Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
More support than weekly therapy. Without interrupting everyday life.
Best Life’s Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program is a six-week, family-integrated program for Kentucky youth ages 12–17 who need a higher level of behavioral health support while remaining safely at home, attending school, and staying connected to their everyday lives.
Tuesday + Thursday | 5:00–8:00 PM ET | Live via Zoom | Statewide Kentucky
Who benefits from Adolescent IOP?
IOP is designed for adolescents whose mental health symptoms are significantly affecting daily life and who need more structure, support, and clinical contact than traditional weekly outpatient therapy provides.
IOP may be a good fit for adolescents experiencing depression, anxiety, emotional or behavioral dysregulation, difficulty functioning at home or school, relationship or family distress, or worsening symptoms despite outpatient treatment. It may also provide a structured transition for adolescents stepping down from a higher level of behavioral health care.
IOP is appropriate when an adolescent can remain safely in the home and community without continuous or in-person monitoring. Youth experiencing an immediate psychiatric emergency or requiring 24-hour supervision need a higher level of care.
What happens during a six-week program?
IOP is more than additional therapy sessions. Each week combines structured treatment, skill-building, and family involvement to help adolescents understand what is happening, practice new ways of responding, and carry those changes into life outside of treatment.
Throughout the six weeks, adolescents will participate in:
- Therapeutic groups focused on emotional regulation, coping, communication, relationships, problem-solving, and other skills connected to their treatment needs.
- Individualized treatment planning that identifies each adolescent’s goals, strengths, symptoms, and areas of concern.
- Family and caregiver work that helps caregivers understand what their adolescent is learning while strengthening communication, support, and responses at home.
- Practice between sessions so that skills are applied to actual situations at home, at school, and in relationships—not just discussed during treatment.
- Ongoing safety and progress monitoring so treatment can respond to changes in symptoms, functioning, and level-of-care needs.
- Transition planning to connect progress made in IOP with continued outpatient treatment and supports after the six-week program ends.
The program is intentionally progressive: what adolescents and families learn early in treatment becomes the foundation for the work that follows. By the end of six weeks, the goal is not simply to have learned more coping skills, but to have practiced using them within the relationships and environments where they are actually needed.
The Best Life Difference: Family is part of the treatment.
Developed by a Black woman-owned practice, with family therapy at its core.
We understand that adolescents don’t experience mental health concerns in isolation—and we don’t treat them that way.
At Best Life, caregiver and family involvement isn’t an occasional addition to adolescent treatment. It is built into the IOP model. Throughout the six weeks, treatment combines adolescent-focused intervention with caregiver support and family work designed to strengthen communication, relationships, and the family’s ability to respond effectively when challenges arise.
Our goal isn’t simply to help an adolescent feel better while they’re in IOP. We want adolescents and caregivers to leave treatment with skills, shared language, and a stronger plan for what happens when things get hard again.
What does participation require?
To participate in Best Life’s Adolescent IOP, youth must:
- Be 12–17 years old
- Be located in Kentucky during treatment
- Have an involved parent or legal caregiver who is willing to participate in required treatment components
- Participate from the home environment in a space that provides reasonable privacy and minimizes interruptions
- Have a camera-enabled device and stable internet connection for live Zoom sessions
- Be able to participate safely in virtual treatment without continuous in-person monitoring
- Have eligible Kentucky Medicaid coverage or elect the private-pay option
Program Schedule
Tuesday + Thursday | 5:00–8:00 PM ET | 6 weeks | Live via Zoom
Coverage & Cost
Best Life’s Adolescent IOP accepts Kentucky Medicaid, including Aetna Better Health of Kentucky, Humana Healthy Horizons, Passport, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, and WellCare of Kentucky.
A private-pay option is also available for families who do not have eligible Medicaid coverage.
Ready to take the next step?
Families do not need to figure out on their own whether IOP is the perfect level of care before reaching out. The intake process is designed to help determine whether the program is an appropriate fit.
Refer to IOP
Complete our secure online IOP referral form.
Schedule an IOP Intake
Schedule directly with our intake team and select IOP as the service. You will still be prompted to complete the IOP referral form before your IOP intake phone call for necessary clinical and billing determinations.
