A partial hospitalization program (PHP) is the most intensive level of outpatient care, built for adults who need daily clinical structure but not an overnight stay. PHP at Villa Wellness Center combines group therapy, individual therapy, family work, and psychiatric medication management across a full treatment day, then you return home each evening. Most major insurance is accepted.
Who partial hospitalization is for
PHP is the right level of care for adults who need more support than weekly therapy can give but who are stable enough to spend nights at home. It suits people stepping down from a higher level of care, people whose symptoms have escalated past what standard outpatient can hold, and people who need daily structure to interrupt a pattern of substance use or a mental health crisis before it worsens.
Most adults who enter PHP at Villa meet one or more of these situations: a substance use disorder that needs daily clinical contact to stabilize, a co-occurring mental health condition like depression, anxiety, or PTSD alongside the substance use, a recent relapse that calls for more structure than outpatient offers, or a home life that is stable and safe enough to support recovery outside treatment hours. The intake assessment confirms whether PHP is the right starting point or whether a different level of care fits better.
You do not need to have reached a crisis to qualify. PHP works as an early, decisive step, and starting sooner tends to produce better outcomes than waiting for things to deteriorate.
What treatment looks like in PHP
PHP runs as a full treatment day built around group and individual work, delivered by licensed clinicians and coordinated by one clinical team. The day is structured rather than open-ended, so the hours carry real clinical weight: process groups, skills groups, psychoeducation, individual sessions, family work where appropriate, and psychiatric medication management when it is part of the plan.
The clinical core is the same continuum Villa uses across every level of care, delivered at higher intensity. Group therapy anchors the day and gives you repeated, structured practice with peers in recovery. Individual therapy handles the private clinical material that group cannot reach. Medication management runs alongside the therapy when psychiatric medication is part of your treatment, prescribed and reviewed by the psychiatric nurse practitioner under the medical director’s oversight.
Because PHP is the most intensive outpatient step, it is often where treatment begins for adults who need daily contact from the start, and it is designed to step down into IOP as stability builds. The same clinical team follows you through that transition, so you do not restart with new providers when your level of care changes.
Conditions and substances treated in PHP
PHP at Villa treats substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions on a single, integrated plan. On the substance side, the program addresses alcohol use disorder, opioid use disorder, benzodiazepine dependence, stimulant use disorder, and polysubstance use.
On the mental health side, PHP treats the conditions that most often drive or accompany substance use: depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, trauma history, and mood instability. When a mental health condition and a substance use disorder are present together, both are treated at the same time by the same team through dual diagnosis care, rather than in separate programs or one after the other.
Therapies used in PHP
PHP uses the evidence-based modalities that carry the strongest outcomes for substance use and co-occurring mental health conditions, applied at daily intensity. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) identifies the thought patterns driving substance use and mood symptoms and builds practical tools to interrupt them. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal skills, which matters for adults whose use is tied to intense emotional reactivity.
Trauma-informed therapy runs throughout, because unresolved trauma sits underneath a large share of substance use, and the day is structured around safety and pacing. Group therapy in its several forms, process, skills, psychoeducation, and relapse prevention, does the work that only a peer setting can. Family involvement is built in where it strengthens recovery. Psychiatric medication management is coordinated with the therapy rather than handled separately, so medication decisions reflect what is happening in treatment.
PHP vs IOP: which level of care is right?
The difference between PHP and IOP comes down to intensity and how much of your day treatment occupies. PHP is the more intensive of the two: it fills a full treatment day and is built for people who need daily clinical structure. IOP is a step down, with fewer hours and more room to hold work, school, or family responsibilities around the schedule.
|
Dimension |
PHP (Partial Hospitalization) |
IOP (Intensive Outpatient) |
|
Intensity |
Highest outpatient level; full treatment days |
Step-down; fewer hours per week |
|
Overnight stay |
None; you return home each evening |
None; you return home each evening |
|
Best for |
Adults needing daily structure, recent step-down, or escalating symptoms |
Adults stable enough to balance treatment with work, school, or family |
|
Daily commitment |
Occupies most of the day, like a full-time commitment |
Designed to fit around outside responsibilities |
|
Typical use |
Starting point for intensive care or step-down into IOP |
Continuing care after PHP, or entry point for moderate needs |
Most adults do not choose between the two once and for all. Many begin in PHP and step down to intensive outpatient as they stabilize, then continue into standard outpatient care. The starting level is set at intake based on clinical need, home stability, and the intensity of your symptoms, and it is reviewed as you progress.
