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⚠ COVID-19 INFORMATION: Resources, Vaccine Information
Specialties & Conditions Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
Lurie Children's Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) is a space for children to attend therapy more frequently than traditional outpatient approaches and focus on anxiety, depressive, and obsessive-compulsive disorders.
Our virtual program runs Mondays through Thursdays from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The average length of program participation for most families is four to six weeks. Our program serves children and teens (ages 10 through 16) that require more frequent treatment for psychiatric problems but are able to attend school for all or part of the morning and early afternoon.
We strive to create a safe, collaborative, therapeutic, and fun environment through developmentally-appropriate curriculums to teach each child how to effectively cope with their problems. We utilize evidence-based approaches to individualize treatment and address the needs of each patient, including:
We require family involvement through once weekly family sessions and a separate weekly Multifamily Caregiver Education Series. These sessions provide each family with knowledge and effective strategies to support their child and teen.
The Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) focuses on children with primary difficulties with anxiety and mood concerns (such as depression), and obsessive compulsive disorder.
As a reminder, IOP would not be the best fit for children:
The multidisciplinary team includes psychologists, social workers, recreational therapist, and milieu therapists. Team members meet regularly to discuss each child’s progress and refine treatment goals.
If Medication Management is requested during your child’s enrollment in IOP, our team includes a psychiatrist who your child will meet with for a consultation and management regarding medication.
Your child will attend the program Monday through Thursday, 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Families are required to have their child at log into program at 3:30 p.m. each day. On Tuesdays, families are required to participate in Multifamily Group, an educational series on various treatment modalities from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. In addition, families are required to participate in one family session with their child’s primary clinician to address individualized treatment progress and goals.
Recreation Therapy (RT) is a group-based component of IOP that improves socialization, leisure functioning and community reintegration. Based on the specific needs of the patients, the following programs may be developed and implemented:
IOP is a Monday – Thursday program (unless a holiday is announced). If possible, do not plan your family outings and outpatient appointments on days when your child is expected to be in attendance. If you must miss a day for an important event, please let staff know ahead of time. If there are two missed days, your child will be discharged. If your child reports feeling ill prior to arrival in the morning, take his or her temperature. If it is at 100.5 or above, please call the Program office at 312.227.0840 to report absence for that day. You must receive a return slip from your child’s primary care physician in order to return to the program.
Report all medicines that your child is taking to staff every day at check-in, as well as any allergies to medicines. In IOP, medications will not be administered unless cleared with program staff prior to beginning the program.
IOP includes involvement with family therapy sessions once each week and a multi-family group session once each week. Failure to attend any of these required sessions may result in discharge. We are happy to provide help with work letters or FMLA documents.
The Intensive Outpatient Program is a virtual program.
To contact IOP, please call 312.227.0337.
The fax number for the program is 312.227.9772.
The following electronic forms are for patients currently enrolled in IOP. Only complete these forms if instructed by the IOP team.
Click the below links to download and print the parent/patient rating forms.
MyChart gives you safe, secure online access to portions of your child's electronic medical record (EMR). MyChart also serves as a secure message center to communicate with your child’s healthcare providers and complete online questionnaires for enrolled programs.
LEARN MORE ABOUT MYCHART
Anger & Impulse Control
Anxiety, Worry & Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Depression
Feelings, Self-esteem & Miscellaneous
Your support is vital in helping us continue to make a difference in the lives of patients and families. Lurie Children's relies on philanthropic funding to enhance its programs, services and research for children. To learn more, please e-mail the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago Foundation at foundation@luriechildrens.org or call 312.227.7500.
