Nebraska Medicine’s Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) understands that holiday and post-holiday stress can be difficult for people in treatment.
The IOP, which started in 2018, offers a safe and supportive environment during this critical time. The program’s mission is to support the needs of individuals with co-occurring mental and addiction disorders who require more support than weekly or monthly outpatient services provide, but do not require detoxification or other inpatient treatment. The program offers comprehensive care from psychiatric providers, clinical therapists, nurses, and experienced care staff. As the program has grown, the IOP has been able to offer flexible scheduling options, including telehealth and in-person visits.
The IOP currently has several openings for in-person group sessions. To make the sessions more comfortable for the patients, the IOP acquired a larger space. Meagan Kankovsky, LIMHP, said the new room offers more space and can comfortably fit 12 patients.
The IOP currently runs two cohorts, a morning telehealth option, and an afternoon in-person option. Each of these cohorts participates in the 6-week program, meeting four days a week for three hours of group therapy per day, as well as for weekly individual therapy and medication management visits as indicated. The program offers evidence based treatments that include Seeking Safety, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
In 2024, the Department of Psychiatry started a new addictions treatment program called Co-occurring Comprehensive Treatment (CCT) which is a step-down level of care from the Intensive Outpatient Services. This has offered the opportunity for patients who are discharged from IOP to stay within Nebraska Medicine and continue their treatment with no break in services.
IOP Medical Director Sara Zachman, MD, MPH, said group therapy can benefit people in recovery.
“Many patients are understandably anxious about sharing in public, but our therapists work hard to normalize that. After a while, many find there is a lot of mutual support in a group setting,” she said. “They learn from other people’s experiences and can identify elements of it. They may see people who are steps ahead of them in recovery, which can give people hope, or be able to offer insights for people earlier in the recovery process, which can be gratifying.”
For provider-to-provider consultation or referral, call 402-552-6007.