Levels of care, explained

By Robby Patrick, President and Founder, The Blackburn Foundation. Published October 19, 2026. Updated October 19, 2026.

Addiction treatment is offered at different levels of care, from outpatient counseling a few hours a week to around-the-clock residential and medically managed care. The American Society of Addiction Medicine organizes care into four broad levels of service plus early intervention, and a clinical assessment is used to match the intensity of care to each person’s needs.

How is the right level of care chosen?

Through an assessment. The American Society of Addiction Medicine describes a multidimensional assessment that recommends a level of care matching the intensity of treatment to a person’s needs. The National Institute on Drug Abuse adds that no single treatment is right for everyone, and that a plan should be reviewed and changed as needs change, so a person may move between levels over time.

A Blackburn Foundation treatment scholarship can help pay for care at many of these levels, decided case by case. How treatment scholarships work.

What do common treatment terms mean?

Assessment

An evaluation by a qualified clinician of a person’s substance use, physical and mental health, and life situation. It is used to recommend a level of care and to build a treatment plan.

Intervention

A planned conversation, often guided by a professional interventionist, in which family or friends ask a person to accept help.

Detox (withdrawal management)

Medical care that helps a person through withdrawal safely. The National Institute on Drug Abuse calls medically assisted detox only the first stage of treatment; on its own it rarely leads to lasting change.

Inpatient and residential treatment

Treatment while living at the program. NIDA describes long-term residential treatment as care 24 hours a day, generally in non-hospital settings, and short-term residential programs as intensive but relatively brief.

Partial hospitalization program (PHP)

A structured day treatment program. The person spends much of the day in treatment and goes home, or to supportive housing, at night.

Intensive outpatient program (IOP)

Treatment for several hours at a time on several days a week, while the person lives at home or in sober living.

Outpatient treatment

Counseling or therapy visits while living at home. NIDA notes that outpatient treatment varies in the types and intensity of services offered.

Medications for addiction treatment

Medications, used with counseling, that treat some substance use disorders, such as opioid and alcohol use disorders. NIDA reports medications are an important part of treatment for many patients, especially combined with counseling and behavioral therapies.

Co-occurring disorders

A substance use disorder and a mental health condition at the same time. NIDA recommends treating both together.

Sober living (recovery residence)

A substance-free home where people in recovery live together and support each other, often during or after treatment. SAMHSA calls recovery housing a key support strategy in achieving and sustaining recovery.

Aftercare (continuing care)

Support after a program ends, such as outpatient sessions, support groups, sober living or mentoring. NIDA notes that self-help support groups can help people maintain recovery.

Relapse

A return to substance use after a period of not using. NIDA describes recovery as a long-term process in which relapse can occur, and often a sign that treatment should be restarted or adjusted.

Treatment scholarship

Charitable funding that pays for some or all of a person’s treatment. See what a treatment scholarship is.

988

The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org, for a mental health or substance use crisis.

This guide is general information, not medical, legal or financial advice. Talk with a qualified professional about your situation. How we write and source our guides: Editorial Policy.

Sources

1. American Society of Addiction Medicine, What are the ASAM levels of care?
2. National Institute on Drug Abuse, Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide (Third Edition).
3. SAMHSA, Best Practices for Recovery Housing (2023).
4. SAMHSA, National Helpline, 1-800-662-4357.
5. 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 988lifeline.org.