians. Private pay, with superbills for out-of-network reimbursement.
Evening IOP, 3 Days a Week: Now Enrolling · Built for working adults · See the evening schedule
01ASAM Level 2.1
02Day · 3-Day · Evening
03Master’s-Level Clinicians
04Private Pay · Superbills
Serious Treatment That Fits a Real Life
An intensive outpatient program, or IOP, delivers structured clinical treatment several days per week while you keep living your life: working, studying, parenting, sleeping in your own bed. It is the level of care for people who need more than weekly therapy but do not need full-day programming, and it corresponds to Level 2.1 of the ASAM Criteria: nine or more clinical hours per week.
At Heights Behavioral Health, IOP is built around clinician-led group therapy, individual sessions, psychiatric coordination, and family involvement, in one coordinated plan. We treat depression, anxiety, trauma and PTSD, bipolar and mood disorders, alcohol and drug use, and co-occurring conditions together, because for most people they arrived together.
IOP is both a starting point and a step-down. Some clients begin here when symptoms allow; others arrive from our partial hospitalization program or from residential treatment, keeping the same team and the same plan as intensity tapers. Because we are private pay, your schedule is genuinely yours: five-day, three-day, or evening tracks, with virtual and hybrid options that make consistency realistic.
Schedules
Full Cadence
The strongest IOP structure: programming five days per week, ideal early in treatment or straight after PHP or residential care.
Balanced
Three days per week of group and individual work that balances meaningful treatment with work, school, and family life.
After Hours
Full IOP intensity scheduled in the evening, built for working professionals, students, and parents who cannot step away during the day.
Flexible Access
Many groups and sessions are available virtually, so travel, distance, or a demanding calendar never breaks your consistency.
IOP Tracks
Your assessment determines the track and the mix. Whatever you start with, the same clinicians carry your plan as it evolves.
Mental Health First
Structured group and individual care for depression, anxiety, trauma, and mood disorders, without a substance use requirement.
Recovery Focused
Evidence-based treatment for alcohol and drug use with relapse prevention, recovery skills, and accountability built into every week.
Integrated
Mental health and substance use treated together in one plan, because treating half the picture rarely holds.
A Week in IOP
Nine or more clinical hours per week, arranged around your track and schedule. Nothing here is an add-on; every element is sequenced into the plan where it helps most. See the full toolkit on our clinical services page.
Core
Clinician-led process groups plus CBT, DBT, and relapse prevention skills, in groups small enough that you are known, not processed.
One-to-One
Weekly individual sessions, with EMDR, CPT, CSAT-led work, neurofeedback, and somatic therapy sequenced in as your plan requires.
Around You
Family involvement, psychiatric and medication coordination, and continuing care planning, all inside the same coordinated plan.
Levels of Care · ASAM Criteria
A licensed clinician assesses you across the six ASAM dimensions and recommends a starting level, then steps you up or down as you progress, with the same team and the same plan the whole way. No restarting intake, no losing momentum.
ASAM Level 1
Weekly therapy for maintenance and long-term growth. The step after IOP.
ASAM Level 2.1
You are here. Nine or more hours per week while living at home, on the schedule that fits.
ASAM Level 2.5
Twenty or more hours per week, most days of the week. The step before IOP when more structure is needed.
Flagship
A fully customized program that flexes across levels, with recovery mentoring woven into every phase.
Your Plan, Your Pace
Because we are private pay, we are not boxed into insurance-dictated tracks. You choose your cadence and services with your clinician, add specialty therapies when they help, and step up or down at any time. You are never paying for a one-size-fits-all program you do not need, and we are clear about cost before you commit to anything.
When IOP ends, support does not have to. Most clients step down to weekly outpatient care, and recovery mentoring and companioning through our sister practice, Heights Mentoring, can carry accountability and structure into everyday life for as long as it helps.
Specialty Care Inside IOP
Your IOP draws on the same evidence-based and specialty therapies used across our programs, chosen for what is actually driving the pattern.
Every clinician at Heights Behavioral Health is master’s-level and licensed.
Guides and Resources
Plain-language articles from our clinical team on levels of care, what a typical day looks like, medication, assessments, and paying for treatment with superbills.
Why Environment Matters in Recovery: A Space Built to Heal
Stepping Down from PHP to IOP: How and When It Happens
A Day in the Life of PHP: A Typical Houston Schedule
Ready When You Are
A confidential conversation and an ASAM-guided assessment confirm the right track, the right days, and the right starting point.
