It can be very hard to know the types of mental health care that are available, and which one is right for your loved one and their care needs. These are sometimes referred to as “levels of care” and which one is right for your loved one depends on the severity of the person’s symptoms, their insurance, or if they live in an urban versus rural setting. This guide is a high-level overview of mental health levels of care, including the services currently available at UW Medicine. We hope it’s helpful.
Please note, the FACTS Program will be adding substance use related level of care information in the future.
For more information on behavioral health services at UW Medicine, please speak with your current UW Medicine provider. For new patients, please call the UW Medicine Contact Center at 206-520-5000 or visit the patient resources website for more information.

Outpatient Mental Health
This is the most common setting where people get their mental health care, in a specialty mental health clinic or as part of primary care. For people taking medications, they may see their psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner for medication management and/or may see a therapist for individual or group counseling sessions. Therapy is typically once a week but may be more or less depending on the persons symptoms, the type of therapy and treatment goals.
- Harborview Mental Health and Addiction Services (HMHAS) provides mental health and substance abuse treatment services including evaluation, medication management, therapy, and peer support. HMHAS also offers case management for people whose insurance covers this service such as Medicaid.
- UWMC Northwest offers outpatient electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) at the Garvey Institute Center for Neuromodulation.
- UW Medicine Primary Care Clinics have behavioral health services at many locations. Please ask your primary care provider or visit the Behavioral Health Integration Program website for more information.
- UWMC Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic, Roosevelt, provides mental health and substance abuse treatment services including psychiatric evaluation, medication management, and talk therapy.
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
An Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) is a structured program that may include group and/or individual therapy, anywhere from 2 to 3 hours a day, 3 to 5 days a week. IOP treatment focuses on helping people develop additional skills to manage their symptoms and may include medication management services, but not always. Some IOPs focus on specific mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, etc. and may be virtual or in-person.
The IOP level of care can help a person stabilize and prevent hospitalization or can be a supportive transition after a psychiatric hospitalization.
For information on the UWMC-Northwest IOP, you can call their intake line at 206-668-5470, email BHIntake@uw.edu or review their program information sheet.
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
A Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) is generally more intensive than an IOP, where people attend 4-6 hours of treatment each day, for 5-7 days each week. Similar to an IOP, treatment may include individual and group therapy along with medication management. Going to a PHP can be a useful transition for people leaving the hospital who may benefit from more structure and support.
Residential Treatment
Residential mental health settings provide people with live in professional support, 24 hours per day, and medications are often monitored by staff. Most residential programs are for people whose functioning is significantly impacted by the symptoms of their mental health condition. The length of time a person spends in a residential program can vary depending on the program’s focus, the goals of care, and the person’s unique care needs. Treatment often focuses on helping people develop community, vocational, and/or independent living skills.
Inpatient Hospitalization – acute care, voluntary or involuntary
Inpatient mental health care is for people experiencing acute psychiatric symptoms or severe impairment from drugs or alcohol such that they are an imminent safety risk to themselves or other people. The treatment setting is often very restrictive to ensure safety. Some people are admitted voluntarily, meaning they agree to be in the hospital, with an average length of stay of 3 to 7 days. Sometimes a person’s symptoms are so severe they are unwilling or unable to agree to be in the hospital. So, for their own health and safety, they may be admitted involuntarily. The length of hospitalization for involuntary patients is often longer, usually at least 14 days, but can be up to 90 or 180 days.
UW Medicine offers inpatient care at Harborview Medical Center and at UWMC Northwest campuses.
The Washington State Health Care Authority maintains a statewide list, by county, of community hospitals and certified evaluation and treatment facilities that provide inpatient mental health and substance use stabilization services.