Blackburn Clinical Services offers its Concierge Outpatient Program by secure video for clients located in California. Care is one-on-one, with no groups, typically 3 to 5 hours a week and scheduled around work, school and family. It is an individualized alternative to IOP, not an IOP, and our only office is in Los Angeles. Psychiatric care can be arranged, and you do not need a referral to start. Call (888) 870 7405 or email info@blackburnclinical.com.
Call (888) 870 7405
Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM. Ask about the Concierge Outpatient Program by video from anywhere in California.
What is Blackburn’s virtual outpatient program?
The Concierge Outpatient Program is outpatient care for mental health and substance use concerns that is built around one person rather than a group schedule. When you take part by video, you meet your care team from a private room on a phone, tablet or computer, wherever you are located in California. There is no hour requirement. Most clients take part in 3 to 5 hours of focused one-on-one work each week, and that amount can go up or down as your needs change.
We treat both addiction and primary mental health concerns in adults, including substance use, anxiety and depression, trauma and PTSD, and relationship and life challenges. Many people come to us with more than one of these at the same time, which is often called dual diagnosis.
How is it different from a virtual IOP?
An intensive outpatient program (IOP) follows a set weekly schedule. SAMHSA’s advisory on intensive outpatient treatment describes a minimum of 9 hours a week for adults and notes that IOP programs use group counseling as the primary treatment approach (SAMHSA). A virtual IOP moves that same group format online. The Concierge Outpatient Program takes a different route: fewer, more targeted hours, all of them one-on-one.
| Typical virtual IOP | Concierge Outpatient Program by video | |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly time | A set minimum, at least 9 hours a week for adults per SAMHSA, often more | No hour requirement; typically 3 to 5 hours a week |
| Format | Mostly group sessions on a fixed schedule | One-on-one sessions; no groups |
| Who sees you | A group of other participants and facilitators | Only your own care team |
| Schedule | Program days and times set in advance | Built around your work, school and family |
| Plan | A shared curriculum for the group | A customized plan after a full assessment |
| Changes over time | Usually a step down to a lower level of care | Services increase or decrease based on clinical need |
Groups help many people, and a group IOP is the right fit for some. If you are weighing the options, call us and we will talk through weekly therapy, the Concierge Outpatient Program and group programs honestly, including when a group program is the better fit.
Who is the virtual program for?
- People who tried IOP before and did not get lasting change, and want a more targeted approach.
- People with full lives who cannot attend a traditional IOP because of work, school or family commitments.
- People stepping down from residential treatment who are going home somewhere in California and still need structure and support.
- Young adults and college students who need focused care that works around classes. See therapy for college students.
- Professionals and anyone who values privacy and individual attention rather than a group setting. See for professionals.
What happens by video?
Your plan is drawn from these one-on-one services, which can be combined or used on their own:
- Individual therapy using evidence-based approaches such as CBT, DBT and ACT, chosen for you. NIMH describes these as established forms of psychotherapy and notes that some approaches involve a therapist helping at a distance (NIMH).
- Psychoeducation on emotional regulation, relationships, boundaries, mindfulness and relapse prevention.
- Coaching and case management to keep the practical side of life moving while you work on the rest.
- Family sessions so the people closest to you can be part of the process. See family services.
Psychiatric care can be arranged and coordinated with the rest of your plan. We explain how when you call.
What is only available in our Los Angeles office?
Some services are not offered by video. Brainspotting takes place in our office only. TMS, neuropsychological testing and genetic testing are in-person services. Outpatient detox is different: for less acute withdrawal, clients located in California can meet with a physician and the rest of the care team by video, with the option of in-person support, assessed case by case. Higher-risk withdrawal, such as severe alcohol or benzodiazepine withdrawal or a history of seizures or delirium tremens (DTs), needs in-person medical care. If you live outside Los Angeles and one of these would help, we will talk through what is realistic on the first call.
How do you start?
You call us, we learn what is going on and whether outpatient care is the right level for you, and then a comprehensive assessment looks at your history, health, relationships and goals. From that assessment we build a customized plan and schedule your first weeks of sessions. Our guide How virtual outpatient care works walks through each step, what a typical week looks like and what you need for a video session.
How do clients pay for it?
Blackburn is an out-of-network, private-pay practice. We do not take or bill insurance, and we provide superbills for all reimbursable services so you can seek out-of-network reimbursement from your plan. All services are available individually or combined into a customized package. For fees, call us and we will walk you through them before you begin. Read private pay therapy in California or our fees and insurance page for how reimbursement works.
Where in California do clients join from?
Anywhere in the state. Video care depends on where you are located during the session, not where you live on paper, so you need to be in California when you join. Clients work with us from Northern California, including San Francisco, the Bay Area and Sacramento, as well as the Central Coast, the Central Valley and Southern California. We do not have offices in those places; care is by secure video. Our telehealth therapy across California page covers weekly therapy by video for people who do not need a program.
When is a higher level of care the better choice?
Outpatient care, in any format, is not the right fit for everyone. If you need medical support to stop drinking or using safely, need daily structure to stay safe, or cannot keep yourself safe at home, a more intensive setting may be right first. We will say so honestly on the first call and help you think through next steps. If you have thoughts of suicide or are in crisis, call or text 988 any time, day or night, or call 911.
Comparing programs? Use our checklist of questions to ask a virtual outpatient program before you start.
Questions about the virtual outpatient program
Is the Concierge Outpatient Program an IOP?
No. It is an individualized alternative to IOP. There are no groups and no hour requirement; most clients take part in 3 to 5 hours of one-on-one care a week, by video or in our Los Angeles office.
Can I do the whole program by video?
Most of it, yes, if you are located in California. Individual therapy, family sessions, psychoeducation, and coaching and case management can all happen by secure video. Psychiatric care can be arranged. Brainspotting, TMS and testing are only available in person.
Do I have to live in Los Angeles?
No. Our only office is in Los Angeles, but clients located anywhere in California can take part by secure video, from Northern California to San Diego.
Are there any group sessions?
No. Every session is one-on-one with your own care team, or with family members you choose to include.
Can I keep working while I take part?
Many clients do. Sessions are scheduled around work, school and family during our hours, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM.
Does insurance pay for it?
We do not take or bill insurance. We provide superbills for all reimbursable services, and many PPO plans include out-of-network mental health benefits. Call your plan to ask what it reimburses.
How much does it cost?
Cost depends on the services in your plan. Call (888) 870 7405, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM, and we will walk you through fees before you begin.
What if I need more support than this?
We will tell you on the first call if a more intensive level of care looks safer, and help you think through options. In a crisis, call or text 988 or call 911.
Get started
Call (888) 870 7405
Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM.
Email info@blackburnclinical.com or send us a message. Blackburn Clinical Services, 12326 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066. Video sessions are for clients located in California.
If you are in crisis now: the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline answers calls and texts at 988 and online at 988lifeline.org. For an emergency, call 911.
Sources
- SAMHSA, Clinical Issues in Intensive Outpatient Treatment for Substance Use Disorders (Advisory, publication PEP20-02-01-021)
- National Institute of Mental Health, Psychotherapies
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline