How Partial Hospitalization Programs Strengthen the Continuum of Mental Health Care

A Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) is most often used either as a step-up from outpatient treatment when additional care is needed, as a step-down from inpatient hospitalization or after an emergent or urgent mental health visit. Some patients discharged from inpatient treatment need continued intensive treatment and require more support than outpatient therapy once or twice a week can provide. PHPs offer a level of care that meets the intensive needs of patients and their families while allowing them to return home for dinner and overnight to practice their skills.

Time spent in treatment is a key difference between these care options:

• Outpatient treatment: Patients meet with a therapist once or twice a week and may meet with a psychiatrist or nurse practitioner once or twice a month. As symptoms improve, patients may have appointments less often until it’s safe to stop or go occasionally. 
• Intensive Outpatient Program: Patients participate in at least three to four hours of programming per day, three to five days a week. This is a more intensive option than outpatient treatment but a less intensive service than PHP. Sometimes this is a step-down from PHP before outpatient therapy.
• PHP: Patients participate in six to eight hours of treatment and programming per day, five to seven days a week, and return home at the end of each day. Most PHPs typically last four to six weeks.
• Inpatient hospitalization: Patients are admitted to a hospital inpatient unit for seven to ten days with 24-hour supervision, daily intervention, therapy and medication management. This is the most intensive level of care, supporting patients who are unable to maintain safety in the community. Typically, inpatient admissions are short term and are to stabilize the current crisis.

Identifying Patients Who May Benefit

PHPs are designed for patients who require more intensive treatment than typical outpatient care or who may require psychiatric hospitalization. This level of care is often recommended:

• Following inpatient hospitalization
• If there are increased needs that cannot be managed by an outpatient therapist
• Following a mental health evaluation at an emergency department or a psychiatric urgent care as an alternative to an inpatient admission

Comprehensive and Multidisciplinary Support

PHPs often include a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals, providing a holistic approach to treatment. Services can include:

• Individual or group therapy
• Family sessions
• Case management and support connecting to outpatient resources or the next step in treatment
• Medication consultation and evaluation
• Collaboration with outpatient medication and therapy providers at discharge

While these components are typical for this level of care, each program will have differences including treatment of specific diagnoses or presenting concerns, evidence-based treatment modalities and experiential therapies offered.  

Partial Hospitalization Program

The Adolescent Partial Hospitalization Program located at Seattle Children's Magnuson Clinic is an in-person, clinic-based, intensive therapeutic program designed to support youth ages 13 through 17 with mental health concerns that significantly impact their daily life. This short-term program focuses on stabilizing each patient’s acute mental health, reducing life-threatening behaviors and supporting them so they can receive outpatient mental health services. 

The program helps adolescents and their families with coping skills for safely managing their emotions and behaviors. The goal is to support the immediate mental health needs of each patient in a way that lets them remain at home. To refer a patient use the program-specific New Appointment Request Form, and visit the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine refer a patient page to learn more.

Learn More

• Visit the Partial Hospitalization Program page to learn more about locations and services.
• Learn more about Intensive Outpatient Programs and Partial Hospitalization Programs in the community.
• Visit the Resources for Primary Care to Support Families – Suicide Prevention page to access an educational video series on the continuum of care in Washington.
• Watch this Intensive Outpatient and Partial Hospitalization Programs video to learn more about how best to support families who want to pursue this option.