When people picture addiction treatment, many imagine two options: checking into a residential facility for weeks or seeing a counselor once a week. But there’s an important level of care in between. Day treatment for addiction gives you intensive, structured support during the day while you return home each evening.
If you live on the North Shore and you’re weighing your options, this guide explains what day treatment for addiction is, how it works, what’s included, and how to get started at Resolute Recovery in Peabody, MA.
What Is Day Treatment for Addiction?
Day treatment for addiction is a structured outpatient program that provides several hours of therapy and support each day, several days a week. You attend treatment during the day and go home at night, so you get many of the benefits of a highly structured program without living at a facility.
At Resolute Recovery, the Day Treatment program operates five days a week, with daily sessions lasting up to six hours. Programs like this are sometimes also called partial hospitalization programs (PHP).
Where Day Treatment Fits in the Continuum of Care
Addiction treatment is offered across several levels of intensity. Clinicians commonly use The ASAM Criteria to match people to the right level. A technical assistance guide from the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs comparing ASAM levels of care describes the general structure for adults:
- Level 1 outpatient: Less than 9 hours of services per week
- Level 2.1 intensive outpatient: 9 to 19 hours per week
- Level 2.5 partial hospitalization: 20 or more hours per week
Day treatment for addiction typically sits near the top of outpatient care, offering more structure than standard outpatient while still allowing you to live at home.
How Day Treatment for Addiction Works
Step 1: Reaching Out and Assessment
At Resolute Recovery, admissions follows a clear process:
1. Initial contact: Call or fill out the online form, and the team will discuss your situation.
2. Pre-assessment: A detailed evaluation of your substance use history and related health factors.
3. Insurance verification: The team handles verification so you understand your coverage and any out-of-pocket costs.
4. Personalized treatment planning: Your plan is built from the assessment, including which program fits best.
5. Admission: Details are finalized and treatment begins.
Step 2: Building Your Daily Structure
Once you begin, your weekdays are organized around treatment. That structure can be especially valuable in early recovery, when unstructured time can feel risky. Resolute’s Day Treatment program is designed for people who need substantial support and who can’t, or don’t want to, enter full-time residential care.
Step 3: Therapy and Skill-Building
Each week in day treatment for addiction typically combines several types of therapy. At Resolute Recovery, that includes:
- Individual therapy: One-on-one sessions focused on personal issues and addiction challenges.
- Group therapy: Peer support in a safe setting where you can share experiences and practice new skills.
- Family therapy: Sessions that involve family members and help build a supportive home environment.
- Specialized sessions: Approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy and trauma therapy that address the underlying causes of addiction.
Day Treatment also provides care tailored to your specific addiction and any co-occurring mental health disorders.
Step 4: Going Home Each Evening
Because you return home every night, you can practice what you learn in real time. Challenges that come up at home become material for the next day’s sessions.
Step 5: Stepping Down and Planning Aftercare
As you stabilize, you may step down to a less intensive program. Resolute offers Half Day Treatment, which runs three to four days a week for about four hours a day, and standard outpatient care with sessions typically in the evenings or on weekends. Aftercare planning, alumni groups, and ongoing therapy help support you after formal treatment ends.
Who Is a Good Candidate?
Placement decisions are individualized. According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, The ASAM Criteria guide clinicians to make level-of-care recommendations based on multidimensional assessments that consider biomedical, psychological, and social needs. In general, a structured daytime program may be a good fit if you:
- Are medically stable and don’t need 24-hour supervision
- Need more support than one or two sessions a week can provide
- Have a safe place to return to each evening
- Are stepping down from residential treatment or detox
- Have tried standard outpatient care and found it wasn’t enough
- Are managing co-occurring mental health concerns alongside substance use
Your assessment will help clarify whether this level of care is the right starting point.
Why Choose Day Treatment for Addiction?
Day treatment for addiction offers a balance many people need:
- Intensive support: Several hours of daily care help build a strong foundation.
- Living at home: You stay connected to family, pets, and your own space.
- Real-world practice: You apply skills immediately rather than waiting until after discharge.
- A step between levels: It can serve as a step down from residential care or a step up from standard outpatient.
- Cost considerations: Day treatment is often less costly than residential care, and Resolute’s team can help verify your insurance.
Is It Effective?
Research supports giving people enough time and the right intensity of treatment. The National Institute on Drug Abuse’s Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment note that “No single treatment is appropriate for everyone” and that “Remaining in treatment for an adequate period of time is critical.” NIDA also notes that a person’s treatment plan “must be assessed continually and modified as necessary.” A full continuum, from day treatment for addiction to half day and outpatient care, makes those adjustments possible.
Does Day Treatment Include Detox?
Day treatment for addiction is not a detox program. If you’re physically dependent on alcohol, opioids, or benzodiazepines, medically supervised detox may need to come first. Resolute Recovery can help you find a higher level of care before admitting to its program if that’s what you need.
Day Treatment for Addiction in Peabody, MA
Resolute Recovery is located at 100 Corporate Place, Suite 401, in Peabody, MA. The team is in network with most commercial insurance providers, including BCBS, Tufts, Harvard Pilgrim, Evernorth, Cigna, Optum, United Healthcare, and MGB.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many hours a day is day treatment for addiction?
At Resolute Recovery, Day Treatment runs five days a week with daily sessions lasting up to six hours.
Can I work while in day treatment?
Day treatment requires a significant daytime commitment, so many people take time away from work or adjust their schedules. Half Day or standard outpatient programs may be options as you progress.
What happens after day treatment?
Many people step down to Half Day Treatment or outpatient care, then continue with aftercare and alumni support.
Start Day Treatment for Addiction in Peabody
If you need more support than weekly therapy but don’t want to leave home for residential care, day treatment for addiction may be the right fit. Call Resolute Recovery at (978) 706-6967 to talk with our admissions team.
