Teen Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) in Fresno, California
Muir Wood’s Fresno Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), serving Fresno, Clovis, and the surrounding Central Valley, provides evidence-based teen mental health and substance use treatment for ages 12–17. This after-school program lets your teen keep their place at home, in school, and among friends while receiving individualized, clinically guided care.
- DHCS-Licensed
- Ages 12–17 · California
- Joint Commission Accredited
In-network with most commercial insurance
Clinically reviewed by
Ian Wolds, PsyD, Chief Clinical Officer
Last reviewed on July 13, 2026
Teen intensive outpatient treatment in Fresno
When a teen is struggling with their mental health, the effects of trauma, or substance use, families often notice it first in ordinary places. Grades slipping. A door that stays closed. Moods that swing further and land harder than they used to. Our Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program in Fresno treats teens ages 12–17 without taking them out of their home or their school.
Three to four afternoons a week, teens work through evidence-based therapy that combines individual sessions, group work, and family involvement, building coping skills and rebuilding the routines that have come apart. Care addresses mental health, substance use, and the places where the two overlap. It is a middle level of support, more structured than weekly outpatient therapy, without the round-the-clock care of a residential program.
If you are not sure whether IOP or a higher level of care is right for your teen, our team will talk it through with you and help you find the safest path forward.
Weekly schedule and length of the Fresno teen IOP
Our Fresno IOP pairs clinical depth with practical skill-building, so teens can use what they learn the same day they learn it. Every teen begins with a treatment plan written by our licensed clinicians, then moves through evidence-based therapy and structured practice designed specifically for adolescents. Because sessions run in person after the school day, life at home and in class stays on track. The program also works as a step down from residential care when that level of support is no longer required.
Programming, offered 3–4 afternoons per week, includes:
- 9 hours of group therapy (3 sessions per week)
- Weekly individual therapy
- Family therapy every 1–2 weeks
- A weekly virtual parent support group
- Optional introductory 12-step meetings for teens addressing substance use
- Drug testing when clinically indicated
*Some individual and family therapy sessions will take place Tuesday and Friday between 4:00–7:00 PM.
Treatment typically runs between 8 and 12 weeks, depending on necessity and insurance coverage. Your teen’s clinical team reviews progress as the program goes on and keeps you informed about timing, so the end of treatment is something you see coming.
Personalized treatment plans for teen mental health and substance use
Care is built around the individual teen rather than a diagnosis. Each plan takes account of mental health, substance use, relationships, how school is going, and the daily routines that hold a week together, so that progress carries past the therapy room.
A fuller picture is on our conditions we treat page.
We provide targeted care for teens struggling with:
And for substance use involving:
Group therapy in our teen IOP
We keep our Fresno cohorts deliberately small. A therapist-led group of a few teens allows for attention that a larger room cannot give, and because the same teens meet together throughout the program, trust has time to develop. Much of the work happens once it does. Individual sessions run alongside the group, giving your teen somewhere private to bring what they are not ready to say out loud yet.
Types of therapy used in our Fresno teen IOP
Each teen’s plan is assembled around what they are working through. Where it helps, we build in focused support for ADHD, trauma-related symptoms, or disordered eating, coordinating with outside providers so care stays joined up.
What results is a flexible program that meets a teen where they are and sends them home with skills that last. Each approach is described further on our treatment therapies page.
Core therapeutic approaches in our IOP include:
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Helps teens recognize the thought patterns driving how they feel, approach what they have been avoiding, and manage anxiety or depression with tools they can use in a normal day.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Develops emotion regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and interpersonal skills that teens rehearse in group and then apply at home and at school.
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Supports teens in acting on what matters to them even while difficult thoughts and feelings are present, rather than waiting for those feelings to pass.
Seeking Safety (trauma-informed groups)
Builds stability, coping, and a sense of safety in the present, without asking a teen to revisit what happened before they are ready.
Relapse prevention for co-occurring substance use
Identifies the situations, feelings, and settings that lead to using, and prepares refusal and safety plans in advance of those moments.
Mindfulness & experiential therapies
Draws on guided mindfulness, creative expression, and movement to lower stress and help teens notice what is happening in their body.
Process & psychoeducation groups
Combines open discussion with teaching about mental health, substance use, and daily routines, which often eases teens who assumed something was uniquely wrong with them.
