Frequently Asked Questions

Virtual Intensive Outpatient Programming (IOP) is a level of mental healthcare that is typically more structured and intensive than traditional once-weekly therapy. Treatment is delivered to clients directly at home.

The goal of IOP is to help people manage their mental health and achieve lasting recovery while still allowing them to maintain their daily routines and responsibilities.

Our virtual Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) at Charlie Health is a personalized treatment solution for people with serious mental health conditions. Each treatment plan consists of up to 9-12 hours per week of:

• Curated groups
• Individual therapy
• Family therapy
• Psychiatry, as needed

In addition to our standard treatment model, all clients have access to 24/7 crisis care, 20+ free family support groups, peer mentors, Alumni Programming, and more.

We design each treatment plan with one primary goal in mind: helping clients heal and rediscover hope. If you think you or a loved one could benefit from Charlie Health, please contact our Admissions Team to get started in as little as 24 hours.

Our program typically lasts 9-12 weeks; your exact discharge date will depend on your overall treatment progress. Your Primary Therapist will help determine the best discharge date for your needs.

To get started with your personalized treatment plan, reach out today.

Fill out our quick online form or reach out to our Admissions Team directly at 1 (866) 484-8218.

Our primary treatment offering – virtual Intensive Outpatient Programming (IOP) – is an appropriate level of care for those who need more than once-weekly therapy. Many of our clients have either recently discharged from a higher level of care (e.g., residential, inpatient, emergency room) or are seeking more support than traditional weekly talk therapy (outpatient).

While typical outpatient treatment involves one therapy session per week, our virtual IOP offers multiple hours of treatment per week. At Charlie Health, each client receives a customized treatment plan that includes three group sessions per week, one individual therapy session per week, and one family therapy session per week. We also offer psychiatric services as needed. 

Different therapy modalities are used throughout sessions, creating a truly comprehensive treatment program.

Once you fill out our quick online form, our Admissions Team will be in touch via phone within a few hours to get you started. We’ll answer your questions and collect your insurance information to verify your plan’s benefits and coverage.

Once we’ve verified your insurance, we’ll schedule you for a free intake assessment. This assessment will allow us to plan your personalized treatment program.

From there, you’ll be matched with a group cohort and individual therapist best suited to meet your mental health needs and goals. Once you reach out, you can get started in as little as 24 hours.

We accept most major insurance providers and Medicaid (in states where IOP is covered). Please contact our Admissions Team to learn more about your plan’s specific coverage, or check out our Insurance page.

We are in-network with most major insurance plans, including:

• UnitedHealthcare
• Cigna
• Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Aetna
• Optum
• And more

To verify your insurance, reach out to our Admissions Team.

We accept Medicaid in states where IOP is covered. To learn more about Medicaid coverage in your state, contact our Admissions Team. 

We accept major OON insurances and will work with your policy to maximize available benefits. Verify your insurance with our Admissions Team to learn more about your options.

Yes, we allow clients to self-pay, and financing options are available. Please get in touch with our Admissions Team to learn more.

Charlie Health clients participate in nine total hours of group sessions each week, divided into three-hour sessions held three times per week. This aligns with evidence-based practices and insurance guidelines for IOP.

These nine hours provide a consistent space for clients to:

• Learn and practice coping skills
• Explore and process emotions
• Build connections with others

Our groups are structured with flexibility in mind. Here’s a typical weekly breakdown (three modules, three days per week):

• Processing Group (1 hour): Share thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a safe and supportive environment with peers and mental health professionals.
• Skills Group (1 hour): Learn and practice practical, measurable skills to manage emotions and behaviors effectively.
• Experiential Group (1 hour): Explore holistic practices like dance therapy, music therapy, mindfulness, and more to connect with your emotions on a deeper level.

Most of our groups run with an average of 6-8 people. Groups are organized by age and treatment modality (e.g., teen DBT skills group, adult CBT group, etc.)

Clients are matched into groups based on their age, mental health condition(s), identity, and treatment goals to create connection and foster healing. Groups are based on our clinical treatment modalities, including DBT skills, CBT, and more.

We also offer select identity-focused groups for BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, Spanish-speaking, and perinatal clients.

