Innovative Intensive Outpatient Services Expansion

Mental health

Applying a proven solution to a new issue or sector (using an existing model, tool, resource, strategy, etc. for a new purpose)

Beit T’Shuvah has over 37 years of experience delivering quality addiction and mental health services to the Los Angeles Community, and we have provided over 9,000 individuals with the critical recovery resources that have given them a second chance at life. Our holistic approach to recovery utilizes evidence-based treatments, spiritual practices, and guidance from clinicians and staff who have lived-experience to effectively address the issues of both addiction and mental health. The efficacy of these practices—when combined with community-building, career development, housing assistance, and long-term care—has been validated by a longitudinal study conducted by the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, which confirmed what we have long considered to be the essential components of our program. Their fully-immersive, data-driven study concluded that “Beit T’Shuvah fosters a supportive and healing environment for individuals seeking recovery from problematic substance use.”

Our proposed project, the expansion of our IOP, will allow us to apply our proven methodology for recovery to a smaller scale program. This program will create a fuller continuum of care for clients, providing them with the critical aftercare services that will ease their transition out of primary residential treatment. The IOP, facilitated in the evening, will also be a crucial resource for clients who cannot commit to daytime treatment because of employment or family obligations. The IOP is in its infancy. Currently, we are providing minimal therapeutic services to the clients residing in our sober living property, and whose rent is subsidized under the Recovery Bridge Housing funding opportunity. Our ultimate vision, a vision that we hope LA2050 will support, is that we can grow this program to include more of the key elements that make Beit T’Shuvah’s primary care program so unique. The enhanced IOP would include individual and group counseling and therapy sessions, as well as psychoeducational groups such as Relapse Prevention, Trauma, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Recovery Process, Anger Management, and Crisis Intervention. IOP clients will have access to important recovery support services, including our Career Center, and supplementary programming like yoga, surf therapy, music, creative writing, and hiking. They would be part of the Beit T’Shuvah community, their recovery program strengthened by this connection and sense of belonging.

The estimated Los Angeles County population needing addiction treatment in 2022 was 1,482,612 (County of Los Angeles Public Health, 2024). However, federal officials say that only 10% of these individuals will actually receive treatment (American Medical Association, 2019). There are several reasons for this low percentage rate, but chief among them is the lack of access to affordable quality long-term care. We believe that recovery should be available to anyone who wants it; Beit T’Shuvah serves a predominantly low-income population, and 98% of our residents rely on financial scholarship to subsidize their treatment. The newly expanded IOP will function on this same “mission over money” philosophy, providing the community with an additional pathway to recovery. This project will allow individuals to work and care for their family while receiving treatment—ultimately resulting in a healthier and more vibrant Los Angeles County.

The initial impact of this project will primarily benefit the Recovery Bridge Housing clients who reside in our sober living facility—35-50 during the first year. These clients will serve as our pilot cohort, and, ultimately, we will expand the population we serve to include additional members of the community, and residents seeking a step-down option after discharge from Beit T’Shuvah’s residential treatment program, increasing our numbers served to approximately 100.
The road to recovery is never linear, and success is subjective depending on the specific goals of the client. Broadly speaking, however, success in the IOP will be demonstrated when a resident displays a stabilized and re-kindled sense of self-purpose, having developed the necessary coping skills to navigate the next step in their re-integration into the greater community. Additionally, we will gather both qualitative and quantitative data through two client surveys and quarterly quality assurance reports.