Mental Health Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) in Massachusetts
Our mental health partial hospitalization program (PHP) in Sharon, Massachusetts, runs five days a week, five hours a day, and you go home every evening. It is the most intensive level of care without a hospital stay, available in person, by telehealth, or hybrid, for depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, trauma, and stress.
- 5 days, 5 hours a day About 25 hours of treatment a week, home every night
- Therapy + medication CBT, DBT skills, ACT, EMDR, and a prescriber on the same team
- In person, virtual, or hybrid Sharon, MA, five minutes off I-95, or from home by secure video
- Joint Commission accredited Most insurance accepted; we verify your benefits
A partial hospitalization program (PHP) is the most intensive level of mental health care you can get without staying overnight. At Rockland Recovery Behavioral Health in Sharon, MA, PHP runs five days a week, five hours a day. You spend the day in individual and group therapy, see a prescriber for medication management, and go home every evening.
You can attend in person in Sharon, fully by telehealth, or a mix of the two.
Some insurers and other states call the same level of care partial care or day treatment. It is for adults whose depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, trauma, or stress has gotten past what weekly therapy can hold, and for people stepping down from a hospital stay. Call 855.520.0531 or verify your insurance online to find out if PHP is the right fit.
Who PHP is for
PHP sits between a psychiatric hospital and an outpatient therapist’s office.1 People come to it from both directions.
- Stepping down. You are leaving an inpatient or crisis stay and need daily structure before going back to once-a-week care.
- Stepping up. Weekly therapy and medication have been in place for months and your symptoms are still getting worse.
- Not functioning. You are missing work or school, not sleeping, not eating regularly, or not able to manage the basics of the day.
- In crisis, but safe at home. You need more than an appointment and less than a locked unit, and you have a safe place to sleep each night.
If you are not sure which level you need, that is what the intake assessment is for. If you are in immediate danger, call or text 988 or go to the nearest emergency room first.
What a day in PHP looks like
Each program day is five hours, and the week adds up to about 25 hours of treatment. The pieces are the same every day; the content changes as you progress.
- Morning check-in. How you slept, where your mood is, anything that came up overnight, and your goal for the day.
- Skills group. Structured teaching from DBT and CBT: distress tolerance, emotion regulation, catching and testing anxious or depressive thoughts.
- Process group. Talking through what is actually happening in your life with people working on the same things, led by a clinician.
- Individual therapy. One-on-one time with your therapist to apply the group work to your situation.
- Medication management. Regular check-ins with a prescriber to start, adjust, or review medication alongside the therapy.
- Psychoeducation and wellness. Sleep, nutrition, stress physiology, and mindfulness or grounding practice, so you understand what your body is doing and how to settle it.
- Closing plan. What you will do between now and tomorrow morning, including a safety plan when one is needed.
Family sessions are added when they will help, and your therapist coordinates with any outside providers you already see.
In person, virtual, or hybrid
Every part of the PHP day runs in person at our Sharon center and over secure video through our telehealth program. Some people do the whole program from home. Others come in for part of the week and log in for the rest.
You choose the format at intake, and you can change it as you go.
PHP vs. IOP
Both programs use the same therapies and the same team. The difference is how much of your week they take.
| Partial hospitalization (PHP) | Intensive outpatient (IOP) | |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule | 5 days a week, 5 hours a day | 3 to 5 days a week, 3 hours a day |
| Best for | Symptoms that have stopped daily life, or the first weeks after a hospital stay | Symptoms that weekly therapy has not moved, with room to keep working |
| Work and school | Usually paused during the program | Usually continues |
| Format | In person, virtual, or hybrid | In person, virtual, or hybrid |
| What comes next | Step down to IOP | Step down to a continuing-care plan |
Most people who start in PHP move to IOP when the day-to-day stabilizes. Our post on PHP vs. IOP goes through the decision in more detail, and does insurance cover PHP covers the cost side.
Conditions we treat in PHP
- Depression, including treatment-resistant and seasonal patterns
- Anxiety disorders: generalized anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety, OCD
- Bipolar disorder
- PTSD and complex PTSD, with EMDR available
- Adjustment and stress disorders, including burnout that has become something more
- Co-occurring conditions, since most people arrive with more than one
How long PHP lasts
Most people attend for two to four weeks, though the length depends on how you respond rather than a fixed calendar. Your plan is reviewed with you as you go.
