Pediatric IOP: after school, same care plan.
Intensive Outpatient at NorthStar Day runs after school, Monday through Friday, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., so children stay in school during the day. It's the step-down from PHP, or the right starting level for children whose needs are lower-acuity.
What is IOP at NorthStar Day?
Intensive Outpatient is a defined level of care: more intensive than weekly outpatient therapy, less intensive than full-day PHP. At NorthStar Day, IOP is an after-school program: Monday through Friday, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., in the same building as PHP, on the same care plan, reviewed in the same weekly team meeting.
Children in IOP stay in school during the day and come to us afterward, so the clinical work doesn't interfere with their classroom or their friendships. For children stepping down from PHP, IOP is the bridge back to a normal week.
Who is IOP for?
IOP is often the right level when:
- A child is stepping down from PHP and ready to return to a full school day
- Outpatient therapy hasn't been enough, but the presentation doesn't require a full-day program
- The child needs multidisciplinary care (OT, SLP, behavioral, psychiatric), but the intensity of need is moderate
- Staying in school matters clinically or practically, and an after-school schedule is what makes the care possible
- A child has been functioning in school but losing ground, and needs structured support without leaving the classroom
What's included in IOP?
IOP runs on the same coordinated clinical model as PHP. Every child gets individual or group therapy in the modality matched to their plan: CBT, DBT-informed skills work, Floortime, expressive arts, Social Skills Training; occupational therapy and sensory work; psychiatric care when medication is part of the plan. The afternoon is tighter than a full PHP day, so the clinical work is more focused, but the integration doesn't change.
Weekly family therapy is part of IOP, not a PHP-only benefit. Every family in the program meets with their child's lead clinician every week. Case management continues at full intensity: schools, insurance, outside providers, all coordinated.
Stepping down and stepping up.
From IOP, the most common step-down is to weekly outpatient therapy. The school day is already intact, so what changes is the number of afternoons. We coordinate the handoff with the school's IEP team and any outside providers, and we're available for consultation after the transition.
Stepping up from IOP to PHP is possible: sometimes a presentation intensifies during treatment, and the team and family agree a full-day program would serve the child better than afternoons. Because both levels run in the same building on the same care plan, the move doesn't reset anything. Your child's plan and history carry straight across. What changes is the number of hours.
Is IOP the right level for your child?
Getting the starting level right matters. Our clinical team evaluates your child directly: how symptoms are presenting, how much support they need through the day, how school is going, and what your family is managing at home. That evaluation drives the recommendation.
The first call is a 15-minute conversation. Intake calls returned within the hour.
We are ready when you are.
You don't need a diagnosis. You don't need a referral. Tell us what's going on. We'll help you figure out the right level of care.