Outpatient alcohol care in Illinois starts with an initial assessment which determines a person's overall need for services and provides a diagnosis.
An outpatient alcohol program in Illinois offers several advantages. It provides an opportunity to work on your issues while maintaining your normal routine and responsibilities. You'll be able to go to work, school, or home every day.
How Outpatient Alcohol Treatment Works
Group sessions can provide support, social interaction, and accountability as part of the recovery process. Individual therapy sessions offer one-on-one time with a counselor or therapist, allowing them to work through any underlying issues that may be contributing to their addiction.
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is often used in combination with behavioral therapies for treating alcohol use disorders (AUDs). MAT uses medications like disulfiram, naltrexone, and acamprosate to help reduce cravings and prevent relapse. These medications are typically prescribed by a healthcare provider and taken as directed by the person seeking treatment.
After your initial treatment period is complete, you can usually continue receiving support through outpatient aftercare or by attending group meetings such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).
Standard Outpatient Counseling
Standard outpatient counseling usually means office visits on a schedule that is less than nine hours per week. Services include individual, family and group therapy, as well as recovery support using medication as needed.
Most people in standard outpatient counseling receive some combination of individual and group therapy. Family members may also be involved in therapy sessions to help them cope with their loved one's drinking problem. Standard outpatient counseling is a good option for those who have completed an intensive alcohol treatment program or who don't need around-the-clock supervision.
In this form of treatment, you'll work with a doctor or other qualified health care provider to set reasonable goals for recovery. Your goal may be abstinence from alcohol, reducing your drinking to a safe level, and avoiding relapse.
During the program, you'll attend weekly counseling sessions to discuss your drinking problem and your plans for managing it in the future. Your counselor may use different types of therapy during these sessions:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: This type of counseling helps you find links between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It can help change the way you think about your drinking habits. You'll learn to recognize the situations that trigger alcohol cravings and how to cope with them in a healthy manner.
Motivational Enhancement Therapy: In this style of therapy, you'll work with a counselor to identify your goals for recovery. Your counselor will then help you develop an action plan to meet these goals.
Your treatment is based on the needs you identify and that your healthcare professional assesses. These services are often available through community mental health agencies, private practices, substance use disorder clinics, or even in schools.
Outpatient care is less restrictive than residential treatment, which typically requires a person to live in the facility while undergoing the program. Outpatient programs usually require the patient to attend weekly sessions and may include some aftercare services such as counseling.
Intensive Outpatient Programs
Intensive outpatient adds more weekly clinical hours than standard outpatient programs. Individuals in intensive outpatient care receive at least nine hours of treatment per week, but are able to maintain their daily routine and work schedule.
In general, an intensive outpatient program (IOP) offers more flexibility than a residential program but more structure than standard outpatient therapy. The length of time in IOP varies and usually depends on the severity of your addiction, whether you are participating in other recovery services, and the level of supervision that is needed while you remain at home.
Intensive Outpatient Programs are available for people who do not require around-the-clock care but need extra support and counseling during the day.
Some programs also provide medication management and case management services.
Partial Hospitalization Programs
Twenty or more clinical hours define partial hospitalization programs (PHP). They offer the highest level of care in outpatient therapy. You must attend sessions at least 20 hours per week.
Partial hospitalization delivers day-long clinical support in a less intensive setting than residential rehab. A partial hospitalization program (PHP) may be the best step-down care after residential treatment.
Partial Hospitalization Services (PHP) are an intermediate level of clinical intervention for those individuals who are in need of more structure than Intensive Outpatient Services but less than residential or in-patient services. PHP is designed to provide a comprehensive range of treatment modalities and therapeutic interventions, including individual counseling, group counseling, psycho-educational groups, family education/support sessions, and aftercare planning.
