What does a typical PHP day look like?

PHP runs about six hours a day, five days a week. Each day blends psychiatric care, individual therapy, and structured group sessions covering skills like emotion regulation, coping, and relapse prevention, with breaks and meals built in.

What's the difference between PHP and IOP?

PHP involves more hours of treatment per day and is typically the more intensive option, often serving as a step down from inpatient care. IOP offers fewer hours per week and works well as the next step after PHP, or for those who need support but not full-day treatment.

Do I need a referral to start PHP?

No, you can be referred by a mental health professional, hospital, or another healthcare provider, or you can reach out to us directly to start the process.

Does insurance cover PHP?

Most major insurance carriers cover Partial Hospitalization. Our admissions team can verify your specific coverage in minutes before you begin.

Partial Hospitalization (PHP)

Partial Hospitalization (PHP) for Mental Health in Pennsylvania

A structured step between inpatient care and traditional outpatient therapy, full-day support, five days a week, so you can heal without putting life on hold.

Verify Insurance Call (610) 563-2752

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Accredited

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Certified

Content reviewed by Dr. Jeffrey Simon, MD, Medical Director & Psychiatrist

Last reviewed: 2026-07-09

The Program

What Is Partial Hospitalization?

Partial Hospitalization (PHP) is a structured mental health treatment program that sits between inpatient hospitalization and traditional outpatient therapy. If you've been in inpatient care and aren't ready for weekly sessions alone, or if your symptoms have become more than a therapist's office can address, PHP offers a middle path: intensive, full-day treatment while you return home each evening.

Most people participate in PHP for two to six weeks, though the right length of time depends on your individual needs and how your symptoms respond to treatment. Unlike Intensive Outpatient (IOP), which typically involves a few hours of treatment several days a week, PHP is a larger time commitment, full days, most days of the week, designed for people who need more concentrated support during this stage of their care. Located in Phoenixville, we provide PHP treatment to individuals throughout Chester County and the greater Philadelphia region, including Pottstown, Malvern, Norristown, and surrounding communities.

Continuum of Care

Inpatient

24/7 care

Partial Hospitalization (PHP)

Full-day, 5x/week

Intensive Outpatient (IOP)

Few hours, several days/week

Outpatient

Weekly sessions

hours a day

days per week

2–6

weeks average

overnight stays

Cost & Insurance

The cost of PHP treatment varies based on the length of your program, your individual treatment needs, and your insurance coverage. Most major insurance carriers offer coverage for PHP, though the specifics, including copays, session limits, and in-network status, depend on your plan.

The most reliable way to understand what your treatment will cost is a free, confidential insurance verification call with our admissions team. We'll walk through your coverage with you before you commit to anything, so you can make this decision with clear information. See below to verify your insurance in minutes.

Conditions We Treat

Care Built Around What You're Facing

Our PHP is designed to support a wide range of mental health and co-occurring concerns, with treatment personalized to your story, not a label.

Don't see what you're looking for? Call (610) 563-2752 , we'll help you find the right level of care.

Right Fit

Who Is Partial Hospitalization For?

PHP isn't just a step down from inpatient care, it's also a strong option if you're managing daily responsibilities and need more support than weekly therapy provides.

Continuing your daily life

You're working, in school, or caring for family and need treatment that fits around that.
You want intensive support without stepping away from your responsibilities.

Stepping down from a higher level of care

You've completed inpatient treatment and need a structured next step.
You have outside support (family, friends, a therapist) to reinforce your progress at home.

A Typical Day

What to Expect in a PHP Day

Individual Therapy

One-on-one time with a licensed clinician to work through what's specific to you, your history, your triggers, and the goals you're working toward. This is where treatment gets personalized beyond the group setting.

Group Therapy

Structured sessions with peers who understand what you're going through. Group therapy builds practical coping skills while reducing the isolation that often comes with mental health struggles, you're not doing this alone.

Medication Management

Regular check-ins with a psychiatric provider to monitor how any medications are working and make adjustments as needed. This keeps your treatment plan responsive, not static.

Psychoeducation

Structured learning about your condition, how it affects you, and practical strategies for managing it after PHP ends. This is the part of treatment that helps skills stick beyond the program itself.

Coordinated Care

One team, one plan

Your PHP care is delivered by a coordinated team led by Dr. Jeffrey Simon, MD, Medical Director & Psychiatrist, working alongside licensed therapists, a dedicated case manager, and support staff, all working from a single treatment plan built around you.

Meet your care team

Treatment That Feels Like Life, Not a Waiting Room

Recovery isn't just about sessions and skills — it's about remembering what it feels like to actually live. Alongside clinical treatment, we build in real experiences: kayaking on the Schuylkill River, hiking the trails around Valley Forge and French Creek, a round of golf, movie nights with peers who get it, and more. These aren't distractions from treatment — they're part of it. Building genuine connection, having fun again, and practicing what you're learning in real moments, not just in a room.

Kayaking

Hiking

Golf

Movie Nights

Plus additional community activities throughout your treatment.

Because healing shouldn't feel like it's happening to you — it should feel like you're living it.

Evidence

What Research Shows About Partial Hospitalization

A study of 2,000 patients across two PHP programs found significant improvement in symptom severity and functioning, in some cases within just one week of treatment.

Source: PubMed, National Library of Medicine

Research on PHP outcomes has found that completing treatment is associated with a significant reduction in psychiatric symptoms and daily-life impairment.

Source: National Institutes of Health

Studies show PHP treatment is linked to a significant reduction in the need for future psychiatric hospitalization.

Source: National Institutes of Health

Coverage

Check Your PHP Coverage in Minutes

We work with most major insurance carriers. Verification is free, confidential, and takes just a few minutes.

Blue Cross Blue Shield
Cigna
UnitedHealthcare/Optum
Geisinger
Aetna
Amerihealth
and more

See all accepted insurance →

Verify My Insurance

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions About PHP

Treatment length varies by individual need, but most people participate in PHP for two to six weeks before stepping down to a lower level of care.

Related Care

Not sure PHP is the right fit?

Learn about our step-down IOP program built for people ready to transition to fewer weekly hours of support.

Explore IOP