What the Outpatient Program Involves
Our outpatient program addresses both the physical and psychological sides of addiction while giving you the flexibility to keep up with daily responsibilities. It includes scheduled therapy sessions a few times a week, so you can continue working, studying, or caring for family while building the coping skills that support long-term recovery.
Key parts of the program include:
- Individual therapy. One-on-one sessions with a licensed therapist to work through what’s driving the substance use and any co-occurring mental health conditions.
- Group therapy. Structured sessions where clients share experience, get support, and learn from each other.
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Helps you accept difficult emotions while committing to actions aligned with your own values, reducing the pull to avoid painful experiences.
- Relapse prevention planning. Strategies to recognize triggers, manage cravings, and prepare for life after treatment.
- Holistic approaches. Mindfulness, stress reduction, and other wellness practices that round out a treatment plan.
Therapies We Use
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), to identify and change thought patterns and behaviors tied to substance use.
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), for emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and healthy coping skills.
- Trauma-informed care, for past trauma that may have contributed to substance use.
- Dual diagnosis treatment, for co-occurring depression, anxiety, or PTSD alongside addiction.
- Medication-assisted treatment, using medications like Suboxone or Vivitrol to manage withdrawal symptoms and cravings when opioid or alcohol use disorder is part of the picture.
Who Outpatient Is Right For
Outpatient works best for people who:
- Have completed a higher level of care, like residential, PHP, or IOP, and are ready for less structure
- Have a stable living situation and a support network at home
- Have co-occurring anxiety or depression that’s steady enough for weekly support rather than daily structure
- Need the fewest possible hours away from work, school, or family
If you’re not sure whether outpatient is enough support, our admissions team can help you figure that out, and step you up to IOP or PHP if it isn’t.
What We Treat
Our outpatient program treats opioids (including heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, and hydrocodone), methamphetamine, alcohol, cocaine, benzodiazepines, marijuana, prescription medication misuse, and polysubstance use involving more than one substance at a time.
Insurance and Cost
Most major insurance plans cover outpatient treatment when it’s medically necessary. Check your insurance; it’s free and doesn’t commit you to anything.
How to Start
Call or send your insurance details
Talk to our admissions team at (877) 920-6583, or use the insurance form. We check your benefits for you.
Confidential assessment
A conversation about your substance use, mental health, and treatment history, so we can confirm outpatient is the right fit.
Start treatment
We handle the paperwork and coordinate with your insurance, and adjust your plan if you need more or less support over time.
Questions about outpatient
What is an outpatient addiction treatment program?
Regular, scheduled therapy and group support while you continue living at home and keeping up with work, school, or family. It's less intensive than day treatment (PHP) or intensive outpatient (IOP), and it's often where people land after finishing one of those.
How many days a week is outpatient at GBAC?
Most clients come 1 to 2 days a week, for about 1 to 2 hours a session. Your exact schedule is set during admission, based on what you need.
Who is a good candidate for outpatient rehab?
People who've completed detox, residential, PHP, or IOP and are ready for less structure, and people whose substance use and mental health are stable enough that weekly support is enough to keep things on track.
Can I work or go to school while in outpatient treatment?
Yes. That's exactly what outpatient is built around. Sessions are scheduled to fit into a normal work, school, or family week.
How does outpatient rehab compare to IOP or PHP?
Outpatient is the lightest of the three: fewer hours, fewer days a week, and no daytime commitment. PHP is a full day, 5 days a week; IOP is about 3 hours, 3 to 5 days a week; outpatient is 1 to 2 hours, 1 to 2 days a week.
Do clients from Newton, Wellesley, Dedham, and West Roxbury attend GBAC's outpatient program?
Yes. We see clients from across the Greater Boston area, including Newton, Wellesley, Dedham, West Roxbury, and the MetroWest towns.
Is outpatient rehab covered by insurance at GBAC?
Most major plans cover outpatient treatment when it's medically necessary. We verify your benefits for free before you commit to anything.