Promises Atlanta offers two outpatient levels of care for drug and alcohol use. In our partial hospitalization program (PHP), you can live on our campus while you’re in treatment. In our intensive outpatient program (IOP), you live at home.
Both serve adults 18 and older from our campus in Dacula, about 40 minutes from downtown Atlanta. You can step down into PHP or IOP after residential treatment, or start there directly if an assessment shows it fits. If you’re comparing outpatient rehab Atlanta options for yourself or someone you love, this page explains how each program works, who it suits and what to expect.
Talk to our admissions team: Call (678) 904-8617 · Verify your insurance
Promises Atlanta, formerly Alana Recovery Center, is accredited by The Joint Commission and licensed by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD).
PHP and IOP at a glance
- PHP (partial hospitalization): our most structured outpatient level. Treatment is the main focus of your day, and you can board on campus at night.
- IOP (intensive outpatient): fewer treatment hours each week, so you can keep up with work, school or family while you live at home.
- Both programs: individual therapy, group therapy, family involvement with your consent, and care for co-occurring mental health conditions.
- Schedules: your days and hours depend on your treatment plan, so they vary from person to person.
For a deeper look at each level, read what an intensive outpatient program is and how partial hospitalization works.
Partial hospitalization (PHP) with boarding
Our partial hospitalization program near Atlanta sits between round-the-clock residential care and standard outpatient treatment. You spend your treatment day in therapy and groups, then have more personal time and responsibility in the evenings.
What sets our PHP apart is boarding. Clients in PHP can live on our Dacula campus, so you don’t have to commute every day or go home to a place where drugs or alcohol are easy to find.
There are two ways into PHP:
- Step-down: you finish residential treatment and move into PHP to practice more independence with support close by.
- Direct admission: you start in PHP when an assessment shows you don’t need 24-hour care but do need more than a few sessions a week.
What PHP includes
- Individual therapy and group therapy
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills
- Dual diagnosis care for depression, anxiety, trauma and other co-occurring conditions
- Family therapy, with your consent
- Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) when clinically appropriate, as decided by our medical team
Intensive outpatient program (IOP)
Our intensive outpatient program gives Atlanta-area adults real, structured treatment while they live at home. You attend scheduled sessions each week, then go back to your job, classes or family.
It’s less intensive than PHP, but it still asks something of you. You keep working with a therapist and a group, practice new skills in everyday life and bring what happens back to the next session.
IOP is often the next step after PHP. For some people, it’s also a reasonable place to start, and our team makes that call with you after an assessment.
What IOP includes
- Group therapy focused on relapse prevention, coping skills and real-life challenges
- Individual therapy
- CBT and DBT skills practice
- Family involvement, with your consent
- Continued MAT when clinically appropriate
- Help building your aftercare plan
Who each program fits
PHP may fit you if:
- You’ve finished residential treatment and want strong support before you go back to your usual routine
- You need daily structure but not 24-hour care
- Home isn’t a safe or sober place to be right now, and boarding would help
- You live far enough away that a daily drive would make treatment hard to keep up
IOP may fit you if:
- You’ve completed PHP or residential care and you’re ready for more independence
- You have a stable, substance-free place to live
- You need to keep working, studying or caregiving during treatment
- You aren’t at risk of serious withdrawal
When more support is safer
PHP and IOP aren’t the right first step for everyone. If you could have dangerous withdrawal, you may need medical detox first. Admission to detox here is decided case by case after an assessment.
If you need someone with you around the clock, residential treatment is usually a safer place to start. Our admissions team will tell you honestly which level fits.
What a typical week looks like
We don’t publish one fixed schedule, because your days and hours depend on your treatment plan and vary by plan. Here’s the general shape of a week.
In PHP, treatment is the main focus of your day:
- Check-ins and group therapy
- Skills work, such as CBT or DBT
- Individual therapy sessions through the week
- Visits with our medical team if you take medication
- Family sessions, with your consent
- Evenings on campus if you board
In IOP, treatment fits around your life:
- Group sessions on set days each week (which days varies by plan)
- Regular individual sessions
- Practice between sessions, like using a coping skill or tracking cravings
- Peer support, such as 12-step meetings, outside of sessions
How step-down works
Step-down means moving from more structure to less as you get stronger, without a sudden drop in support. A common path looks like this:
- Medical detox, when needed and approved case by case
- Residential treatment
- PHP, with boarding if it helps
- IOP
- Aftercare and ongoing support
Not everyone goes through every step. Your team reviews your progress and adjusts the plan as you go.
If things get harder, you can step back up to more support. That isn’t failure. It’s what a flexible treatment plan is for.
Aftercare after PHP and IOP
Before you finish, we help you build an aftercare plan. It may include outpatient therapy, peer support meetings, medication follow-up and a relapse prevention plan you can use when stress or cravings hit.
The goal is to leave with a plan, not just a discharge date.
A note on mental health care
Our PHP and IOP are substance use programs. We don’t offer mental health PHP, IOP or outpatient care.
If depression, anxiety, trauma or another condition is part of your substance use, we treat both together through dual diagnosis care. If a mental health condition is your main concern, our residential mental health treatment has separate programs for men and women.
Insurance for PHP and IOP
We’re in network with these plans:
- Aetna
- Alliant Health Plans
- Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia (PPO/HMO and Pathway/Exchange)
- Beacon Health Options / Carelon Behavioral Health
- Cigna
- ComPsych
- Employer Health Network
- Magellan
- Quest Behavioral Health
- Sana Benefits
- UnitedHealthcare commercial plans, including UBH, Optum, Oscar, Oxford, UMR, All Savers and Golden Rule
- Uprise Health
Benefits vary by plan, and coverage depends on what’s medically necessary for you. We verify your plan for free. We don’t accept Medicaid or Medicare.
Getting to our Dacula campus
Promises Atlanta is at 1200 Winder Hwy NE in Dacula, in Gwinnett County. We’re about 10 minutes from Lawrenceville and about 40 minutes from downtown Atlanta, with ample parking.
That distance is one reason boarding matters. If a daily drive would make PHP hard to stick with, living on campus removes that barrier.
Talk to our admissions team: Call (678) 904-8617 · Verify your insurance
FAQ
Is there a PHP near Atlanta, GA, where I can live on site?
Yes. Clients in our partial hospitalization program can board on our Dacula campus, so you aren’t commuting or going home to old triggers each night. Our admissions team can explain what boarding includes.
Can I start in PHP or IOP without going to residential first?
Sometimes. Direct admission to PHP is possible, and IOP can be a starting point for some people. Our clinical team decides after an assessment that looks at withdrawal risk, your health, your home and how much support you need.
Can I keep working during treatment?
IOP is built for people who need to keep working, studying or caring for family. PHP takes up much more of your day, so many people take time off during that stage. Schedules vary by plan, so ask us how treatment would fit your week.
Do you offer PHP or IOP for mental health?
No. Our PHP and IOP are for substance use, and we treat co-occurring mental health conditions within them. If mental health is your main concern, we offer residential mental health treatment with separate programs for men and women.
Can I take MAT medications in PHP or IOP?
Yes, when clinically appropriate. Our medical team decides with you whether medication fits your care. Learn more about medication-assisted treatment near Atlanta.