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Adolescent Behavioral Health Intensive Outpatient Program in Albuquerque

Our Adolescent Behavioral Health IOP

While in our behavioral health intensive outpatient program you and your child will work with our expert team of mental health providers.

In the IOP, patients will explore ways to reduce the frequency and severity of symptoms, increase confidence and self-worth, and improve daily functioning. The integrative and supportive approach of our team will help the patient improve the quality of their life.

Our Adolescent Behavioral Health IOP: 

  • Starts with an assessment to ensure the program is a good fit for the individual.
  • Workshops run for 10 weeks and clients meet from 4:30 – 6:30 PM every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
  • Provides support, encouragement, and valuable ideas and suggestions from others in the group.
  • A parent or guardian is required to accompany a teen throughout this program.
A comprehensive and structured approach to treating adolescents with mental health issues that are affecting their life.

Adolescent Behavioral Health Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)

Over the past few years, there have been some amazing strides in destigmatizing therapy and making it more accessible. More and more patients are being directed towards weekly therapy sessions as part of their mental health care plan, allowing them to build a strong relationship with their therapist. This provides them with a safe space to work through all sorts of issues. However, in many cases, weekly therapy is not enough.

It’s natural to want what’s best for your teenager, and seeing them struggle with mental health can be difficult. If they are currently undergoing regular therapy, yet still show signs of anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues, that doesn’t necessarily mean the therapy isn’t helping. It just means they might need a little more support. Enrolling them into an Adolescent Behavioral Health Intensive Outpatient Program (ABHIOP) can be an extremely effective course of action to get them that extra support. ABHIOPs are workshops designed to teach teenage clients how to manage their mental illness on a day to day basis, in addition to other life skills that will help them be successful later in life.

The Impact of Poor Mental Health Support

One of the biggest issues with mental health is the lack of resources available. As caregivers, it is often apparent when your teenager is struggling. In most cases, young people experiencing mental health issues are undiagnosed and untreated. This isn’t due to a lack of interest on behalf of the caregiver, but rather a lack of options available to help give your teenager the support they need. Unfortunately, failing to provide that support can have a huge negative impact on their lives.

During adolescence, we develop habits that influence our overall lifestyle. These habits could be routine-related, such as sleeping, eating, and exercising. Or they could be social habits, like how we deal with conflict resolution and how we develop relationships. While formed during our teenage years, these habits continue far into adulthood. Once you get so used to doing things a certain way, these habits can be incredibly difficult to unlearn. If a teen is struggling with a lack of mental health support, they are more likely to form unhealthy habits, which will continue to affect them negatively throughout the rest of their lives. This is why youth mental health programs like the Adolescent Behavioral Health IOP are so important for your kid’s healthy development.

What is an Adolescent Behavioral Health IOP?

BHIOPs are programs designed to provide additional assistance to patients/clients struggling with the symptoms of their mental illnesses. During the program, patients are taught a variety of healthy coping mechanisms and skills that give them the power to control their symptoms. The goal is to empower them to be independent so that they are able to live happy, fulfilling lives instead of being controlled by their mental health disorders.

Adolescent Behavioral Health IOP is a form of Behavioral Health IOP created specifically with teenage patients in mind. Teen years are an extremely formative period in our lives where we develop habits and figure out who we really are. They often shape the course of our future. Unfortunately, teenagers often spend a lot of that time plagued by self-doubt and low self-esteem. Without proper guidance and support, this can lead to the development of bad coping skills and increasingly self-deprecating behavior, which severely impacts their personal and professional relationships and opportunities.

An Outpatient Behavioral Health Program for teens is the perfect solution for patients that otherwise fall through the cracks. Severe mental health breakdowns are often addressed through hospitalization, while minor issues can be resolved with weekly therapy sessions. However, patients that continue to struggle while undergoing therapy, yet aren’t in need of hospitalization, have a tendency to be overlooked. The goal of this program is to provide a helpful resource for those patients stuck in the middle-ground.

“The best way out is always through.”
– Robert Frost

How Does the Adolescent Behavioral Health IOP Work?

At Sage Neuroscience Center, our youth mental health program is an intensive course where teenage patients are taught skills to reduce the frequency and severity of the symptoms caused by their mental health illness while increasing their feelings of self-worth. They will have a better understanding of their illnesses and have more confidence to take on challenges. By the end of the program, our patients will have learned the life skills necessary to lead productive, fulfilling lives.

One of the primary advantages of the Adolescent Behavioral Health IOP is that it’s a structured approach. Structure provides teens with the guidance they need to work through their emotions and concerns and build a solid foundation for recovering and coping with mental health illness. Without direction, young patients are often left feeling directionless and overwhelmed. When provided with an action plan, they are empowered to continue moving forward with the program, working towards specific goals. In the process, they are rewarded with feelings of satisfaction for every accomplishment, which motivates them to keep going.

Adolescent Behavioral Health IOP Schedule

We start by doing an assessment, typically conducted by an ABHIOP facilitator or Clinical Director, to ensure the program is a good fit for the patient and talk about goals for the patient to focus on during the program.

The Adolescent Behavioral Health IOP workshop runs for a total of 10 weeks, with patients meeting together from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Please note that the presence of a parent or guardian is required throughout the program.

Are Youth Mental Health Programs Effective?

Generally speaking, it’s fairly clear that providing more resources for mental health management is a positive thing, but for those that are still unsure if the Adolescent Behavioral Health IOP even works, there is evidence to support the value of such a program. A study published in the Community Mental Health Journal in 2012 looked at symptoms and symptom management among young patients before and after the program. The study revealed a significant change, including notable improvements in their ability to manage their interactions with family, friends, and school. Not only were patients more successful in coping with their mental health symptoms, but they also had a more positive outlook on their futures.

If your teenager is currently struggling to handle their mental health, consider enrolling them into Sage Neuroscience Center’s Adolescent Behavioral Health IOP. By intervening at this stage, we can prevent their symptoms from becoming more severe in the future. The truth is that while mental illness can be scary, it doesn’t have to determine your path in life, and it certainly doesn’t have to define you and what you’re capable of.

Whether your teenager is experiencing anxiety, depression, or other mental health illnesses, we can work with them to develop strategies for symptom management. This allows them to regain control and build up their confidence. By encouraging them to attend our evidence-based, structured program, you can help us empower today’s teenagers to be tomorrow’s independent, motivated, successful adults.

For more information about our services, contact us today at

(505) 884-1114
or get started with our new patient intake process here:
Get Started Today

Our mission at Sage Neuroscience Center is to provide integrated care that empowers those we serve to achieve sustainable wellbeing through our collaborative community of diverse and inclusive healthcare professionals.

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