Substance Use Disorder Levels of Care at The Garden

Detox Placement

Before any therapeutic work can begin, the body must be cleared of alcohol or drugs under strict medical supervision. That critical first step—detoxification—is why The Garden offers dedicated Detox Placement services. Rather than operating an inpatient unit, the center maintains formal partnerships with licensed, high-acuity facilities across New Jersey and the greater Philadelphia region. These partner programs provide 24-hour care, board-certified physicians, and nursing staff trained in withdrawal management that aligns with the ASAM treatment levels for medically managed intensive inpatient services.

Using the ASAM Criteria, The Garden’s admissions clinicians conduct a six-dimensional assessment (acute intoxication, biomedical conditions, emotional status, relapse potential, recovery environment, and readiness to change). This ensures each individual is matched to the appropriate level of care, whether that means a brief medically monitored stay for mild opioid tapering or a longer stabilization period for severe benzodiazepine dependence. Bed space is reserved in real time, eliminating wait-lists and safeguarding clients from the dangers of at-home detox or “cold-turkey” attempts.

During placement, The Garden’s case-management team coordinates insurance pre-authorizations, transportation, and daily progress reports. Once withdrawal symptoms are controlled and vitals are stable, the client “steps down” into the outpatient continuum on The Garden’s Cherry Hill campus, creating an unbroken continuum of care from detox to partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and standard outpatient programming.

Why this matters: improper detox can lead to cardiac arrest, seizures, or relapse within hours. [2] By fusing precise ASAM placement with seamless hand-offs, The Garden reduces medical risk, shortens time to engagement in therapy, and preserves momentum toward long-term sobriety. It is the gateway service that anchors all other levels of care for substance abuse offered below, setting the foundation for every personalized treatment plan that follows.

Partial Care

For individuals who require daily structure but don’t need 24-hour care, The Garden’s Partial Care program bridges the gap between inpatient detoxification and intensive outpatient programs. Classified as ASAM Level 2.5, this tier in the center’s substance abuse levels of care delivers hospital-level clinical intensity while allowing participants to return home or to a supportive sober residence each night.

Clients spend their days engaging in a tightly scheduled mix of medical check-ins, individual counseling sessions, group therapy sessions, and skills workshops. A multidisciplinary team utilizes the ASAM Criteria to tailor medication-assisted withdrawal management, monitor vital signs, and update each client’s treatment plan in real-time. [5] When indicated, FDA-approved medications such as buprenorphine or methadone are initiated on-site to control opioid cravings and stabilize physiology.

Unlike traditional day programs that focus solely on talk therapy, The Garden’s PHP incorporates case-management sessions that address insurance hurdles, legal issues, or housing needs. Family education groups coach each loved one on creating a substance-free support system at home, further reinforcing the recovery environment.

If severe cravings or biomedical complications arise, clinicians can “step up” the participant to medically monitored inpatient care within the same referral network; steady progress, on the other hand, paves a seamless “step down” to IOP or standard outpatient services.

Positioned in the heart of The Garden’s continuum of care, PHP offers the highest daytime dosage of therapy hours among non-residential settings, making it ideal for those exiting detox, relapsing after prior treatment, or displaying significant functional impairments that still fall short of full hospitalization. By coupling hospital-level monitoring with community reintegration, partial care equips each participant with practiced recovery skills before transitioning to lower-intensity addiction levels of care.

Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)

When sobriety feels shaky but a full-day program would upend work or parenting duties, The Garden’s Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) offers a strategic middle ground. Classified as ASAM Level 2.1, this addiction treatment option delivers nine to 15 clinical hours per week, typically three three-hour blocks without requiring overnight stays.

Each session blends cognitive-behavioral groups, relapse-prevention classes, and one-on-one counseling tailored to the client’s stage of change. Medical providers are on-site to adjust medications for craving control or withdrawal symptoms, and certified recovery specialists facilitate peer-led discussions that turn theory into practice.

Placement in IOP follows a multidimensional ASAM assessment that weighs withdrawal risk, biomedical needs, recovery environment, and relapse potential. [4] For example, someone with stable vitals but high opioid craving often benefits from IOP’s structured contact plus medication management; a person facing more acute health threats may be directed to partial hospitalization programs first.

The Garden’s IOP acts like a bridge. For someone transitioning from PHP, it offers a gentler pace; for someone in standard outpatient care who needs extra structure, it provides additional support. If a drug test comes back positive or life suddenly feels overwhelming, clinicians can bump up sessions or move a client to a higher level of care, often within a day. When things are going well, the schedule eases up, allowing clients to refocus on work, school, or family.

With its mix of solid therapy hours, medical check-ins, and flexible scheduling, IOP fills the space between living on campus and living completely independently. It allows people to road-test new coping skills in everyday life while still having expert guidance close at hand, making it an essential rung on The Garden’s ASAM-aligned ladder of care.

Outpatient Program

The Garden’s Outpatient Program (ASAM Level 1) is the most flexible point on its continuum of care for substance use disorders. [3] Designed for people who have completed detox, PHP, or IOP or whose substance use is caught early enough to avoid higher-intensity care, this level of care delivers evidence-based counseling while allowing participants to live at home, work regular hours, and rebuild family routines.

Clients usually attend two to three half-day sessions per week, totaling six to eight hours of clinical work per week. Each visit combines individual counseling, group education on relapse triggers, and skill-building workshops that address cravings, stress management, and legal or employment challenges tied to ongoing drug use. Certified counselors and nurse practitioners review progress weekly to confirm that the treatment plan remains the appropriate level of care; if withdrawal complications or heavy cravings re-emerge, the client can “step up” to IOP or PHP without re-entering the admissions queue.

Because early recovery extends far beyond the therapy walls, The Garden layers in case management and peer support services. Clinicians coordinate referral appointments for medical follow-ups, connect families to local Al-Anon meetings, and coach loved ones on creating a stable support system at home.

For many, this lower-intensity setting serves as an early intervention strategy, teaching recovery skills before life-altering impairments develop. For others, it serves as a final “launch pad” back into independent living after higher-intensity care. Either way, participants leave each week with concrete action steps, real-time feedback, and the safety net of rapid reassessment. It is addiction care that fits daily life, not the other way around—another vital link in The Garden’s integrated chain of substance abuse levels of care.