• Master’s-level clinicians (e.g., LCSW, LPC, LMFT, etc.)
• Experiential therapists (art, movement, dance, yoga)
• Psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners
• Care coaches
• Discharge planners
• Crisis managers
• Care experience specialists

1. They can treat multiple conditions.

   Virtual IOP can effectively address a variety of mental health concerns, including co-occurring conditions. These are situations where individuals experience two or more mental health conditions at the same time.

   At Charlie Health, we specialize in treating:

• Anxiety disorders
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Depression
• Dissociative disorders
• Gender dysphoria
• Mood disorders (bipolar disorder, etc.) 
• Neurodivergence
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders
• Personality disorders
• Postpartum depression
• Substance use disorders (co-occurring)
• Suicidal ideation & self-harm
• Trauma & related conditions (PTSD, etc.) 
• Traumatic brain injuries
• And more

2. They use a variety of treatment modalities.

   Virtual IOP uses a variety of treatment modalities in group, individual, and family sessions, ensuring that clients receive the best evidence-based care available. At Charlie Health, we offer:

• Attachment-based family therapy
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Compassion-focused therapy (CFT)
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills
• Experiential therapy
• Exposure therapy 
• Mindfulness-based therapy
• Motivational interviewing
• And more

3. The power of group connection.

   Traditional weekly therapy is typically conducted one-on-one. The basis of virtual IOP, however, is group sessions, allowing clients to heal together, build connections, and practice skills in real time. Centering treatment in group support means clients can learn not only from the therapist but also from the experiences and insights shared by their fellow group members, fostering a sense of belonging and validation

4. Flexible and accessible.

   Virtual IOP allows you to continue with your daily life. With flexible scheduling, including options at night and on the weekend, you don’t have to put your life on pause to get the mental health treatment you need.

Absolutely! Virtual therapy can be just as effective as in-person therapy for many mental health conditions. Here’s some research to back it up:

• Effectiveness: Studies have found that telehealth therapy can be just as effective as in-person therapy for a variety of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and substance use disorders.
• Benefits: Telehealth offers several advantages, such as increased access to care for people in remote areas, greater flexibility for scheduling appointments, and potentially lower costs.

Providing our treatment virtually also allows us to create a more personalized experience for clients, leading to higher rates of attendance and improved clinical outcomes, including decreased rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicidal ideation.

Psychiatric support is available in some states as needed. During your intake assessment, our team will share if you’re eligible for a referral to our Psychiatry Team. If we’re unable to see you based on location, and/or insurance, our team will help you find an outside provider. Reach out to our Admissions Team to learn more.

Yes. We can prescribe all psychiatric medications except for controlled substances, including but not limited to stimulant medications (e.g., Adderall, Vyvanse) and benzodiazepines (e.g., Klonopin, Xanax). If appropriate, we can write a letter to an outside provider recommending these prescriptions. We’ll always complete a full psychiatric evaluation before prescribing medication. If the client is currently on medication, we’ll reassess the active prescriptions to ensure they fit best.

Reach out to our Admissions Team to learn more.

Yes! We offer both group and individual sessions in Spanish. We also have free family support groups in Spanish, plus on-demand translation services as needed.

We recognize that virtual IOP is a commitment and an investment.

When you meet with our Admissions Team, we’ll develop a personalized treatment plan that fits your schedule. To maximize scheduling flexibility, we offer treatment on Mondays through Saturdays at several different start times.

However, we strongly recommend suspending activities that are not required during treatment. Reach out to our Admissions Team to learn more.

While there’s always a chance someone might share something challenging in a group, our facilitators are highly skilled in managing group dynamics. They’re trained in addressing behavioral issues, crisis management, and guiding productive discussions, even when topics get sensitive. This ensures a safe and supportive environment where your teen can learn healthy coping mechanisms while processing their emotions.

If clients need individual support, our group facilitators can tag in one of our Care Coaches. Our Care Coaches can provide escalated, disengaged clients with coping skills to re-join their sessions, while the rest of the group can continue their session with minimal disturbance and distraction. If they need more support, our Crisis Managers are there to help with safety assessments and planning.

We highly encourage it! Family involvement in the treatment process is the highest indicator of positive outcomes in our program. At Charlie Health, we offer weekly family therapy, plus 20+ free family support groups throughout the week.

After successfully completing our virtual IOP program, Charlie Health Alumni offerings give clients the chance to continue prioritizing their mental health and build community– free of charge.

