If you’re looking for intensive mental health treatment without requiring a residential stay, a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) may be your best answer. Often called a “day program”, PHP is a structured, non-residential mental health treatment program. Typically, patients attend sessions 5-6 hours a day and return home in the evening [1] [2].
PHP is a bridge for those who need more than traditional weekly outpatient care but don’t require 24/7 residential care. In this article, I outline who can benefit from PHP. Then I provide a detailed look at what a typical day and week in such a program consists of.
Who Is PHP For?
PHPs suit adults with moderate or stabilized mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, or borderline personality disorder, especially if symptoms cause significant daily impairments.
To confirm the patient is stable enough to participate safely and can commute to the program each day, a diagnosis from a licensed professional is required.
Key Indicators for PHP
- Stepping Down: For patients transitioning out of inpatient or residential treatment, PHP is often used as a step-down, as it provides continued support while reintegrating into daily life.
- Stepping Up: For those struggling in traditional weekly outpatient therapy and who are not an active danger to themselves or others, PHP is also a good fit, providing more structure and support to stabilize.
- Co-Occurring Disorders: For individuals with dual diagnoses (mental health and substance use issues), PHPs are an effective choice.
The Core Structure: What a Typical Week Looks Like
PHP does require a significant commitment of time. Generally, it requires attendance 5-7 days a week, with 5 to 6 or more hours of structured programming daily. Depending on how individuals progress, programs generally last 2-6 weeks, and possibly longer, before usually transitioning to Intensive Outpatient Programming (IOP).
The Daily Schedule
Core elements feature daily group therapy, individual sessions (1-2 weekly), skills training with CBT, DBT, and mindfulness, medication management, and family involvement.
Core Groups: Group therapy focuses on evidence-based practices such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to build skills in emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness .
Specialized Sessions: Experiential therapies such as art, music, or pet therapy
| Time Slot | Sample Activities |
| 8:30-9:40 AM | Check-in, mindfulness, goal setting, process group |
| 9:40-11:10 AM | Skills group (DBT/CBT/coping) |
| 11:10-11:40 AM | Lunch break |
| 11:40 AM-1:30 PM | Occupational therapy, creative activities, or social work |
| 1:30-2:30 PM | Additional group therapy or psychoeducation |
| 2:30 PM | Safety check-out, reflection/journaling |
Key Components of a PHP Week
Within the general routine, PHP has a variable structure. The main components are:
Individual and Family Therapy: Participants receive one weekly individual therapy session and regular family therapy to build a strong support system at home.
Medication Management: Patients typically see a psychiatrist at least once a week for medication monitoring and education.
Holistic and Skill-Building Focus: The goal is active skill-building. Participants practice coping strategies in real time and apply them at home in the evenings and on weekends to solidify learning.
Peer Support: Being in a group setting, where individuals realize they are not alone and can learn from others facing similar challenges, is a powerful aspect of PHP.
The “Variable” Structure
While the container (the schedule) is rigid, the content inside rotates to cover the necessary clinical ground. You will not do the exact same thing for 30 hours every week.
1. Rotating Clinical Groups
- While you will likely have a DBT or CBT group daily, the topic or skill taught within that group changes.
- Example: Monday on “Mindfulness,” Tuesday on “Distress Tolerance,” and Wednesday on “Interpersonal Effectiveness.”
- Over the course of a week or month, you cover the entire curriculum of skills needed for recovery.
2. Themed Days
Many programs structure their weeks to ensure holistic treatment. A typical week might include:
- Mondays (Process and Relapse Prevention): Reviewing events over the weekend and planning for the week ahead.
- Tuesdays (Skills Group): Learning new coping mechanisms with psychoeducation.
- Wednesdays (Wellness/Experiential): Art therapy, yoga, or pet therapy, as an alternative to talk therapy.
- Thursdays (Medical/Family): Psychiatrist appointments or family therapy sessions.
- Fridays (Goal Setting): Reviewing the week’s progress and preparing for the anxiety that weekends can sometimes bring.
3. Individual vs. Group Flow
The schedule is designed to mix different types of interaction:
- Large Group for psychoeducation (learning).
- Small Group for processing (sharing and connecting).
- Individual one-on-one with a therapist or case manager (usually 1-2 times per week).
4. Experiential Breaks
If the program runs all day (e.g., 9 AM to 3 PM), they typically break up the intense “talk” therapy with physical or creative activities. There might be a CBT group, then an hour of “Recreation Therapy” (like walking or basketball), followed by another group.
Finding Support for Healing at Corner Canyon
Treatment for mental health conditions and trauma is available in Utah. Are you or a loved one looking for a compassionate space to heal from OCD, anxiety, trauma, PTSD, CPTSD, other mental health conditions, or addictions? Our licensed trauma-informed therapists and counselors at Corner Canyon Health Centers can provide compassionate help using a range of therapeutic and holistic techniques.
Reach out to our admissions team at Corner Canyon now. We’re in a peaceful setting bordered by the beautiful Wasatch Mountains.
Sources
[1] Taulli T. 2024. How a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) Works for Mental Health Treatment. Goodrx.com
[2] Schene AH, Gersons BP. Effectiveness and application of partial hospitalization. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1986 Oct;74(4):335-40.
[3] Khawaja, I. S., & Westermeyer, J. J. (2010). Providing Crisis-oriented and Recovery-based Treatment in Partial Hospitalization Programs. Psychiatry (Edgmont (Pa. : Township)), 7(2), 28–31.