Investment in mental health has exploded over the last five years. Still, there remains a large gap between inpatient care and outpatient treatment, which could be a business opportunity for providers looking to expand, reports Behavioral Health Business.
Specifically, more and more providers are eyeing intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) to care for patients that need either a step down from an inpatient program or a step up from a traditional outpatient program. IOPs typically consist of at least nine hours of treatment a week for adults, according to the National Alliance of Mental Illness. Although IOPs have traditionally had an important role in substance use disorder treatment, this type of program is now gaining steam in the mental health space as payers look to help patients stay out of the hospital and patients seek ways to return to their community. Read more.
