Virtual IOP frequently asked questions
Questions, answered plainly.
Straight answers about intensive outpatient care, insurance and what a week at Thrive looks like. Can’t find yours? Our admissions team will answer it, free.
Quick answers
IOP means
Intensive outpatient program
Time each week
9 to 12 hours, live
Typical length
About 10 weeks
Insurance
Most commercial plans
41 answers across 8 topics, below.
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The basics About Thrive Getting started Insurance and cost The program Day to day After IOP For providers01
About virtual IOP
What an intensive outpatient program is, and how it compares to other kinds of care.
8 questions
What does IOP stand for?
IOP stands for intensive outpatient program. In mental health care, it’s a structured level of treatment with more hours than weekly therapy, usually 9 to 12 a week, while you keep living at home. You go to your sessions, then get on with your day. There’s no overnight stay.
What is a virtual IOP?
A virtual IOP is an intensive outpatient program you attend on live video instead of in a clinic. At Thrive that means group therapy three days a week plus a weekly session with your own therapist, all led by clinicians in real time. It isn’t a self-paced course or a chat app. How our IOP works.
What’s the difference between IOP and PHP?
The difference is mostly time. A partial hospitalization program (PHP) usually runs 5 to 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, and often comes right after a hospital stay. An IOP runs about 3 hours a day, a few days a week, so most people keep working or studying. Stepping down from a PHP into an IOP is common. Thrive offers IOP only.
Does a virtual IOP work?
For many adults, yes. SAMHSA, the federal agency for mental health and substance use, reviewed the research on telehealth and published guidance for using it in treatment (SAMHSA, 2021). Any IOP works best when people show up and stay with it. At Thrive, 90% of scheduled sessions are attended and 81% of stays end in a planned discharge. See our outcomes.
How is an IOP different from weekly therapy or a therapy app?
Weekly therapy is usually one 50-minute session. A therapy app often means messaging or a short video call. An IOP gives you about 9 to 12 hours of live care a week: groups where you practice skills with people going through similar things, your own therapist, a written treatment plan, and regular check-ins on how you’re doing. It’s for the times when once a week isn’t enough.
Who is a virtual IOP a good fit for?
Adults 18 and older who need more support than weekly therapy but don’t need 24-hour care. That includes people whose symptoms are getting in the way of work, school or relationships, and people stepping down from a hospital stay or a PHP. An IOP isn’t the right fit if you need medical detox first, round-the-clock supervision, or emergency care.
When is it time to step down from PHP to IOP?
Usually when your symptoms are steadier, you’re safe without daily check-ins, and you’re ready to use your skills in everyday life with fewer hours of support. Your PHP team normally recommends the timing. With your written permission, we can talk with them so the handoff is smooth.
How do I choose a virtual IOP?
Check five things. Accreditation from a group like The Joint Commission. Live sessions with clinicians, not self-paced videos. In-network coverage with your insurance. Real numbers on attendance or outcomes. And a clear plan for crises and for what happens after you finish. Ask any program about all five. We’re glad to answer them.
02
About Thrive
Who we are, where we work, and how to check us out.
3 questions
What is Thrive Mental Health?
Thrive Mental Health is a virtual intensive outpatient program for adults 18 and older. We’re based in Boca Raton, Florida, and treat people in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas. Care includes live group therapy, individual therapy and optional family sessions on secure video, with a treatment plan built around you.
Is Thrive a legitimate, accredited program?
Yes. Thrive is accredited by The Joint Commission under its Behavioral Health Care and Human Services standards. We’re in network with major insurers, including Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Optum and several Blue Cross Blue Shield plans, and we publish our own attendance and discharge numbers on our outcomes page.
Is there a virtual IOP near me?
If you live in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, North Carolina, South Carolina or Texas, yes. Care happens on video, so you join from home or any private space in those states. You do need to be physically in one of them during each session. Find your state.
Our program, by the numbers.
8
days
median time from referral to admission
90
%
of scheduled sessions attended
74
days
median time in the program
From Thrive’s own records, test accounts excluded. Sessions and admissions February to September 2026; stays June 2024 to September 2026. See our outcomes
03
Getting started
How to reach us, what happens first, and how soon you can begin.
5 questions
How do I get started?
Fill out the short form on our get started page or call (561) 203-6085. Admissions will ask what’s going on, check your insurance for free, and set up an assessment with a clinician. If the program is a good fit, you’ll get your schedule and a start date.
How soon can I start?
Usually in about a week. Our median time from referral to admission is 8 days. Admissions handles any prior authorization your insurance needs, so you don’t have to.
Do I need a referral or a diagnosis?
No. You can reach out on your own, and you don’t need a diagnosis first. Plenty of people start with “something isn’t right.” A clinician completes an assessment with you during intake. If your plan requires a referral, we’ll tell you.
Can I reach out for someone I love?
Yes. Family members, partners and friends can call us with questions and learn how the program works. Because the program is for adults, the person joining has to agree to care and complete intake themselves. We can’t share their information with you unless they give written permission.
Can I join from anywhere?
From any private space, as long as you’re physically in one of the eight states we serve during each session. State licensing rules require it, so your clinician confirms where you are at the start of every session. Planning a trip? Tell your care team ahead of time.
04
Insurance and cost
What insurance covers, which plans we take, and what you might pay.
6 questions
Does insurance cover a virtual IOP?
For most people with commercial insurance, yes. Thrive is in network with Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Optum, several Blue Cross Blue Shield plans, TRICARE and others, depending on your state. We check your benefits for free before you start.
Which insurance plans do you accept?
