Most people who have spent any time learning about addiction understand that recovery is best thought of as a life-long process, rather than a destination. If you’re researching options for addiction treatment in New Jersey, sooner or later you will run into these three letters: PHP.
So, what is PHP treatment? Why do most addiction specialists agree that it is a critical building block for a solid recovery foundation?
Let’s talk about it!

What is PHP Treatment for Addiction, Exactly?
The Partial Hospitalization Program or PHP is one of the core levels of care in addiction treatment established by the ASAM criteria. The easiest way to understand the PHP is to think of it as “full-time outpatient treatment”. Whether you are at an inpatient rehab in NJ or a NJ PHP center you get treatment for at least 6 hours a day, 5 times a week, so it’s full-time as opposed to IOP or regular outpatient.
But there are some important differences between inpatient and PHP treatment to understand. Let’s review them.
How Inpatient Rehab Works
In a residential, inpatient drug rehab, you attend groups, individual therapy and meetings during the day and then sleep overnight at the same medical facility where your addiction treatment happens.
During inpatient rehab:
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- You attend full-day treatment at least 5 days a week.
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- You have 24-hour clinical supervision.
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- You sleep overnight at the medical facility.
How PHP Treatment Works
The truth about recovery is that most of the work happens after treatment. Drug and alcohol treatment is very important. It saves lives and research shows that people who do more than just detox, by following through with inpatient, PHP and IOP, stay sober longer.
There’s no doubt about it. You can’t get “too much” help for addiction. Take as many days of substance use disorder treatment as you can get. They are precious.
Here is how PHP treatment can help you establish lasting sobriety:
PHP Bridges the Gap Between Treatment and ‘Real Life’
One of the reasons PHP addiction treatment is so effective at empowering long-term recovery is that it builds a critical bridge between the ‘treatment world’ and everyday life. It’s not enough to learn about addiction and avoiding triggers in a NJ drug rehab.
Knowledge alone will NOT keep you safe and sober. You must put new behaviors and ways of thinking into practice. Because PHP treatment is technically outpatient, you return to a recovery residence or your home in the evenings. That means that every day, you’re taking what you learned in treatment out into the world.
How PHP treatment connects your recovery to the outside world:
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- You attend individual and group therapy during the day.
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- You leave the facility in the evening and bring what you learned with you.
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- You return and process your real-world experiences in a therapeutic environment.
Sober Living is an Opportunity for Growth and Healing in Recovery
Sober living provides an invaluable opportunity to put your new recovery principles into practice. Think of it as a chance to “road test” the changes you are making in a safe, secure environment.
Because you aren’t isolated or penned into a medical facility under observation, you can spread your wings a bit. But you still get robust, dual-diagnosis support for addiction and mental health.
Sober living is communal living. That means interpersonal relationships are in play. Living with other people facing the same struggles as you not only gives you opportunities to grow and learn—-it also provides you with moral support and camaraderie.
How sober living helps reinforce growth during treatment:
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- Communal living fosters interpersonal relationships based on mutual recovery.
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- Living out in the ‘real world’ leads to more natural experiences and tests your recovery.
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- You can bring experiences back into the therapeutic space to learn and grow.
Differences Between PHP Treatment and Inpatient Rehab
It’s important to recognize that PHP addiction care is not a replacement or substitute for inpatient treatment. Some people need to be under 24-hour clinical supervision, even after they complete their medical detox. For example, a person with a serious co-occurring psychiatric disorder or suicidality might not be an appropriate client for outpatient treatment until they
People in PHP Treatment Don’t Have to Sleep at the Rehab
After a day of PHP treatment, most attendees retire to sober living, also called recovery housing in New Jersey. Sober living accommodations are a lot like staying at an AirBnB. This recovery housing is NOT a medical facility and does not have 24-hour clinical staff the way an inpatient rehab does.
Why Do People Go into Partial Hospitalization Programs?
Because most people don’t need around-the-clock nursing and observation after they detox, PHP treatment with sober living can be an attractive alternative to residential drug treatment, when clinically appropriate. Most people prefer staying sober living overnight because they don’t feel “institutionalized” the way they might if they stayed at the rehab 24 hours a day.
Tribe Intensive: Where NJ Conquers Addiction
Addiction is a crisis situation. Detox is the first step to righting the ship. But detox alone will not keep you sober. You’ve got to have a safe and supportive place to grow and learn how to live sober. That’s where Tribe Intensive enters the frame. We provide an ideal nurturing environment for strong recovery to grow. We educate. We inspire. We bring you into the tribe and help you find your strength.,
Think of PHP treatment at Tribe Intensive as your training ground. We’re here to get you strong and healthy. We’re a holistic program to the core. That means we treat the mind, body and spirit.
It’s time to level up and take the fight to your addiction.
After-Detox Treatment in NJ for Yourself
If you are ready to escape the hell of addiction —- Let’s talk at 856-666-2484. Call anytime 24-hours a day.
If you’re not sure yet, but want to see what we have to offer, feel free to submit your info through our confidential portal and we’ll reach out to you.
After-Detox Treatment Treatment in NJ for a Loved One
If you would like advice on helping someone you love with a substance use disorder, we’re here for you. Call anytime, 24 hours a day at 856-666-2484