Teen IOP Schedule
At Evolve, intensive outpatient treatment is designed to give teens the clinical support and structure they need to engage in treatment, build coping skills, and create lasting change. Here is a closer look at what an average week and day looks like in our intensive outpatient programs.
Teen IOP Schedule
At Evolve, intensive outpatient treatment is designed to give teens the clinical support and structure they need to engage in treatment, build coping skills, and create lasting change. Here is a closer look at what an average week and day looks like in our intensive outpatient programs.
A Week at Evolve IOP
Evolve’s Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), also known as an after-school program, is designed for teens who need more support than traditional outpatient therapy and psychiatry but can continue living at home and attending school. Teens participate in structured, intensive treatment after school four days a week, including evidence-based group therapy, individual and family therapy, psychiatry, and other individualized components of care. IOP provides the clinical support, structure, and family involvement teens need to make meaningful, lasting progress while remaining connected to their family, school, and daily routines.
Please note that this is a sample schedule. Schedules vary by location, and program hours may differ during the summer.
- 1 individual therapy session and 1 family therapy session each week
- Psychiatry sessions every other week or monthly, based on individual need
- 3 therapy groups per day
Understanding Each Part of the Schedule
With every aspect of our programming guided by intention, compassion, and accountability, every element of a teen’s daily schedule plays a role in their healing. Explore the sections below to see how each part of the day supports stability, skill-building, and lasting change.
Clinical Group Therapy
Group therapy is a vital part of our treatment approach. Each day, teens participate in three group sessions. Topics include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Relapse Prevention, Seeking Safety, Anger Management, Healthy Relationships, Life Skills, Communication, Self-Esteem, Coping Ahead, Skills Application, Behavioral Activation, Creative Writing, Therapeutic Art, and Self-Identity.
DBT Skills Training
Evolve is especially known for our strong focus on DBT, a structured, skills-based therapy proven to help teens who struggle with intense emotions, strained relationships, or impulsive behaviors. All our programs include a 90-minute DBT skills training group each week, led by our clinical director or a primary therapist. Teens learn essential skills in Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation, and Distress Tolerance, then practice them throughout the week with counselors and skills coaches.
Experiential Therapy
Experiential therapies include art or music therapy. These groups support emotional growth and skill development. Our goal is to help teens create safe, positive experiences, explore their identities, and find activities that bring them joy and purpose.
Multi-Family Group
Multifamily groups bring teens and their parents together to learn, practice, and strengthen skills in a supportive group setting. At Evolve, these groups are grounded in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and incorporate other evidence-based modalities to support each family’s needs. Multifamily groups focus on building effective communication, emotional regulation, and problem-solving skills while helping families better understand one another’s experiences. By learning and practicing skills alongside other families, parents and teens gain support, perspective, and tools they can continue using together long after treatment ends.
What’s Happening Behind The Scenes That You Don’t See on the Schedule
A treatment schedule can show groups, meals, school time, and activities, but it does not always show the full clinical support happening throughout the day. At Evolve, each teen is supported by a multidisciplinary team that includes board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrists, licensed therapists, nurses, residential counselors, and skills coaches.
Psychiatry Support
Each teen meets with a psychiatrist every other week or monthly, based on individual need. Our psychiatrists work closely with the primary therapist to support accurate diagnosis, monitor progress, and make thoughtful adjustments to each teen’s treatment plan. This helps ensure psychiatric care is safe, coordinated, and responsive throughout the teen’s stay.
Individual & Family Therapy
Teens meet with their primary therapist once per week for individual therapy. Therapists also provide weekly family therapy and work closely with parents to schedule sessions at times that support both the family’s availability and the teen’s treatment plan. Individual and family therapy sessions are scheduled in a way that protects time for core clinical programming.
Skills Coaching
A key part of treatment at Evolve is real-time skills coaching. Teens are not only learning DBT and therapeutic skills in groups and individual therapy, they are practicing those skills throughout the day with support from trained staff. Our counselors are available during program hours to help teens use coping skills when challenges arise. This hands-on practice helps teens build confidence using their skills outside of formal sessions, supporting long-term progress beyond treatment.