Embark Behavioral Health Expands Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program to Serve Young Adults, Adds National OCD Track

Leading Network of Outpatient Centers and Residential Programs Now Offers Online Mental Health Services in 9 States, Bringing Quality Care to a Wider Population

CHANDLER, Ariz. — August 1, 2023 — Embark Behavioral Health has expanded its insurance-reimbursed virtual intensive outpatient program, Embark Virtual IOP, to serve young adults, with it now available to young people ages 12-28. In addition, the company has added an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) track to the online mental health service and made the IOP available in Missouri. 

“We’re looking forward to the impact of Embark’s growing presence in the online mental health realm with our expansions in ages, programming, and geographies served,” said Tiffany King, vice president of Embark Behavioral Health virtual services. “This allows us to reach a wider population in need and emphasize the power of mental health treatment in our youths and young adults today.”  

Through Embark Virtual IOP services now available in Washington, D.C., and nine states (California, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Missouri, Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania), Embark replicates the essence of face-to-face interaction by providing a comprehensive and immersive virtual environment. This allows clients to conveniently receive treatment without having to leave home, which especially benefits college students and other young adults who need flexibility and convenient access due to their busy schedules and transportation issues.   

Using telehealth technologies, the Embark virtual care platform allows for real-time, secure video sessions with highly skilled and compassionate therapists. This approach fosters a strong therapeutic alliance between clinicians and clients, resulting in effective communication and personalized treatment plans.  

More About the Embark OCD Track

To enhance its virtual services for youths and young adults, Embark Virtual IOP is offering an OCD track in all states where the online mental health program is available. Young people who participate in the IOP’s mood and anxiety group attend a one-hour breakout group that’s focused on exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy as well as individual and family sessions. The group, individual, and family (or couples) sessions are led by an ERP-trained therapist. 

The virtual IOP OCD track emphasizes ERP, an evidence-based approach, as it’s widely considered the treatment of choice for individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder. As part of the track, every week, caregivers and clients will complete the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and Children’s Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS) for adolescents’ surveys to assess progress toward goals.  

Embark Virtual IOP Overview 

Embark Virtual IOP is an insurance-reimbursed program available to residents in various states across the country. Virtual IOP is ideal for adolescents, teens, and young adults as part of an after- and continuing-care plan ─ for example, when they’re stepping down from a higher level of care, such as residential treatment or outdoor therapy, or up from a lower level of care, such as weekly individual therapy.  

Embark Virtual IOP offers individual, family (or loved ones), and group therapy as well as psychiatry and medication management services, along with delivering evidenced-based therapy via experiential activities including sculpting, music therapy, mindfulness, and painting.  

Typically, adolescents, teens, and young adults in the 12-week virtual IOP spend three hours per day for four days per week in a variety of interactive group therapy sessions and will participate in individual sessions weekly and family therapy sessions at least once every other week.