What is PC?

If you are looking into substance abuse treatment options for yourself or a loved one, you have likely come across the acronym PC. What is PC? PC is an acronym for Partial Care Program. A Partial Care Program, or PC, is a level of care in the substance abuse treatment continuum. The American Society for Addiction Medicine assigns a numerical level to all forms of substance use disorder treatment on a scale of 0-4 with 4 being the most intensive treatment. Partial Care Program, or PC, is a level 2.5 on the ASAM scale. By ASAM’s definition, Partial Care Program consists of a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 30 hours per week of addiction treatment. This level of care is ideal for an individual who needs a high level of accountability and structured treatment, but cannot attend or does not need a program with 24/7 care.

In a typical Partial Care Program for alcoholism or addiction, an individual dealing with addiction or alcoholism will attend the program 5 or 6 days per week. A PC session is typically 5-6 hours long with sessions consisting of a mix of group therapy led by a substance abuse counselor and individual therapy with a substance abuse counselor. 

There are a variety of formats for group therapy in Partial Care Programs for addiction or alcoholism. This includes process groups, psychotherapy groups, case management groups, educational groups, life skills groups, didactic groups, and discussion groups. There are also experiential therapy groups that tend to be activity based. Some examples of popular experiential therapy groups include music therapy, art therapy, yoga therapy, meditation therapy, adventure therapy, etc. This list is by no means exhaustive but is inclusive of many of the major modalities utilized in substance abuse PC programs.

Individual sessions in substance abuse PCs are 1 hour in duration. These are intimate meetings one on one with an assigned substance abuse counselor also known as the individual’s primary therapist. This allows individuals to discuss subjects they may not feel comfortable discussing in a group setting. It also allows for more individualized work to be done that is outside the scope of group therapy. The subject matter is very much led by the individual based on their current situation, issues, and needs. Counselors may, at times, increase the frequency of these sessions but 1x/weekly is the standard. 

Individuals may live at home locally within the community or in a supportive housing situation such as a sober living home while attending a substance abuse PC. This is solely at the discretion of the individual based on needs and personal living situation. Partial Care Programs can be attended in 100% person, 100% virtually, or in a hybrid model in which services are offered both in person and virtually throughout the week. A typical Partial Care Program for substance use disorder or co-occurring conditions will last 2-6 weeks depending on a variety of factors. Typically individuals will step down to an IOP program immediately following PC. For more information on IOP please CLICK HERE.

Harbor Wellness and Recovery Center proudly offers Partial Care as one of our treatment options. Our facility is located in Holmdel, NJ with virtual or hybrid options also available. Please call us at 732-847-4555 for more information on our Monmouth county PC program or any of our treatment options.