UC Davis Health
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
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Intensive Outpatient Program | Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences | UC Davis Health

Intensive Outpatient Program

A group of teens sitting in the grass and chatting

About the Program

The Intensive Outpatient Program at UC Davis, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences is a 10-week program that supports adolescents struggling with depression and/or anxiety who require a higher level of behavioral health care and treatment than what traditional outpatient services and therapy provides. 

Program Details

The program covers skills such as healthy coping, mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and safety planning. Sessions include individual and family therapy, group-based learning, and medication management. 

The program is in-person and is held three evenings per week. Each program runs for 10 weeks, although the length of participation may vary by individual. In addition to teen patient sessions, the program also includes a separate session for parents once per week. The current program schedule is as follows:

Monday
3 - 4 p.m. | Check-in/ Goals Group
4 - 6 p.m. | Teen Skills Class

Tuesday
3 - 4 p.m. | Individual Session
4 - 6 p.m. | Teen Activity Group/ Skills Class, Parent Group
*Teen and parent groups are separate and held simultaneously

Thursday
3 - 4 p.m. | Individual Session
4 - 5 p.m. | Teen Skills Class
5 - 6 p.m. | Teen Process and Skills Practice Group

The program sessions are run by an interdisciplinary team of psychologists, social workers, child and adolescent psychiatrists, psychology fellows, and child and adolescent psychiatry fellows.

All sessions in the program are held in-person at the Children's Behavioral Health Center in Sacramento, Ca.

Get directions to the Children's Behavioral Health Center

  • Adolescents 13-17 years old
  • Patients stepping down from higher level of care (residential, PHP, or inpatient) or who require higher level of care from what traditional outpatient can provide

Patients who may not be appropriate are: 

  • Adolescents with substance use, conduct/behavior, intellectual or developmental delay, or eating disorder which may interfere with participation or that cannot be managed in this setting
  • Adolescents who are actively engaging in frequent self-injurious behaviors or other acute safety concerns which requires higher level of care than IOP

This program is referral-based. To get started, please contact your teen's primary care provider, psychiatrist, or therapist to ask if a referral to this program might be appropriate. Providers can be UC Davis Health based or external.

Testimonials

Read what former participants have to say about their experience in the program. 

  • “The most helpful thing that I learned in IOP is how to better understand and communicate with my child. Before the program, I often wondered how to talk to her, especially when she was upset or acting out. I learned to be curious, rather than judgmental.” 

  • “Honestly, I learned quite a lot. Understanding the prolonged, elevated period of dysfunction in a more precise way was valuable. The tools GIVE, SCREW, etc. were super helpful, too. With the insights from program curriculum, I am a better parent to help my child."

  • “More intensive individual treatment for my child was very helpful. Quality of doctors and therapists in this program were outstanding.”  

  • “This program was just not for my child, but for us as parents. I learned how to communicate more effectively with my child, which has been so important in rebuilding our relationship. The program taught me valuable skills to validate my child’s feelings, how to regulate my own emotions, how to use ‘wise mind’ when responding to different situations. Overall, this program was very helpful to our family. Thank you all."

  • “Thank you so much for your compassion and guidance. I feel better-equipped to help my child and myself.”  

For Referring Physicians

To refer a patient to us, please submit an Electronic Referral Intake Form.

If you have questions, our office is staffed with referral specialists to help you get your patient to the appropriate UC Davis mental health provider and services.

You may also visit our Physician and Transfer Referral Center for help. 

To Make a Referral

To make a referral, providers please complete and submit:

Electronic Referral Intake Form

Questions? Call our main clinic phone.

916-734-3574

Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (excluding holidays)

Child and Adolescent Clinic Location

Contact

Please call 916-734-3574 with any questions.