Start Confidentially
Tell us a little about what is going on and the best way to reach you. A member of our admissions team will follow up personally and walk you through next steps. Please do not include sensitive medical details in the form.
Common Questions
If you do not see your question here, call our admissions team at (877) 549-5102 and we will walk you through it.
We are a private-pay practice. For clients with out-of-network benefits, we provide detailed superbills you can submit to your insurer for possible reimbursement, and we help verify your benefits and explain costs before you commit to anything.
IOP is structured treatment of nine or more clinical hours per week, built around group therapy, individual sessions, and psychiatric support, while you live at home and keep working or studying. It corresponds to Level 2.1 of the ASAM Criteria.
Our IOP provides nine or more clinical hours per week, spread across five-day, three-day, or evening schedules. Your exact cadence is confirmed at assessment and adjusted as you progress.
PHP is more intensive, with twenty or more clinical hours most days of the week. IOP runs nine or more hours per week with more room for work, school, and family. Clients commonly step from PHP down to IOP with the same team and plan.
All three tracks are available: a mental health IOP for depression, anxiety, trauma, and mood disorders, a substance use IOP for alcohol and drug recovery, and integrated dual diagnosis care when they occur together.
Yes. IOP is specifically designed for that. Our three-day and Evening IOP schedules exist so treatment fits around a full-time job, classes, or parenting.
Yes. Evening IOP delivers full IOP intensity after work hours, built for professionals, students, and parents who cannot step away during the day.
Many groups and sessions are available virtually, and hybrid schedules are common. We help you find the mix of in-person and online care that keeps you consistent.
Clinician-led process and skills groups, weekly individual therapy, CBT and DBT, psychiatric and medication support, and family involvement, with EMDR, CPT, CSAT-led work, neurofeedback, and somatic therapy added as your plan requires.
There is no fixed length. Many clients spend several weeks to a few months at the IOP level, stepping down to weekly outpatient care as they stabilize. Your timeline follows your progress, reassessed throughout.
That is exactly what the assessment answers. A licensed clinician evaluates you across the six ASAM dimensions and recommends IOP, PHP, or another starting point, then adjusts as your needs change.
Step-down is planned from the start: most clients move to weekly outpatient therapy, and recovery mentoring and companioning through Heights Mentoring can continue accountability and structure in daily life for as long as it helps.
PHP offers full-day structure on most weekdays, while IOP offers nine or more clinical hours per week so you can keep working or studying. Your clinical assessment recommends the right starting point, and our guide to PHP vs IOP explains the differences in detail.
Our admissions team answers seven days a week, from 8:00 am to 7:30 pm Central Time. Call (877) 549-5102 to talk with a real person about what is going on, your schedule, and whether our programs are the right fit. If you reach out after hours, leave a message or send the consultation form and we will return your call as soon as we open. If this is an emergency, call 911. If you or someone you love is in a mental health crisis, call or text 988.
Clinical Review
Written by Joni Ogle, LCSW, CSAT, CEO of Heights Behavioral Health, and clinically reviewed by Deborah Darnell-Drake, LCSW-S, ACSW, LMFT, Chief Clinical Officer. Heights Behavioral Health provides licensed outpatient behavioral health care for adults in Houston, Texas, delivered by master’s-level clinicians and licensed professionals. This page is intended to explain HBH services and does not replace an individualized clinical assessment. Last reviewed October 2026.
Explore Heights
Every program, condition, and specialty at Heights connects to one coordinated outpatient team in the Houston Heights. Start wherever fits your situation, or call admissions and we will point you to the right place.
Verified reviews from clients and families who have been through our programs. Read them in full on Google, or add your own.
“From my very first interaction, I felt welcomed, respected, and genuinely cared for. The staff took the time to listen, answer my questions, and create a treatment plan that fit my needs.”
“Heights offered treatment three evenings a week, which made it possible for them to work during the day and still get consistent support.”
“Our family was scared and unsure where to turn. From the first conversation with Jeff and Beckie to walking through the doors, we felt genuinely cared for.”
Contact Admissions
One confidential call connects you with admissions, an ASAM-guided assessment, and the schedule that fits.
Crisis Notice
Heights Behavioral Health provides scheduled outpatient care and is not an emergency or crisis service. This page is general information, not medical advice. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911 if someone is in immediate danger.
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