IOP jobs?

[Doctor Bagel]

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Just wondering if anybody has ever had an IOP (intensive outpatient program) type of job before and what it was like. My worry is that it would feel like a typical outpatient medication management type of job just with really big acuity (and personality disordered) patients. Thoughts? Pros? Cons? Things to watch out for?

 

[Shikima]

Just wondering if anybody has ever had an IOP (intensive outpatient program) type of job before and what it was like. My worry is that it would feel like a typical outpatient medication management type of job just with really big acuity (and personality disordered) patients. Thoughts? Pros? Cons? Things to watch out for?

I do IOP now. It was a mystery to me at first, but once I ran through it, it felt like a normal clinic interaction for me with lots of MI being dispensed in that they're learning to manage their emotional crisis. Just be sure to check your billing with the office manager.

 

[smalltownpsych]

I have seen it implemented well and it was incredibly effective and a pleasure to work in that collaborative healthy environment. I have also seen the other end of that spectrum. Not so good.

 

[smalltownpsych]

I figured it may be helpful to clarify the difference that I have observed now that I have a no-show. Poor intensive outpatient is run very much like typical outpatient mental health and is intensive outpatient in name only. In order for it to work well there needs to be a relatively high level of structure and expectations for patients to create a positive peer culture that helps create and maintain the structure. Patients need to want to participate and be motivated to create healthy norms. Our job is to facilitate that process. If it is all about rules from staff, then there is a really good chance of developing unhealthy control dynamics fostering dependency and defiance.

 

[Shikima]

I know we're talking about IOP jobs in this thread, but I feel the need to derail.

In the past, how are people managing entrance into IOP due to work related stress and conflicts?

 

[MacDonaldTriad]

If you work in a large system that uses IOP on the truly most expensive patients, you don’t end up with a cohort of treatment resistant clozaril patients as much as you might guess. The group that gets the most revolving doors in and out of acute settings are those with moderate to moderately sever Axis I disorders and a good dose of primitive character defense systems. Dr. Begal has it right with the personality disorders, but I would add very few only axis II to the generalization. The work can be very rewarding if you have the right team.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Just be sure to check your billing with the office manager.

What would I be looking out for? This job would initially be straight salary although I suspect down the road this would/could change.

 

[Shikima]

What would I be looking out for? This job would initially be straight salary although I suspect down the road this would/could change.

Not looking out for, but ensuring the quality of your documentation meets billing level criteria. It's a tad nuanced but you'll catch on quickly....