Charlie Health has a dedicated staff that provides processing groups, education groups, virtual events, and more.

Our Charlie Cares team is a one-stop concierge for our clients, families, and therapists. We address and resolve any questions, requests, or feedback so clients can focus on receiving the best treatment while our therapists focus on delivering the best care.

Each of our Care Experience Specialists is trained to quickly navigate client information to devise the best solutions. We aren’t bogged down by caseloads; we resolve things quickly and with quality.

To get in touch, call or text us at (640) 206-0799. If it’s not urgent or sensitive in nature, you can email us at [email protected]

If this is a life-threatening emergency, please call 911 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

You can find all of your session links directly in your Care Center!

The Care Center is your hub for all things Charlie Health—from signing up and scheduling your first session to managing your personalized treatment plan and all future therapy sessions. In the Care Center, a HIPAA-compliant video and communication platform, you can manage your schedule each week, view and sign your care documents, and learn more about your team.

Your first group session will provide an overview of what to expect during your time in virtual IOP, provide a place to ask questions and check in about doubts, and help you set goals for group work moving forward.

During your first session with your Primary Therapist (PT), you’ll answer questions about your strengths, needs, abilities, and goals. You’ll then work with your PT to complete your treatment plan (if you’re under 18, they may ask a parent to join the session).

If you need to reschedule an upcoming appointment or missed a therapy session this week, text us at (640) 206-0799, with your availability.

If you’re not feeling connected to your Primary Therapist, we encourage you to share this feedback with them and explore potential alternatives. You can also give us a call at (640) 206-0799 to match with a new provider.

We understand that sometimes sessions need to be rescheduled. Please give us a call at (640) 206-0799, and we’ll make sure your schedule is adjusted.

It’s important to attend weekly programming, even with upcoming vacations. We want to help you stay on track with your treatment progress, so please call us at (640) 206-0799 to reschedule. If you’re leaving our program for more than two weeks, we’ll need to discuss a reassessment once you return.

You will only be charged for the sessions you attend. That being said, it’s important to meet your weekly attendance expectations of 9 hours to make sure your insurance continues to cover your treatment.

Visit charliehealth.com/referrals to fill out our quick and easy online referral form.

Otherwise, you can call our Admissions Team at 1 (866) 484-8218, or fax your referral to (406) 720-77993.

We’ll need the client’s name, date of birth, and insurance information (if you have it).

Yes! To send a fax referral, please send your client’s name, date of birth, and insurance information (if you have it) to (406) 720-77993.

You can also fill out our quick and easy online referral form!

Clients are required to see a one-on-one therapist through Charlie Health, but if they would like to continue to see their own therapist on top of that for an additional weekly session, this is absolutely allowed. However, outside sessions may not fall on the same day as our individual therapy session or any group sessions.

Absolutely! We are committed to providing regular treatment updates to referring providers to ensure continuity of care. Our Outreach Team can keep you updated as your client progresses through our admissions process; once the client is admitted to Charlie Health, our Care Team can provide weekly, biweekly, and/or monthly treatment updates on your client’s progress.

To get your client or patient started with our virtual Intensive Outpatient Program, fill out our quick and easy online referral form!

Charlie Health may be a good fit for:

1. Clients who would benefit from a step-up treatment solution and are currently attending weekly outpatient therapy but still seriously struggling with their mental health.
2. Clients who would benefit from a step-down treatment solution and need ongoing support following discharge from an ER, residential treatment program, or inpatient treatment facility.

If you have a client or patient who you think would benefit from Charlie Health, use our quick & easy referral form to get them started with treatment in as little as 24 hours.

While we can work with most diagnoses, we want to ensure that clients don’t require in-person medical stabilization for an active eating disorder or a detox program for a primary substance use disorder. We will often work to refer a non-eligible client out to a higher level of care. Upon completing a higher level of treatment, clients often discharge and transition to Charlie Health.

If you think your client is a good fit for Charlie Health, fill out our quick and easy online referral form!

Yes. For more information, please contact our Partnerships team at [email protected]

We are eager to connect with other providers and potential partners. Our Clinical Outreach Team is committed to connecting communities nationwide with personalized, evidence-based, and compassionate mental healthcare. To get in touch, please visit our Team Page.