Partial hospitalization for Camden County and surrounding areas
Villa Wellness Center delivers PHP from its Sicklerville facility to adults across Camden, Gloucester, and Burlington counties. New Jersey recorded about 2,560 suspected overdose deaths in 2023, down from more than 3,000 in 2022, according to state Health Department and State Police data, and Camden County has posted one of the steeper county-level declines since. The trend is improving, but the need for structured treatment across South Jersey remains high, and PHP is built for the acuity behind those numbers.
The facility serves Sicklerville, Blackwood, Cherry Hill, Voorhees, Gloucester Township, Pine Hill, Berlin, Clementon, Stratford, and Somerdale in Camden County; Williamstown, Glassboro, Washington Township, Sewell, and Turnersville in Gloucester County; and Mount Laurel, Marlton, Medford, and Moorestown in Burlington County. It sits at 200 Independence Blvd and is reachable via the Atlantic City Expressway and Route 42.
Insurance verification takes about 15 minutes by phone, and admission can often be coordinated within 24 to 48 hours for adults who need to start quickly.
How to start partial hospitalization at Villa Wellness Center
Starting PHP begins with one phone call and a clinical assessment, not a long intake process. When you call, an admissions counselor reviews your situation and history, verifies your insurance benefits at no cost, and confirms whether PHP is the right level of care or whether a less intensive program fits better. The call is confidential and carries no obligation.
If PHP is the right fit, admission can usually be arranged within 24 to 48 hours. The clinical assessment at intake sets your treatment plan, including which therapies fit your situation and how the program steps down as you stabilize. From there, the same clinical team stays with you across every change in your level of care.
Insurance coverage for PHP
Most major insurance plans cover partial hospitalization, because mental health parity law requires commercial plans to cover substance use and mental health treatment on the same terms as other medical care. PHP typically carries standard prior authorization on most plans. Coverage specifics depend on your plan, and Villa verifies your benefits before treatment begins, free of charge.
Call (844) 609-3035 or use the form on this page to start verification. If your plan does not cover the program, the admissions team will walk through self-pay options before you commit to anything.
Plans we work with: Aetna · Cigna · Humana · United Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Dr. Courtney Scott
Medical Director
Dr. Courtney Scott
Medical Director
Medical Reviewer
Dr. Courtney Scott, MD. Board-eligible in Addiction Medicine, Medical Director at Villa Wellness Center. For full bio visit our team page.
Can I keep working while in PHP?
For most people, no, not full-time. PHP occupies most of the day, so many adults take short-term leave while they are in the program, often protected under FMLA. If keeping your work or school schedule is essential, intensive outpatient (IOP) is usually the better fit, and the admissions team can help you decide which level matches your situation.
Will I have to stay overnight?
No. PHP is an outpatient program with no overnight stay. You attend during the day and return home each evening. Participation is voluntary, and you remain part of every decision about your own treatment.
How long will I be in PHP?
It depends on clinical need. PHP is designed as an intensive, time-limited level of care that steps down to IOP as you stabilize, rather than a fixed number of weeks. The clinical team gives you a clearer estimate after the intake assessment and reviews it as you progress.
Will my employer or family find out I'm in treatment?
Not without your consent. Every call and every admission is confidential and protected under HIPAA. Benefits verification does not affect your coverage, and information is not shared with employers, family, or anyone else without your written permission.
Do I need a diagnosis before I start?
No. The intake assessment screens for both substance use and mental health conditions and builds the treatment plan from what it finds. Many people begin PHP with questions rather than a formal diagnosis already in hand.
What happens if I relapse during the program?
A relapse is treated as clinical information, not grounds for removal. The team uses it to adjust your treatment plan, which may mean added support, a change in approach, or a review of your level of care. The goal is to keep you in treatment and respond to what the relapse reveals.
How much will PHP cost me?
It depends on your plan. Most commercial insurance covers PHP with prior authorization, and out-of-pocket cost comes down to your deductible and coinsurance. Villa verifies your benefits free of charge before treatment starts, so you know what to expect before committing.
Is there a PHP program near me in South Jersey?
Villa Wellness Center runs its PHP from 200 Independence Blvd in Sicklerville, Camden County, serving adults across South Jersey including Cherry Hill, Voorhees, Marlton, Williamstown, and the surrounding towns. Most clients drive in from across Camden, Gloucester, and Burlington counties.
Start partial hospitalization when you're ready
Partial hospitalization gives you daily clinical structure without stepping away from home overnight. Call (844) 609-3035 or verify your coverage to start within 24 to 48 hours.