Patients can step down to outpatient care after attending the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), or they may begin in this level of care if they are engaged in employment or other meaningful activity which would prevent them from attending the daytime intensive program. The care plan is individualized based on need, but patients often begin by attending two groups and one individual session per week and taper down to individual session once weekly, then biweekly and finally monthly when they are in long term recovery.