Outpatient Drug and Alcohol Rehab for Veterans

What is Outpatient Rehab?

While the specifics of each outpatient program differ, every outpatient treatment program allows Veterans to live and sleep at home or in a sober living environment while participating in regularly scheduled treatment sessions that address substance use disorder issues and relapse prevention. These sessions may take place at freestanding drug and alcohol treatment facilities, community mental health clinics, hospital clinics, or VA clinics.²

Veterans participating in outpatient programs do not require medical detoxification or 24-hour care and are able to maintain responsibilities at home, school, or work since outpatient programs typically offer flexible scheduling—including treatment sessions in the evenings and on weekends.²

Outpatient programs often involve the same or very similar therapeutic approaches as other levels of care for addiction treatment. These may include:^2,3

• Individual and group counseling.
• Medication management (if needed).
• Behavioral therapies.
• Psychoeducation.
• Mutual-help groups.
• Life skills training.
• Regular alcohol and drug testing.
• Relapse prevention training.

Types of Outpatient Rehab for Veterans

There are several levels of outpatient care, which can vary in intensity and level of support.² Which is right for you depends on a number of factors and should be determined with insight from your primary care physician or mental healthcare provider and an addiction treatment specialist. Outpatient drug and alcohol rehab programs for Veterans include:

• Partial hospitalization programs (PHPs). PHPs, also called “high intensity outpatient” programs or day treatment, are highly structured and supportive programs that offer 4-8 hours of treatment programming, most days each week.² That said, duration and requirements vary by facility.
• Intensive outpatient programs (IOPs). IOPs fall in the middle of the continuum of care. They offer a higher level of intensity than standard outpatient programs but a lower level than inpatient rehab. While programs vary, IOPs generally require Veterans to attend treatment for a minimum of 9 hours per week.⁴
• Standard outpatient programs. Standard outpatient programs vary but may only involve attending treatment for a few hours 1-3 times per week and may also include telemedicine services.^2,4

Benefits of Outpatient Rehab

VA outpatient alcohol treatment or rehab for drugs may provide a number of benefits for Veterans, such as:

• Flexibility. Though it does depend on the specific program, outpatient rehab generally allows Veterans to continue working or tending to daily responsibilities.²
• Reintegration. For some Veterans, outpatient treatment programs are a step-down from a more intensive inpatient or residential program. Attending an outpatient program after completing an inpatient treatment program provides an easier transition back into their daily routine. This allows a Veteran to practice the skills they’re learning in treatment in real-life situations.⁵
• Lower cost. The VA healthcare program covers services to treat substance use problems, but even without VA benefits, outpatient programs tend to cost less than inpatient programs because outpatient programs don’t provide 24/7 care or room and board.^2,3
• Location. As previously mentioned, outpatient treatment takes place in a variety of places, including health clinics, community mental health clinics, counselors’ offices, hospital clinics, local health department offices, or residential programs with outpatient clinics. This means that there are many outpatient programs throughout the United States.²

What’s the Difference Between Inpatient and Outpatient Rehab?

As previously mentioned, rehab levels of care range from highly supportive inpatient programs that offer 24-hour medical care to less supportive standard outpatient programs that may only require treatment attendance for a few hours each week.²

When comparing inpatient and outpatient treatment, there are several key differences.

Inpatient or residential programs offer Veterans the highest level of support so they can achieve long-term recovery.⁴ In inpatient programs, Veterans live onsite in a structured, safe, substance-free living environment. Removed from their immediate surroundings and potential environmental triggers, the Veteran receives 24/7 care and round-the-clock monitoring. Inpatient or residential treatment may be beneficial for Veterans who lack stable household environments or strong social support, as well as those with more severe addictions or co-occurring mental health disorders. Additionally, inpatient programs may offer medically managed detoxification, which may be necessary for Veterans struggling with acute withdrawal.²

Outpatient programs, on the other hand, can vary widely in intensity and support but allow Veterans to live at home or in a sober living facility while participating in regularly scheduled counseling and therapy sessions, which allows Veterans to continue to fulfill their responsibilities at home, school, or work while in treatment.⁶ PHPs and IOPs offer a higher level of support and structure than standard outpatient programs and also require more frequent treatment attendance.²

The treatment and services offered may be similar—or even identical—in both settings and include individual and group counseling, behavioral therapy, mutual-help groups, medication management (if necessary), psychoeducation, and other interventions.^5,6

