Telehealth

Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program for Mental Health and Addiction Treatment

One clinical team, one continuum of care, delivered virtually from wherever you are in North Carolina.

Find Out if Virtual IOP Is Right for You

Call 704-368-0776 Verify Insurance Benefits

3 hours/day, 3-5 days/week

Flexible sessions to fit your life

Family-Focused Treatment

Same-day assessments and admissions

Individuals struggling with addiction

Often at a point of deciding to make a change

Individuals seeking mental health support

Comprehensive support when individual therapy isn’t enough

Individuals in step-down care

Continuing after inpatient, residential, or PHP

Working professionals and students

Balancing treatment with a job or school schedule

Veterans and military families

Navigating care alongside VA resources

Family members and loved ones

Welcome regardless of where treatment happens

Therapies Used in Virtual IOP

Virtual Intensive Outpatient sessions use the same evidence-based approaches as our in-person programs. Your clinician draws on the methods that fit your situation, which may include:

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
Internal family systems (IFS)
Trauma-informed care
Medication management

Placement into virtual IOP, and the specific mix of therapies you receive, is guided by ASAM (American Society of Addiction Medicine) and LOCUS (Level of Care Utilization System) criteria, the same clinical standards our team uses to determine the right level of care in person.

How Virtual IOP Works

Virtual Intensive Outpatient sessions use the same evidence-based approaches as our in-person programs. Your clinician draws on the methods that fit your situation, which may include:

Call our admissions team
Someone will ask a few questions to understand what’s going on and what kind of support might help.
Complete a virtual assessment
A licensed clinician meets with you over video to understand your history and current needs, guided by ASAM and LOCUS placement criteria, the same standards used across our in-person programs.
Get matched to the right track
Based on your assessment, you’ll be placed in the right track on the schedule that fits your life.
Start your first session
You’ll join your first group or individual session from a private, quiet space with a stable connection.

Virtual IOP

In-Person IOP

Where sessions happen

Virtually, anywhere private in North Carolina

Charlotte, Lake Norman, or Winston-Salem

Weekly schedule

3 to 5 days a week, 3 hours a day

Care available

Mental health and substance use

Individual therapy

Included on non-group days

Family therapy

Thursday evening and Saturday family sessions, held virtually

Thursday evening and Saturday family sessions, held in person

Clinical team

Same in-house, NC-licensed clinicians

Continuum of care

Full access to PHP, OP, and alumni support

Insurance

In-network with most major commercial insurance plans.

Best for

Balancing work, caregiving, or distance from one of our locations

Preferring an in-person setting or a full break from home distractions

Flexible Session Schedules

Sessions run in three blocks so you can build treatment around your life, not the other way around.

Family Support, Wherever They Are

Family involvement isn’t a feature we added for virtual care, it’s the foundation of how we treat people, in-person or on-screen.

Family Therapy From Anywhere

Your loved ones can join Thursday evening support sessions and Saturday multi-family groups without leaving home.

The Same Family-First Approach

We treat the whole family from the same proven clinical model we’ve used in person for years.

Support That Fits Their Schedule Too

Family members balancing their own jobs and responsibilities can show up for you without taking a day off or driving across town.

Learn More About Family Support

A Program Backed by Real Data and Real Standards

The Blanchard Institute’s outpatient programs are also reviewed annually by an independent research firm that tracks patient outcomes across behavioral health treatment nationwide.

2x Completions

In the most recent reporting period, The Blanchard Institute’s patients completed IOP treatment at nearly double the national completion rate for intensive outpatient care.

“Excellent”

Patients also rated their relationship with their individual therapist highly, with the large majority describing it as excellent or good.

A recognized member of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP)

The Blanchard Institute has been awarded the Joint Commission Gold Seal

These are program-wide results, not a guarantee for any individual. Recovery and mental health progress look different for everyone, and your own experience will depend on your situation and the effort you put in alongside your care team.

We’re in-network with most major insurance providers.

Call 704-368-0776 Verify Insurance Benefits

What is a virtual intensive outpatient program (IOP)?

Virtual IOP is a structured, clinically supervised level of treatment delivered by video instead of in person. It includes the same group therapy, individual sessions, and family programming as The Blanchard Institute’s in-person IOP, just held over a secure video platform so you can attend from home, work, or anywhere private in North Carolina.

Can I do virtual IOP if I don’t live near Charlotte, Lake Norman, or Winston-Salem?

Yes. As long as you’re located in North Carolina, you can access our virtual IOP no matter how far you live from one of our locations. Our clinicians are licensed in North Carolina, so care is currently available anywhere in the state.

Is virtual IOP available for both mental health and substance use treatment?

Yes. The Blanchard Institute’s virtual IOP includes tracks for mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and trauma, as well as substance use treatment. Both tracks follow the same structure and the same continuum of care, from initial assessment through step-down and alumni support.

How do you decide what level of care I need?

Every patient is evaluated using ASAM and LOCUS criteria, established clinical standards for matching people to the right intensity of treatment. This is the same process we use for in-person placement, applied consistently whether your assessment happens on video or in person.

Is virtual treatment as effective as in-person treatment?

For many people, yes. Our virtual and in-person programs use the same clinical model, the same licensed therapists, and the same level of family involvement. What matters most in treatment outcomes is the quality of the therapeutic relationship and the consistency of care, both of which carry over fully to virtual sessions.

Does insurance cover virtual IOP the same way it covers in-person treatment?

In most cases, yes. Insurance plans that cover The Blanchard Institute’s outpatient programs generally cover virtual sessions under the same terms. Our admissions team can verify your specific benefits before you start.

What do I need at home to participate in virtual sessions?

You’ll need a private space, a stable internet connection, and a device with a camera and microphone. Sessions are held through a secure video platform built into our records system, so there’s nothing extra to download or set up.

Where does virtual IOP fit if I’m not sure it’s the right starting point?

Virtual IOP works at more than one point in a treatment journey. For some people, it’s the first real step into structured treatment, more support than weekly therapy without stepping away from daily life. For others, it’s a way to continue intensive treatment after finishing withdrawal management, PHP, or an inpatient stay elsewhere, keeping the structure without an in-person commute. As you progress, care can also step down to The Blanchard Institute’s Outpatient Program and, eventually, alumni and recovery management support, all within the same clinical relationship you started with.

Is virtual IOP a separate, scaled-down version of your program?

No. Virtual IOP is not a lesser version of care or a separate service built only for video. It’s the same clinical model, the same North Carolina-licensed therapists, and the same family-centered approach The Blanchard Institute has built its in-person programs around, delivered through secure video sessions instead of in a physical location.

What therapy approaches are used in virtual IOP?

Virtual sessions draw on the same evidence-based approaches used in-person, matched to your specific situation. These may include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for changing patterns that drive distress or substance use, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) for building emotional regulation skills, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for building psychological flexibility, internal family systems (IFS) for working through internal conflict, trauma-informed care woven through every level of treatment, and medication management with psychiatrist oversight when clinically appropriate.

You don’t have to figure this out alone, and you don’t have to put your life on hold to get help.

Call 704-368-0776

If you are in crisis, call or text 988.