Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)

The Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) at the UTHealth Houston Center for Interventional Psychiatry provides intensive, day-hospital–level treatment for individuals with severe psychiatric symptoms or functional impairment who require a higher level of care than IOP but do not need 24-hour inpatient hospitalization.

PHP offers a structured, multidisciplinary treatment environment during the day, while allowing patients to return home in the evenings, supporting both clinical stabilization and continuity with community supports.

Who Is Appropriate for PHP

The Partial Hospitalization Program may be appropriate for patients who:

  • Have significant symptom burden or functional decline
  • Are at elevated clinical risk but can maintain safety outside of overnight hospitalization
  • Have not responded adequately to outpatient or IOP-level care
  • Are stepping down from inpatient psychiatric hospitalization
  • Require close monitoring and intensive therapeutic engagement

Program Structure and Services

PHP typically involves treatment five days per week and may include:

  • Daily structured group therapy, focused on symptom stabilization, coping skills, and functional recovery
  • Individual psychiatric care, including medication management and treatment planning
  • Evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions, tailored to diagnosis and clinical needs
  • Interventional psychiatry services, when clinically indicated, such as:
    • Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
    • Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
    • Intranasal Esketamine Therapy (SPRAVATO®)
    • Intravenous Ketamine Therapy

Treatment is delivered by a multidisciplinary team and coordinated closely with outpatient providers, inpatient services, and referring clinicians to ensure continuity of care.

Monitoring and Transitions of Care

Patients in PHP are monitored closely for symptom response, safety, and functional progress using measurement-based approaches. Level-of-care decisions are regularly reviewed to ensure the appropriate intensity of treatment.

Based on clinical response, patients may:

  • Transition to inpatient psychiatric care if safety or symptom severity worsens
  • Step down to IOP or outpatient care as stability improves
  • Continue interventional treatments as part of a longer-term care plan

Through the Partial Hospitalization Program, the Center aims to provide intensive, structured treatment that supports stabilization, reduces hospitalization, and facilitates a safe transition to lower levels of care.