Residential treatment
Residential treatment is addiction or mental health care in which the patient lives at the facility and receives structured clinical services around the clock, covered in the ASAM Criteria by Levels 3.1, 3.5 and 3.7.
Also called residential rehab, inpatient rehab
- Last reviewed
- 2 sources, linked
- 5 related terms
What it means
The fourth edition of the ASAM Criteria splits residential care into three levels: 3.1 clinically managed low-intensity residential, 3.5 clinically managed high-intensity residential, and 3.7 medically managed residential. Level 4, medically managed inpatient, is the hospital-level end of the continuum.
Families often say inpatient rehab for any live-in program, while clinicians keep the word inpatient for hospital-level care. Length of stay is set by clinical need and, in practice, by what the insurer authorizes through utilization review.
Residential care is usually followed by a step down to PHP, IOP or outpatient care, so the discharge plan matters as much as the stay itself.
Why it matters for your website
A family choosing residential care is choosing where someone will sleep. Show the actual rooms, the actual daily schedule and the actual staff in real photos. LegitScript requires facility photos to truthfully show your own facilities, and families notice stock images.
Say plainly which ASAM level the program is, what a typical day looks like, how length of stay is decided and what happens at discharge.
Sources
The facts on this page about a law, a regulator, a clinical standard or a platform come from these sources. Each link opens the original in a new tab.
- Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, SAPCASAM Criteria 4th Edition Implementation (levels of care and dimensions) (opens in a new tab)
- LegitScriptAddiction Treatment Certification (opens in a new tab)
Last reviewed
This entry explains a clinical term so you can describe your care accurately on your website. It is not medical advice, and clinical decisions belong with your clinical team.
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