Levels of Care

Every situation is unique. Each individual requires a different level of care. However, these levels of care can be grouped into a handful of drug and alcohol rehab programs:

These levels of care are standards established by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) using the ASAM criteria. Each level of treatment differs in a few key areas, including:

• Whether medical detox is needed
• The intensity of the program
• Where you may live during treatment
• How long you can expect to be in treatment

While these levels of care can be grouped into specific programs, it is important to ensure you receive individual advice from your doctor or healthcare provider based on your situation. The American Society of Addiction Medicine provides criteria for evaluating patients’ treatment needs across levels.

Everyone is different, and no addiction treatment program is one-size-fits-all. A person’s treatment plan should be based on the person’s substance abuse history, family, health, and other personal factors. It’s important to seek clinical advice to determine the proper level of care.

At Crystal Lake, our team of highly skilled clinicians will perform a comprehensive assessment for addiction treatment to ensure you receive the appropriate care and treatment you need for your alcohol or substance use disorder.

Deciding on the best level of care for you begins when you enter treatment with a clinical or needs assessment. This confidential discussion will help our clinicians decide the best care level for you, since clients enter treatment at different levels based on need. Questions will focus on six areas (or dimensions) as a starting point to understand your needs, the severity of addiction, relevant diagnostic criteria, as well as skills and strengths.

What are the ASAM Levels of Care?

The American Society for Addiction Medicine (ASAM) developed a continuum of care broken down into five levels of care for drug and alcohol treatment programs, including Level 0.5, the early intervention services level, for people who may be high risk even before a formal substance use disorder diagnosis:

Not everyone will need the same level of care. Starting at the highest level of care isn’t necessary for everyone, so this flexibility will individualize your treatment to match your needs.

Level 0.5: Early Intervention Services

Early intervention services and/or an outpatient program are best if you’re having problems related to drugs or alcohol, but don’t meet the criteria for a substance use disorder. If you are at risk for a substance use disorder, this is an excellent way to learn about addiction and recovery as part of substance abuse treatment for less severe needs or after higher levels of care.

Level 1: Outpatient Services

Outpatient services are more structured than intervention services. Typically, patients receive treatment while living at home and attending groups or seeing an addiction therapist at a clinic or other facility. If you’ve completed treatment or have a less severe substance use disorder, this is an excellent treatment option. Outpatient treatment can last from a few weeks to a year, depending on your needs and progress.

Level 2: Intensive Outpatient/Partial Hospitalization Services

Intensive outpatient, or an intensive outpatient program (IOP), and PHP programs are higher-intensity outpatient options. You may live at the facility, a halfway house, or even at home while commuting to and from treatment. Most programs require nine to twenty hours of clinical care a week for PHP or IOP treatment.

Many IOPs are structured as three sessions of three hours each, but this may differ depending on individual needs. PHP often functions as day treatment, offering more support during the day while still letting you return home. If you’ve completed residential treatment, a partial hospitalization program, or IOP can be a strong step-down therapeutic option that continues core services (such as individual and group therapy) as you transition back to daily life.

Level 3: Residential/Inpatient Services

Residential/inpatient treatment services offer individuals treatment while staying at the facility, making this level appropriate for patients with significant functional impairments. This allows you to receive 24-hour access to support and services. Residential programs provide therapeutic programming, which may include one-on-one therapy sessions, medication management, group therapy, family therapy, or support groups, while also building recovery skills.

Some residential care may be delivered at a slower pace when individuals need more reinforcement and individualized progress. If you’ve completed a medical detox, this is usually the next step in the treatment plan, and relapse prevention is a core part of therapy at this level of addiction treatment.

Level 4: Medically Managed Intensive Inpatient Services

Medically managed intensive inpatient services are the highest level of care, with 24-hour medical oversight and clinical monitoring. If you need medical detox from a substance such as heroin, alcohol, or benzodiazepines, detox is essential to starting your recovery journey. Sudden withdrawal symptoms can be deadly, and this level of care provides 24-hour medical monitoring, as well as medications to ease withdrawal symptoms. Once you are medically stable, you can enter residential treatment, often at the same treatment center as your detox.

There is no set time for how long a person will be on a particular level of care. Treatment may continue through various stages rather than follow a fixed timeline. Factors that may increase or decrease the length of treatment include:

• How long the person has been using alcohol and/or drugs
• When the person last used substances
• What the substance is (such as alcohol or benzodiazepines) and/or whether multiple substances are being used by the person
• Whether the person has undergone addiction treatment in the past
• The person’s medical history
• Mental health status and the presence of any co-occurring mental health conditions (if any)

The exact services provided and duration of treatment depend on individual needs. There is no default timeline for addiction treatment. Generally, you can expect the following length of treatment and average weekly commitment:

The decision to move from one level of addiction treatment to the next is a clinical decision made by your treatment team. You will have input into this process as you and your team review your medical condition, mental health status, readiness to change, and progress in therapy. In many cases, individuals participate in more than one level of care as they build stability and healthy routines through recovery.

This allows our trained clinicians and medical staff to guide you along this continuum of care. These broad categories help clarify which level of support fits your needs at each stage. Our teams are dedicated to providing skillful treatment to you. Everyone has a different starting point in recovery. Using the ASAM standards and dimensions, we can provide treatment that embraces your background and needs and refer clients to a more appropriate level of care when needed.

Entering treatment is a courageous step. Fortunately, you don’t have to begin your journey to recovery alone. It’s important to seek advice from an addiction professional who will utilize the evidence-based ASAM standards to determine the best care for you. You may be surprised at the level of treatment suggested by a medical professional. But the level of addiction treatment you enter (or continue to) doesn’t say anything about you as a person. What’s most important is that you focus on recovering from addiction — whatever best enables your recovery is the best option for you.

Crystal Lake Recovery will guide you through your treatment program, starting with your first call to us. We’ll provide support with transitions and case management when appropriate. We hold ourselves to a high standard in drug and alcohol treatment. We’ll be your partner in recovery at every stage. Contact us today to learn more.