It depends on your state. Plans we’re in network with include Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare and Optum, Oscar, TRICARE, Florida Blue, Anthem, Blue Shield of California, AZ Blue, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, Curative and Johns Hopkins Health Plans. See plans by state. Don’t see yours? Call us and we’ll check.
Does Blue Cross Blue Shield cover IOP?
Many Blue Cross Blue Shield plans cover intensive outpatient mental health care. Thrive is in network with Florida Blue, Anthem in Indiana, AZ Blue, Blue Shield of California and BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina. If your Blue plan is from another state, coverage can work differently, so we check your benefits before you start.
How much will I pay for IOP with insurance?
It depends on your plan’s deductible, copay or coinsurance. Before you start, admissions checks your benefits and tells you what to expect, including whether your plan needs prior authorization. When we’re in network, you won’t be billed more than your plan’s share of the cost.
Can I pay without insurance?
Yes, self-pay is an option. Before you start, you’ll get a Good Faith Estimate of the cost, which federal law requires for people paying on their own. If cost is a worry, tell admissions and we’ll talk through your options.
Do you take Medicaid or Medicare?
Not at this time. Thrive works with commercial insurance plans and TRICARE. If you have Medicaid or Medicare, call us anyway and we’ll help you think through other options.
In network with plans like these, depending on your state. See plans by state
Aetna
Cigna
UnitedHealthcare
Optum
Oscar
TRICARE
Florida Blue
Anthem
Blue Shield of California
AZ Blue
BlueCross BlueShield of SC
Curative
Aetna
Cigna
UnitedHealthcare
Optum
Oscar
TRICARE
Florida Blue
Anthem
Blue Shield of California
AZ Blue
BlueCross BlueShield of SC
Curative
05
The program
Hours, schedule, length, and what actually happens in sessions.
8 questions
How many hours a week is IOP?
About 9 to 12. At Thrive, groups meet three days a week for about three hours each, and you see your own therapist once a week. Family sessions are optional and on top of that.
What time are sessions?
Groups currently start at 6 PM Eastern, which is 5 PM Central and 3 PM Pacific. Your days and your individual session time are confirmed with you at intake, around work and family.
How long does IOP last?
At Thrive, the typical stay is about 10 weeks. Our median is 74 days. How long you stay depends on your goals and progress, and your care team reviews it with you as you go, including when to step down to less care.
What happens in group therapy?
Groups are live video sessions led by a clinician. You learn and practice skills from approaches like CBT and DBT, talk through what’s hard, and get support from people working on similar things. You decide how much you share. Our treatment methods.
Will I have my own therapist?
Yes. You’re matched with an individual therapist who meets with you every week, builds your treatment plan with you, and works with you through the program.
Can my family be involved?
If you want them to be. Family sessions are optional. They can help the people close to you understand what you’re working on and how to support you. You decide who’s involved and what’s shared.
What conditions do you treat?
Anxiety, depression, bipolar and other mood disorders, trauma and PTSD, OCD, perinatal mood and anxiety, personality disorders, dissociative disorders, and mental health conditions that come with substance use. We also help with ADHD or autism alongside anxiety or depression, and with stress around gender identity. See all conditions.
Do you prescribe medication?
No. Thrive’s care team is made up of therapists. If you take medication, keep seeing the psychiatrist or doctor who manages it. With your written permission, we’ll coordinate with them so everyone works from the same plan.
06
Day to day
What you need to join, how privacy works, and what to do when life gets in the way.
6 questions
What do I need to join?
A phone, tablet or computer with a camera, a steady internet connection, and a private place where no one can overhear. Headphones help. Please don’t join while driving, from a public place, or on a shared or work computer.
Is virtual therapy private?
Sessions run on a secure, HIPAA-compliant video platform, and only first names show on screen. Everyone in group agrees to keep what’s said there private, though no program can fully guarantee what other members do. You decide what you share. Your records are protected by federal privacy law.
Do I have to be on camera?
Yes, for the whole session. Being seen is part of how group therapy works, and it lets your clinician notice how you’re doing. Your space doesn’t have to be perfect, just private.
Can I keep working or going to school?
Yes. That’s what an IOP is built for. Groups meet later in the day, three days a week, so most people keep their job or classes while they’re in the program.
What if I miss a session?
Tell your care team as early as you can. Life happens, and one missed session won’t end your treatment. Showing up regularly is how an IOP works, though, so if you’re missing often, your team will talk with you about what’s getting in the way.
What if I’m in crisis between sessions?
07
After IOP
What comes next when you finish.
2 questions
What happens after IOP?
Before you finish, you and your care team write a plan for what comes next. Often that means weekly outpatient therapy, which you can continue at Thrive. We can also connect you with providers or support groups where you live.
Can I keep my current therapist or psychiatrist?
Yes. You can keep seeing your own providers during the program. With your written permission, we’ll coordinate with them so your care fits together during and after IOP.
08
For referring providers
Referring a patient, and what to expect from us.
3 questions
How do I refer a patient?
Use our referral form or call (561) 203-6085. We reach out to your patient, check their benefits for free, and handle intake. We accept adults 18 and older in the eight states we serve.
Will you keep me updated?
Yes, with your patient’s written permission. We’ll confirm when they’re admitted and keep you in the loop through discharge, so you can pick up where we leave off.
Who is a good fit to refer?
Adults who need more than weekly therapy but not 24-hour care, such as people with worsening depression, anxiety, trauma or mood symptoms, and people stepping down from inpatient care or a PHP. It isn’t the right level for someone who needs medical detox, is at imminent risk, or has psychosis that isn’t yet stable.
