Keep your job and your recovery, without choosing one
One of the most common things we hear on a first call is some version of: I know I need help, but I cannot stop working. Behind that sentence is usually a mortgage, kids, health insurance, or a career someone spent years building. Those are real stakes, and pretending otherwise does not help anyone. Evening IOP is the level of care built for exactly this situation.
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Intensive Outpatient (IOP)
A DBT-focused intensive outpatient program in Carlsbad for adults 18+, with flexible day and evening structure.
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What to Expect in IOP
What an evening in IOP actually looks like, from the first check-in to what happens between sessions.
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DBT Skills in IOP
Our IOP is built around DBT. Here is what those skills actually are, in plain language, and why they make recovery hold.
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Outpatient Level 1
The lightest level of outpatient care, about four hours a week, designed to protect long-term recovery after PHP and IOP.
Learn moreHow the schedule works
Our IOP meets in the evenings, usually three three-hour groups a week, often Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Days stay free for work, school, or parenting. Treatment happens after hours, with a clinical team and a group of peers, many of whom are juggling the same responsibilities. Most people complete IOP in six to twelve weeks.
Recovery practiced where it counts
There is a real clinical upside to staying in your life during treatment: the stresses that fed the addiction are still there, and now they get worked on in real time. The difficult boss, the after-work happy hour culture, the exhaustion of parenting, all of it comes back into group and gets processed with people who understand. Skills are not learned in a bubble and then tested later. They are tested Tuesday and refined Wednesday night.
Do you have to tell your employer?
Usually, no. Because IOP meets in the evenings, most people attend without any change to their work schedule, and treatment is confidential. Some people choose to loop in an employer or HR, and legal protections may apply when they do, but for evening IOP it is rarely forced by logistics. If your situation involves workplace consequences, a DOT/SAP process, or a licensing board, tell us on the first call and we will help you think it through.
For parents
Three evenings a week is a real commitment for a household, and it works best when it is planned as a family. Many parents trade evenings with a partner, lean on family, or set up recurring childcare for group nights. It is a season, not forever, and the version of you that comes home from group is the version your kids need more of.
When work is part of the problem
Sometimes the honest clinical answer is that someone is not stable enough yet to work and recover at the same time. High-stress jobs, travel-heavy roles, and workplaces soaked in alcohol can outpace early recovery. If that is where things are, we will say so, and talk through options like PHP, short-term leave, or more structure first. The goal is not to protect the job at the cost of the person. It is to protect the person so the job still has someone to come back to.
“The beauty of our Continuum of Care model is a consistent treatment team from the beginning of the journey until the client is ready to fly solo. Clients are able to establish trust with their primary counselor, while the team supports them from the first day of care through their transition into the next appropriate stage of recovery.”
Worried about balancing work and treatment?
That is one of the most common conversations we have, and there are usually more options than people think. Our phone line is answered seven days a week, from 8:00 AM–9:00 PM PT. Outside those hours, leave a message or send a text and we will respond as soon as possible. If you need to speak with someone now, call or text (619) 363-4767. No pressure, just a conversation.
Frequently asked questions
Can I really keep my job while in IOP?
Yes, that is much of the point. Our IOP meets in the evenings, usually three nights a week, so daytime work, school, and family responsibilities continue. Most people attend without changing their work schedule at all.
Do I have to tell my boss I am in treatment?
Usually, no. Evening IOP rarely requires any workplace accommodation, and treatment is confidential. If you choose to involve an employer, or your situation includes a DOT/SAP process or licensing board, we can help you think through how to handle it.
What if my job involves a lot of drinking culture?
Bring it into group, because you will not be the only one. Navigating happy hours, client dinners, and celebration culture is one of the most common and practical topics in IOP. If the environment is outpacing early recovery, the team will talk honestly about more support.
How do parents make three evenings a week work?
Usually by planning it as a household: trading evenings with a partner, leaning on family, or setting recurring childcare for group nights. It is a demanding season, but a short one compared to what untreated addiction costs a family.
What if I travel for work?
Tell us on the first call. Depending on the pattern, there may be scheduling flexibility, or it may make sense to plan treatment around a lighter travel stretch. The plan gets built around your real life, not an idealized one.