Family therapy sessions
Brings caregivers and teens into shared sessions and coaching that strengthen communication, boundaries, and consistency at home.
Family therapy and parent support in our Fresno IOP
Your teen comes home at the end of every program day, which makes family involvement immediate rather than something reserved for discharge. From the first admissions call onward, parents and caregivers are part of the work, so that what improves in treatment improves at home too.
Families take part in regular therapy sessions, receive steady updates from the clinical team, and get practical coaching on communication, boundaries, and the routines that lower conflict. Virtual options keep participation realistic on weeks when it otherwise would not be.
That support carries past discharge. Our team helps map next steps, coordinates with outside providers when you consent, and continues parent education through a 16-week aftercare coaching program, while teens stay connected through alumni check-ins and community events.
More is on our family programming page.
How teen IOP compares to residential treatment
Levels of care
Not sure which level of care fits your teen?
Support for teens ranges from weekly therapy to around-the-clock residential care. See how the levels compare and which one fits where your teen is right now.
Not sure which level of care fits your teen? Our guide to levels of care walks through each one side by side.
IOP is an after-school level of care. Your teen sleeps at home, attends their own school, and comes to us three to four afternoons a week. It works as a step up when weekly therapy is no longer doing enough, and as a step down when a teen is leaving residential care but would lose ground without continued structure.
Residential treatment provides care and supervision around the clock, for teens who cannot stay safe at home or whose needs reach beyond scheduled sessions. We operate two residential campuses in Clovis: Makena for girls and Auberry for boys. Teens finishing residential care there often continue into our Fresno IOP as they return to school and home life, with the same clinical leadership across both, so nobody starts over.
Meet the Fresno IOP treatment team
Our clinicians work to give teens the insight and the skills that hold up over time. Licensed therapists and psychiatric providers partner closely with families to reinforce progress, set clear expectations, and manage transitions between levels of care, so what a teen gains here goes home with them.
Christie Dooley, LMFT
Clinical Director — Fresno IOP Center
Ian Wolds, PsyD
Chief Clinical Officer
How we coordinate with your teen’s other providers
We believe strong outcomes depend on continuity and collaboration. From admission through discharge, we coordinate closely with your teen’s existing providers and aftercare programs — whether that’s our IOP or another trusted outpatient partner. Our team stays in regular communication with the broader care network to support timely transitions, shared understanding, and a clear path forward.
Therapists, school staff, and case managers looking to refer a teen will find what they need on our page for professionals, or on our continuum of care page.
Aftercare support after teen IOP
The weeks right after a program ends are often when families feel least certain, which is exactly when support should still be there.
After completing IOP, families receive:
- Referrals for continued individual or psychiatric care
- Alumni check-ins and virtual teen support groups
- A complimentary 16-week parent aftercare program focused on communication, boundaries, and long-term success
Insurance coverage for the Fresno teen IOP
Muir Wood is in-network with most commercial insurance. What your plan covers depends on your policy and the level of care, so our admissions team verifies benefits and explains any deductible, co-pay, or co-insurance before treatment begins. We are not in network with Medicaid or Medi-Cal.
Because coverage can affect how long care is authorized, those conversations continue during the program rather than stopping at intake.
Accreditations
*Please note that at this time, we are not in network with Medicaid/Medi-Cal
Visiting our teen IOP center in Fresno
Our center sits on North Millbrook Avenue in Fresno, roughly fifteen minutes from Clovis and straightforward to reach from most of the surrounding area. Inside are light-filled group rooms, private spaces for individual and family sessions, and a lobby meant to feel calm rather than clinical. Parking is directly outside, which matters on an afternoon when you are already late and your teen already does not want to be there.
Most families come for the first time after school, for an assessment. You will meet the person who will be working with your teen, and you will leave knowing what happens next.
Serving Fresno, Clovis, and the Central Valley
We are proud to keep deepening our commitment to the Central Valley with one of the region’s few teen-specific outpatient and residential treatment options. Our residential program has provided 24/7 care here since 2023, and our Fresno IOP means families no longer have to drive across the state for after-school treatment. Whichever level of care a teen needs, Muir Wood is here, in the community.