Who Outpatient Care Fits
Outpatient alcohol rehab fits people whose needs are mild to moderate. It may be right for you if you:
Don't need a medically supervised withdrawal from alcohol
Need some type of follow-up care after inpatient treatment or detox
Have no other medical problems that require hospital-level care
Can safely work with the therapist on issues related to alcohol use and other life problems
Outpatient care is a good option when you:
Are concerned about privacy, keeping your alcoholism secret
Need to keep up with family obligations
Need to keep up with work obligations or keep a job
Don't have the financial resources for a residential stay in an inpatient treatment center
Want to take advantage of your own support system at home
Even if you don't think you need a high level of care, some people are unsafe and should not be treated on an outpatient basis. You may be more suitable for an inpatient treatment program if you:
Have a history of alcohol use problems and other mental health issues
Have been drinking heavily, even while in treatment or counseling
Are suicidal (threatening to hurt yourself)
Have no support system at home and can't get help from family or friends
In general, outpatient programs are best for people with no physical complications from drinking and those who have strong support at home.
Once medical complications have passed, many people can benefit from outpatient care. Outpatient care may also be appropriate following residential or inpatient treatment, depending on the person's needs and preferences. In many cases, people move through several levels of care during their recovery journey.
Medications in Outpatient Treatment
Acamprosate helps maintain abstinence after someone with alcohol use disorder (AUD) has stopped drinking. It is not addictive, and it works best when combined with behavioral treatment such as counseling or support groups.
When someone drinks while taking disulfiram, they will experience an unpleasant reaction. This can include headache, nausea, vomiting, flushing, and palpitations. People on disulfiram are advised not to drink alcohol and should avoid all types of food or beverages containing alcohol.
Naltrexone can reduce heavy drinking. It blocks the effects of alcohol and decreases cravings for it, so people may be less likely to relapse during treatment with naltrexone. The medication does not cause a high when taken by itself.
Naltrexone works by blocking opioid receptors and thereby reducing the reward associated with drinking alcohol. It does not cause intoxication or sedation.
Paying for Outpatient Alcohol Rehab in Illinois
HealthChoice Illinois plans must cover substance use disorder benefits. HealthChoice Illinois plans must follow parity requirements under state law and federal law.
Illinois Medicaid outpatient alcohol treatment may be eligible under the following programs:
Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs)
Health Choice
YouthCare
HFS Medical Assistance can pay for covered services if you or your family member meets medical eligibility requirements. The eligibility requirements vary by program.
The Medicaid program pays for health services provided by doctors, hospitals, pharmacies and other medical providers who have agreed to enroll with the State of Illinois.
Choosing an Outpatient Program
Illinois Helpline specialists can help locate quality treatment options that meet your needs. These options include both licensed substance use disorder (SUD) treatment programs as well as non-licensed support groups, community-based organizations, and other recovery resources.
Standard Outpatient: Standard outpatient treatment is provided by a licensed substance use disorder (SUD) treatment facility. Services include comprehensive intake and assessment, individualized treatment planning, group therapy sessions, medication management services, case management, discharge planning, and other recovery support services.
Intensive Outpatient: Intensive outpatient treatment provides similar services to those offered in standard outpatient but with more intensive programming, including additional group or individual counseling or substance use disorder education. This level of care is often recommended for those who have a moderate substance use disorder or when the person has relapsed from previous outpatient treatment and needs a higher level of support.
Partial Hospitalization: Partial hospitalization provides an intense level of services but can be less restrictive than inpatient care. Participants attend treatment programs on-site at a licensed SUD facility during the day and return home at night.
Other factors to consider when choosing an alcohol outpatient program include:
Type of services provided (outpatient, intensive outpatient)
Fees and insurance accepted
Hours available
Length of time in treatment
When choosing an outpatient alcohol program, ask about how they use evidence-based practices (also known as evidence-based treatment). These are the treatments that have been proven effective by multiple rigorous studies. Make sure the provider uses these approaches. It will increase your chances of getting better.
The following are examples of evidence-based practices for treating alcohol problems in adults:
Motivational enhancement therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy
Twelve-step facilitation and other types of group therapy
You'll also want to find out if the program accepts your health insurance. If not, you may need to pay privately.