Addiction treatment occurs on a continuum, which means that Veterans (and others) can transition from one level of care to another as they progress through treatment.¹ For example, an IOP or PHP can function as an entry point into the continuum of care, can be a beneficial step-down form of treatment for Veterans who have recently completed an inpatient or residential program, or a step-up program for Veterans who need a higher intensity level of care than standard outpatient care.⁶ Veterans who complete an IOP or PHP may transition to standard outpatient care to continue development of coping skills and to support their recovery.⁷

The appropriate level of care for a Veteran depends on their needs and is determined in collaboration with a primary care physician or qualified mental health provider and an addiction care specialist.²

Does the VA Offer Outpatient Rehab for Substance Use Disorders?

The VA offers outpatient rehab for substance use disorders.⁴ You can locate a VA substance use disorder treatment program using the VA’s tool.⁸ The services offered through the VA depend on the Veteran’s specific needs but may include:^3,4

• Medically managed detoxification.
• Opioid treatment programs and medications.
• Intensive outpatient treatment programs.
• Evidence-based therapies.
• Onsite medication management.
• Telehealth services.
• Short-term outpatient counseling.
• Marriage and family counseling.
• Mutual-help groups.
• Aftercare and relapse prevention.
• Special programs for Veterans with specific needs and concerns, including women Veterans, homeless Veterans, and Veterans returning from combat.

Veterans, who are enrolled in the VA’s healthcare program can access these services by talking to their primary care provider through the VA, searching the VA’s online directory or calling the general information hotline at 800-827-1000, or contacting their local VA center.³ If you aren’t enrolled in the VA’s healthcare program, you can visit the VA’s enrollment website.

For Veterans living in rural areas, telehealth services allow them to receive care from mental health specialists located at VA medical centers and other clinics. Additionally, the VA operates rural and mobile clinics and works with other healthcare providers in the community to provide outpatient care. In fact, there over 750 community-based outpatient clinics.

The VA provides eligible Veterans in both rural and urban areas with mental health and substance use treatment—whether that’s through onsite programs, telehealth services, or referrals to other treatment centers.⁴

Will the VA or Insurance Cover Outpatient Programs?

The cost of outpatient treatment can vary widely depending on the specific program, location, services offered, and the Veteran’s insurance coverage. However, as previously mentioned, the VA generally covers most services to treat substance use problems for Veterans enrolled in the VA healthcare program.³

Additionally, as part of the Veteran’s treatment plan, some members of their immediate family may be eligible to receive services, such as addiction education, family therapy, marriage or couples counseling, and grief counseling.⁴

If Veterans have other forms of healthcare coverage—such as private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, or TRICARE, for instance—these can be used in conjunction with VA benefits to pay for non-service-related conditions, care, medications, even copayments.⁹

Eligible Veterans, who have Medicare or Medicaid in addition to VA benefits, may have non-VA-affiliated doctor or hospital care or treatment covered—at least in part.⁹

Furthermore, funding for the VA healthcare could change at any time so having additional insurance can provide peace of mind.⁹ 

Cost of care should never be a deterrent to seeking treatment. Besides using insurance, there are a number of ways to pay for addiction treatment, including financing treatment or taking out a loan.

Addiction Recovery and Aftercare for Veterans

One study that drew treatment data from nearly 41,000 Veterans, found that approximately 94% of the Veterans relapsed upon discharge from outpatient or residential substance use treatment.¹⁰ Relapse isn’t uncommon, and while no one is immune, Veterans may be at a higher risk of relapse than others, particularly if they are homeless, unemployed, or had insufficient addiction treatment.^1,10 That’s why aftercare is such an integral part of recovery. Once a Veteran completes a formal treatment program, an aftercare plan, also called ongoing or continuing care, can help reduce the risk of relapse and support their recovery.²

Aftercare plans differ but usually include a combination of follow-up care services, including:^2,11

• Alumni programs.
• Sober living environments.
• Mutual-help programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), SMART Recovery, or others.
• Ongoing counseling and therapy.

If you’re a Veteran struggling with addiction, or if you have a loved one who served in the military, and you’re interested in learning more about outpatient treatment for substance use disorder, call AAC’s free, confidential helpline at to speak to a compassionate and knowledgeable admissions navigator. They will answer your questions, explain your options, discuss the outpatient admissions process, verify your insurance, and help you start your recovery journey at an AAC treatment center—or elsewhere—today.