Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP) in Philadelphia

What is a partial hospitalization program for substance use in Philadelphia?

A partial hospitalization program for substance use is day treatment at level 2.5 of the ASAM Criteria. The ASAM Criteria are the placement guidelines published by the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Programs at this level usually provide about 20 or more hours of services a week. Many hospital PHPs that appear in Philadelphia searches are psychiatric programs with different schedules and aims, so ask intake staff whether the program treats substance use at this level. Some listed programs say they also treat co-occurring mental health conditions. Those appear among dual diagnosis listings in Philadelphia.

Daily logistics in Philadelphia depend on SEPTA for many clients. The Market-Frankford Line, Broad Street Line, trolleys and buses serve much of the city. Schedules vary by program, so ask about start times, meals and transport help. Nights are spent at home or in a recovery house. In Pennsylvania, recovery houses that take public funds or state referrals must hold a license from the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP).

Philadelphia’s PHP listings sit at low elevations, between 40 and 160 feet. Most are near water: 89 percent lie within 25 miles of a river, most often the Cooper River. Philadelphia International is the nearest major airport for 89 percent of these programs, a median of 9.5 miles away.

How is PHP different from IOP and residential treatment, and how long does it last?

PHP falls between intensive outpatient care and residential treatment. It offers more hours than IOP but no overnight stay. Intensive outpatient programs in Philadelphia sit at ASAM level 2.1, with fewer weekly hours. Residential rehab in Philadelphia adds 24-hour care in a live-in setting. Length in PHP depends on assessment and progress rather than a fixed calendar, commonly several weeks. A program may also suggest stepping down to IOP or up to residential care.

An assessment comes before PHP because withdrawal from alcohol, benzodiazepines or opioids can require medically managed care first. The city’s behavioral health department, DBHIDS, lists voluntary assessment centers on Spring Garden Street, West Lehigh Avenue and East Kensington Avenue. Community Behavioral Health (CBH) runs a non-emergency line, 1-888-545-2600, around the clock. For the withdrawal step, see detox options in Philadelphia.

Will Medical Assistance, Medicare or private insurance cover PHP in Philadelphia?

Coverage for PHP in Philadelphia depends on the plan. Pennsylvania Medical Assistance (Medicaid) members get behavioral health benefits through CBH, the city’s HealthChoices behavioral health plan. CBH can tell you whether a program and level of care is in its network. Medicare Part B covers partial hospitalization in some hospital outpatient and community mental health settings, often for mental health care. Ask whether a substance use PHP bills Medicare, or see Medicare rehab listings in Philadelphia. Under federal parity law, private plans that cover substance use care generally cannot set stricter limits on it than on medical care.

Pennsylvania’s DDAP licenses freestanding drug and alcohol treatment programs. Ask any program for its DDAP license, or look it up in the DDAP licensed facility directory. For crisis support, call or text 988, or call Philadelphia’s Suicide Crisis and Intervention Hotline at 215-686-4420. The PA Get Help Now helpline, 1-800-662-4357, answers 24/7, and you can also text 717-216-0905. For day programs across Pennsylvania, see PHP listings statewide. You can also browse all Philadelphia treatment listings.