PHP is not meant to be the end of treatment. The goal is to get you stable enough to step down to IOP, and from there to a continuing-care plan with the same clinicians, so nothing you built in the program gets dropped at the door.
How to start
- Call or send the form. An admissions specialist talks through what has been happening and answers your questions. The call is confidential.
- Verify benefits. We check your insurance, explain any out-of-pocket cost, and handle authorizations. You can also verify online first.
- Assessment. A licensed clinician meets with you, in person or by video, to confirm PHP is the right level and build your initial plan.
- Your first day. Bring your medication list, your insurance card, and a notebook. Wear what is comfortable. Plan the commute once so the first morning has one less variable.
Getting to our PHP in Sharon, MA
Our center is at 374 Old Post Road, Sharon, MA 02067, five minutes off I-95 and close to Route 1, which puts it within a short drive of Norwood, Canton, Stoughton, Foxborough, Walpole, Mansfield, Randolph, and Brockton. Sharon also has a stop on the MBTA Commuter Rail Providence line for anyone coming from Boston or Providence without a car. If the drive is the problem, the virtual and hybrid options remove it.
Rockland Recovery Behavioral Health is accredited by The Joint Commission and is in-network with most major insurance plans. Verify your benefits online or call 855.520.0531 and we will do it for you.
Footnotes:
- Medicare.gov. Mental health care (partial hospitalization). medicare.gov
Starting PHP in Massachusetts, step by step
-
Call or verify your insurance
A confidential call with an admissions specialist. We check your benefits, handle authorization, and answer your questions. No referral needed.
-
Clinical assessment
A licensed clinician meets with you in person or by video to confirm PHP is the right level and build your initial plan.
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Your PHP days
Five days a week, five hours a day, home every evening. In person in Sharon, by telehealth, or hybrid.
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Group, individual, and medication
Daily skills and process groups built on CBT and DBT, individual therapy, and medication management with a prescriber on the same team.
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Step down to IOP
Most people attend two to four weeks, then step down to IOP and on to a continuing-care plan with the same clinicians.
Specialists in this care
FAQs about our PHP near Sharon, MA
What is a partial hospitalization program?
A PHP is a structured day program for mental health treatment. You attend five days a week for five hours a day, take part in individual and group therapy, see a prescriber for medication management, and go home each evening. It is more intensive than outpatient therapy and does not involve an overnight stay. Some insurers and other states call it partial care or day treatment.
How do I start a partial hospitalization program?
Call 855.520.0531 or verify your insurance online. An admissions specialist talks through what has been happening, we check your benefits and handle any authorization, and a licensed clinician completes an assessment to confirm PHP is the right level. From there we schedule your first day.
How long does PHP last?
Most people attend for two to four weeks, then step down to our intensive outpatient program (IOP). The length depends on how you respond, and your plan is reviewed with you as you go.
Can I work during PHP?
Usually not during the program itself, since it runs five hours a day on weekdays. Short-term disability or FMLA leave are the usual ways to cover the two to four weeks. Most people then return to work while continuing in IOP, which runs three hours a day and leaves room for a job.
What is the difference between PHP and IOP?
Hours. PHP is five days a week, five hours a day. IOP is three to five days a week, three hours a day. PHP is for symptoms that have stopped daily life or the first weeks after a hospital stay; IOP is for symptoms weekly therapy has not moved while you keep working. Our post on PHP vs. IOP goes deeper.
Is PHP covered by insurance?
Most insurance plans cover partial hospitalization when it is medically necessary, usually with prior authorization that we handle for you. Verify your insurance online or call us and we will check. Our post on whether insurance covers PHP explains deductibles and copays.
Where is your PHP located, and which towns do you serve?
374 Old Post Road, Sharon, MA 02067, five minutes off I-95 and close to Route 1. We see people from Norwood, Canton, Stoughton, Foxborough, Walpole, Mansfield, Randolph, Brockton, and across the South Shore, and Sharon has an MBTA Commuter Rail stop for anyone coming from Boston or Providence by train.
Is there a virtual option for PHP?
Yes. The full PHP runs over secure video through our telehealth program, and you can also go hybrid: some days in Sharon, some days from home. You choose the format at intake and can change it during the program.
Does PHP treat co-occurring conditions?
Yes. Most people arrive with more than one diagnosis, for example depression with anxiety, or PTSD with a mood disorder. Your plan covers all of them together rather than one at a time.
We accept most insurance plans
We work with most major insurers so you can focus on getting better, not on paperwork. Verify your benefits today. It only takes a minute and it's completely confidential.
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