Families across the Central Valley also come to us for teen behavioral health and teen substance use treatment in Fresno.
Muir Wood Teen Treatment: Fresno IOP Center
- 8441 N Millbrook Ave, Suite 102, Fresno, CA 93720
- Phone: (559) 838-4447
- Levels of Care: Boys/Girls Intensive Outpatient Program
Muir Wood Treatment Center Reviews
Read about Muir Wood experiences from a parent who has been through it. Read these and other reviews from real parents of Muir Wood alumni. If you would like to speak to an alumni parent, contact us and we’ll arrange it.
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Muir Wood exceeded my expectations across the board. I was nervous to send my son for treatment because I have read horror stories of other places. But Muir Wood treated my son and my family with compassion, patience, and sincerity. It took …
S
Jul 2026
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Here we are more than a half year after my son got released from the Clovis location.
JH
Jul 2026
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Muir Wood planted to the seeds for my sobriety. Thankful for the loving staff and supportive community - celebrating 3 years sober in February!
JD
Jul 2026
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Muirwood was a lifesaving experience for my daughter, who struggles with both mental health and substance abuse issues. After years of IOP, PHP, CBT and DBT therapy and rehab approaches, Muirwood provided her with help through a holistic approach to her struggles.
HL
Jul 2026
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Kept my kid safe, gave us a place to send him when we had nowhere else
AK
Jul 2026
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Kyla is doing so much better.
AM
Jul 2026
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This facility provided great assistance to not only my teenager, but to my wife and I as well. We received parental support group meetings, and wonderful communication with the facility. There were weekly group meetings including us, our …
JH
Jul 2026
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Chloe felt she gained a lot from her stay. She learned new coping skills and feels good.
BB
Jul 2026
Fresno teen IOP FAQs
What is an adolescent intensive outpatient program?
An adolescent IOP is a structured, after-school program for teens who need more than weekly therapy but do not require 24/7 residential care. At Muir Wood Fresno, that means therapist-led groups, individual therapy, family sessions, and parent education, addressing primary mental health conditions, substance use, and co-occurring needs within one plan.
How many days a week is the Fresno teen IOP, and at what times?
Teens attend three to four afternoons a week after school, for about three hours. A typical week includes nine hours of group therapy across three sessions, weekly individual therapy, and family therapy every one to two weeks. Some individual and family sessions fall on Tuesday and Friday between 4:00 and 7:00 PM.
How long does the Fresno teen IOP last?
Treatment typically runs 8 to 12 weeks, depending on necessity and insurance coverage. Length is not fixed at admission. The clinical team reviews progress throughout and discusses timing with you along the way.
Can my teen stay in school while attending IOP?
Yes. Because programming meets after the school day, teens remain enrolled where they are. When attendance, grades, or school avoidance is part of what is happening, it becomes part of the treatment plan, and with your consent our team can coordinate directly with the school.
When should a teen attend a mental health or substance use IOP?
IOP suits a teen who can remain safely at home but is not improving on weekly therapy alone. Common signs include falling grades, school avoidance, persistent anxiety or depression, escalating conflict at home, emerging substance use, and difficulty managing stress. If a higher level of care is needed, we help coordinate a safe transition.
How is teen IOP different from residential treatment?
Residential treatment provides 24/7 care for teens who cannot remain safe at home. IOP provides clinically intensive care after school, with the teen living at home and attending their own school. Families use IOP as a step down from residential care or a step up from weekly therapy, depending on clinical need.
Can teens without substance use concerns attend?
Yes. Our IOP treats primary mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, trauma, OCD, and ADHD, as well as substance use involving alcohol, cannabis, stimulants, and opioids. Integrated care is provided when both are present.
Do you treat adolescents with eating disorders?
We do not provide specialty eating disorder programs requiring medical or nutritional supervision, such as treatment for anorexia or bulimia. We do treat disordered eating when it occurs alongside other mental health concerns and is safe to address in an IOP setting. We screen carefully at admission and, where needed, provide a warm referral to a specialized program.
What payment options are available?
We are in-network with most commercial insurance and can verify benefits quickly. Your coordinator explains any deductible, co-pay, or co-insurance upfront. For out-of-network coverage, we explore single-case agreements and provide documentation for reimbursement.
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