UToledo Health Expands Recovery Services Offerings

UToledo Health Expands Recovery Services Offerings

UToledo Health has launched a new partial hospitalization program to help bridge the gap between 24-hour inpatient care and traditional outpatient therapy for patients seeking treatment for substance use disorder.

The new program strengthens UToledo Health's existing Recovery Services offerings, which include the area's only multidisciplinary inpatient detox unit at the University of Toledo Medical Center, as well as an intensive outpatient treatment program and outpatient counseling.

"Treating addiction is all about meeting patients where they are and providing them the appropriate level of care for their individual needs," said Dr. Tanvir Singh, an addiction medicine specialist and medical director of UToledo Health Recovery Services. "With the addition of a partial hospitalization program, we now have an even better ability to offer patients the precise level of care they need to support their recovery and maintain their sobriety."

The new program is designed for individuals who need more structure and support than a traditional outpatient program provides but who don't require the around-the-clock care of inpatient detox or a residential treatment center.

A partial hospitalization program does not involve overnight stays. Instead, patients attend treatment for at least four hours a day, five days a week, under the supervision of independently licensed clinicians.

While specific treatment plans vary by patient, the partial hospitalization program's services include medication-assisted therapy, care coordination, medication management, and both group and individual therapy sessions to help teach coping skills, provide relapse prevention strategies and support emotional well-being.

Patients also have access to cognitive behavioral therapy, which focuses on addressing unhelpful thoughts, and dialectical behavior therapy, which focuses on managing intense emotions in healthier ways.

The partial hospitalization program builds on UToledo Health's expertise with trauma-informed care and supporting patients facing multiple health challenges, allowing clinicians to deliver more coordinated, personalized treatment.

"We have a lot of patients who are also suffering from chronic pain, which can lead to relapse. We have patients with chronic diseases that can significantly increase their stress levels, which also can play a role in relapse," Singh said. "This is a more intensive way for us to care for them to ensure their continued recovery and success, while also addressing other mental and physical health concerns."

Partial hospitalization can serve as a step-down for patients who have completed inpatient detox. For other patients, partial hospitalization might be their first line of treatment.

"We're focused on individualized care, not moving people up and down a ladder, rung by rung," said Jeffery Streeter, a licensed independent social worker at UToledo Health. "We want to make sure we're giving patients the tools to build a strong foundation for recovery by getting them into the specific level of care they need. That looks different for every patient."

UToledo Health uses the American Society of Addiction Medicine criteria to determine each patient's individual needs. That assessment - which includes a review of their overall mental health, substance use history and support systems - helps clinicians determine the appropriate level of care.

"The evidence is very clear that patients do better and experience fewer setbacks when we get them into the right level of care at the beginning of their treatment," Singh said. "There are a lot of patients whose assessment is going to tell us that a partial hospitalization program is best. This is meeting that need and putting us on a path to help more people get better."

One of the biggest differences between the existing intensive outpatient program and the new partial hospitalization program is the time spent in therapy. Outpatient program participants receive 10 hours of care per week and patients in the partial hospitalization program get more than 21 hours of care each week.

UToledo Health's partial hospitalization program is open to adults aged 18 and older. Referrals are not required.

Partial hospitalization programs are generally covered by Medicaid, Medicare and most private insurance plans, though individuals should confirm their specific benefits with their insurance provider.

To learn more, individuals can call the Recovery Services intake line at 419.383.5696, option 3.