Intensive afternoon and evening care while you sleep in your own bed
Meals are included; housing is separate
Meals are included during PHP sessions. Housing is optional, separately arranged, and not part of the PHP clinical service. PHP is outpatient care in Carlsbad with about 30 or more clinical hours per week, generally Monday through Friday from 3:00–9:00 p.m. Participants may return home or, when appropriate and available through a separate arrangement, use structured sober living.
As people stabilize after detox and residential treatment, the next stage is learning to hold onto sobriety while real life slowly comes back. Work, family relationships, and everyday stress reappear, and that is exactly when continued structure and support matter most. That is where our Partial Hospitalization Program comes in.
PHP gives your loved one intensive structured clinical support while they live outside the residential environment, at home or in sober living. It is an essential step in our Continuity of Care model, bridging residential treatment and long-term stability. Because PHP happens outside a residential setting, people need to be able to stay abstinent enough to take part safely, and drug and alcohol screening through the week helps support that and keeps PHP the right fit.
Why it is called partial hospitalization
The name comes from insurance language, not from how the program actually feels. Years ago, addiction treatment often happened in hospitals, and insurers coined partial hospitalization to describe a full day of clinical care without an overnight hospital stay. Treatment rarely happens in hospitals now, but the term stuck.
PHP provides intensive, structured outpatient treatment without an overnight stay. At PMR, sessions generally run Monday–Friday, 3:00–9:00 p.m., in Carlsbad. Housing is arranged separately and is not included in the PHP clinical service.
What PHP looks like at PMR
Our PHP is about 30 hours of clinical programming a week, generally Monday through Friday from 3:00–9:00 p.m. Schedules may vary by client. The six-hour sessions flow together as an integrated mix of:
- Group therapy
- Educational sessions
- Coping-skills development
- Relapse-prevention work
- Creative and experiential therapy
- Individual counseling with clinicians
Because people are here for several hours each day, individual therapy is built into the schedule instead of being a separate appointment. Most people stay in PHP for two to four weeks, depending on clinical progress and insurance approval.
PHP guides
A Day in PHP: What to Expect
What a treatment day in PHP actually looks like, hour by hour, so you and your family know what you are walking into.
Learn more
PHP vs Residential Treatment
Both are intensive. One includes overnight structure, one does not. Here is how families can think about which level fits right now.
Learn more
Stepping Down from PHP
PHP is a bridge, not a destination. Here is how the step down to IOP and beyond works, and how support tapers without disappearing.
Learn more
PHP vs IOP for Cash-Pay Families
Paying for treatment yourself? Here is how we help families weigh PHP against IOP, and why steady, longer-term support often gives the best shot at lasting recovery.
Learn more
Intensive Outpatient (IOP)
IOP in Carlsbad uses DBT, CBT, and Motivational Interviewing, with evening sessions and an individualized treatment plan.
Learn more
Outpatient Treatment Overview
Step-down outpatient care in Carlsbad, PHP, IOP, and Outpatient Level 1, so recovery keeps going as real life resumes.
Learn moreContinuity of Care
Compare treatment levels and see how support can change as needs change.
Learn moreBringing real life back into treatment
One of the most valuable parts of PHP is that people start facing real-world situations again while they still have strong clinical support. During this stage they often begin returning to things like work preparation, family relationships, financial responsibilities, daily routines, and the emotional stress that comes with all of it. Instead of handling that alone, they bring it back into the room and process it with their team and peers, so they can talk through hard situations, explore healthier responses, and build confidence navigating real life. PHP is the bridge between residential treatment and full independence.
Stepping down to IOP
As people keep stabilizing, many move from PHP into our Intensive Outpatient Program, which continues therapeutic support in the evenings while they return fully to work, family, and daily life. That gradual step-down lets recovery keep developing without suddenly pulling support away.
Drug and alcohol screening and accountability
Because PHP happens outside a residential setting, people spend time outside scheduled sessions in the community, where stress and triggers live. Drug and alcohol screening through the week is part of the program. It provides accountability, supports honest recovery work, and helps the team catch instability early. If someone cannot stay abstinent on an outpatient basis, that can be a sign they need a higher level of care again. Recommending that is part of responsible treatment planning, never punishment.
A dedicated outpatient location
PHP takes place at our outpatient office in Carlsbad, separate from the residential home. People come for scheduled PHP sessions and then head home or to sober living afterward. We serve families throughout North County San Diego, including Carlsbad, Encinitas, Oceanside, San Marcos, and Vista.
Where PHP fits in the Continuity of Care
PHP is one stage in a structured progression designed to keep people supported at every step:
- Clinical assessment, to understand what is really going on
- Residential Detox and Withdrawal Management, to stabilize the body safely
- Residential treatment, to address the deeper causes of addiction
- PHP, intensive clinical sessions while living at home or in sober living
- IOP and Outpatient Level 1, continued support with fewer hours as stability grows
- Structured sober living and continuing recovery support, for the long haul
“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.”
One connected path
Whether you move up or down a level of care, your clinical team stays the same. That continuity is the heart of how PMR works.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)?
PHP provides intensive, structured outpatient treatment without an overnight stay. At PMR, sessions generally run Monday–Friday, 3:00–9:00 p.m., in Carlsbad. Housing is arranged separately and is not included in the PHP clinical service.
How many hours a week is PHP?
About 30 hours, generally Monday through Friday from 3:00–9:00 p.m. Schedules may vary by client. Each six-hour session is an integrated mix of group therapy, education, coping-skills work, relapse prevention, creative and experiential therapy, and individual counseling built right into the schedule.
How long do people stay in PHP?
Most people stay in PHP for two to four weeks, depending on their clinical progress and insurance authorization. As they stabilize, many step down into our Intensive Outpatient Program.
Where does PHP take place?
At our outpatient office in Carlsbad, separate from the residential home. We serve families throughout North County San Diego, including Carlsbad, Encinitas, Oceanside, San Marcos, and Vista.
What is the difference between PHP and IOP?
PHP is more intensive, about 30 hours a week with afternoon and evening sessions, and is often used as a step-down right after residential. IOP is lighter, nine hours a week usually in the evenings, and is built to fit around work and family. Many people move from PHP into IOP as their stability grows.
