Our PHP is built for adults stepping down from inpatient hospitalization, for those at risk of needing inpatient care, and for patients whose symptoms have outpaced what weekly outpatient therapy can address. Treatment is led by Program Director Justin Coffey and a multidisciplinary clinical team including Bradley Harrison, LMHC and Samantha L’Esperance, MA.
If you or a loved one is struggling and needs more support than weekly therapy can provide, our admissions team is available 24/7 to discuss whether PHP is the right next step.
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| Schedule | Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM |
| Weekly Hours | 30 clinical hours / week |
| Typical Length | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Format | In-person, Bedford MA |
| Best For | Step-down from inpatient, hospital diversion, weekly therapy isn't enough |
| Insurance | Most major commercial plans accepted |
What Is a Partial Hospitalization Program?
A Partial Hospitalization Program is the most intensive level of mental health care available outside of inpatient hospitalization. PHP delivers structured, full-day clinical treatment, typically several days per week for multiple hours per day, and allows patients to return home each evening rather than staying overnight.
PHP is often recommended in two situations: as a step-down from inpatient hospitalization once acute symptoms have stabilized, or as a hospital-diversion alternative when symptoms are severe but the patient can remain safe outside of 24-hour care.
The goal of PHP is to reduce symptom severity, restore daily functioning, and build the skills needed to step down to a less intensive level of care.
At Rockland Recovery North, PHP runs five days a week, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Most patients attend the full schedule for approximately 4 to 6 weeks before stepping down to our Intensive Outpatient Program.
Who PHP Is For?
Our Partial Hospitalization Program is built for three primary patient situations:
Stepping down from inpatient
After hospitalization stabilizes acute symptoms, PHP provides the continued intensive care needed before returning to outpatient life. The 9-to-3 structure mirrors inpatient rhythm without the overnight stay.
Avoiding hospitalization
When symptoms are escalating but a patient can remain safe overnight, PHP delivers the intensity needed to prevent hospital admission. This is sometimes called hospital-diversion care.
When weekly therapy isn't enough
When weekly outpatient therapy can't keep up with depression, anxiety, bipolar, or trauma symptoms, PHP delivers the clinical intensity needed to break the pattern and reset.
Because PHP runs the full weekday from 9 to 3, most patients are not working or attending school during their time in the program. The most common arrangements: FMLA leave, short-term disability, a leave of absence from school, between-jobs availability, retired patients, full-time caregivers, or patients whose employers can accommodate a 4 to 6 week leave. Our admissions team is experienced in helping patients and families think through what this transition looks like and how to set it up.
A Typical Day at Rockland Recovery North PHP
A typical PHP day runs from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday through Friday. The day is structured into clinical groups, individual therapy sessions, and time to integrate what you’re learning.
Brief group session to set the day, identify clinical focus, and check in on safety and progress.
Therapeutic group work with the full PHP cohort, led by clinical staff.
One-on-one time with your primary clinician (Bradley Harrison, LMHC or Samantha L'Esperance, MA) or weekly psychiatric appointment.
Pause to eat and decompress before afternoon programming.
DBT skills training, CBT, trauma-informed processing, or symptom management. Content varies by day of the week.
Return home for the evening. Same schedule resumes the next weekday.
Patients are paired with a primary clinician, either Bradley Harrison, LMHC or Samantha L’Esperance, MA, who oversees their treatment plan, runs their individual sessions, and remains the consistent clinical relationship across the program. Program Director Justin Coffey leads program-level case coordination, runs weekly team rounds on each patient, and ensures continuity between clinical and psychiatric care.
Psychiatric evaluation and medication management are integrated into PHP. Patients meet with a psychiatrist on a weekly basis throughout the program.
Clinical Leadership and Team
Our Partial Hospitalization Program is led by Justin Coffey, Program Director. Justin oversees day-to-day program operations at Rockland Recovery Behavioral Health North, including clinical workflow, regulatory compliance, team coordination, and quality of care. He brings behavioral health operations leadership experience across multiple levels of care, including residential, detox, and outpatient programming, with particular focus on program development and operational standards. Justin holds a degree from Sacred Heart University.
Direct clinical care in PHP is delivered by primary clinicians Bradley Harrison, LMHC and Samantha L’Esperance, MA, who lead individual therapy sessions, oversee patient treatment plans, and serve as the consistent clinical relationship across each patient’s time in the program. The clinical team is supported by psychiatry, nursing, and program staff who together deliver the structured 30-hour weekly schedule.
Clinical Services in Our PHP
Treatment plans in our PHP are developed with each patient at admission and adjusted continuously based on clinical response. Modalities commonly used include:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for depression, anxiety, and the thought-pattern work that supports symptom reduction
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills training for emotional regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness
- Trauma-informed care woven throughout the program. Trauma processing modalities, including elements of Cognitive Processing Therapy and EMDR-informed approaches, are used when clinically appropriate
- Psychiatric evaluation and medication management, with the psychiatrist meeting patients weekly throughout the program
- Family involvement coordinated as clinically appropriate. Learn more about our Family Support approach
Group therapy is the primary mode of clinical work in PHP. Patients typically attend several group sessions daily, supplemented by individual therapy and psychiatric care.
Mental Health Conditions Treated in PHP
Our Partial Hospitalization Program supports adults experiencing a range of mental health conditions that require intensive, structured care, including:
- Depression and Major Depressive Disorder
- Anxiety Disorders and Panic Disorder
- Bipolar Disorder
- Borderline Personality Disorder
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and trauma-related symptoms
- Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder
- Co-occurring mental health conditions
Patients managing acute mood episodes, post-hospitalization stabilization, or symptom severity that has overwhelmed outpatient care are the most common admissions to our PHP.
Where PHP Fits in Your Care Continuum
PHP sits between inpatient hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) in the mental health continuum of care.
- Coming from inpatient: PHP is the structured next step after a psychiatric hospitalization stabilizes acute symptoms. The same clinical intensity continues, without the overnight stay.
- Coming from outpatient: PHP is the step up when weekly outpatient therapy isn’t enough to address what’s happening.
- Avoiding hospitalization: PHP can be the alternative to inpatient admission when symptoms are severe but a patient can remain safe overnight with the right daytime support.
Most patients stay in PHP for approximately 4 to 6 weeks, then step down to our Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), a 9 AM to 12 PM Monday-through-Friday program, for continued support while re-engaging with daily life. From IOP, the typical next step is traditional outpatient mental health treatment.
| PHP | IOP | |
|---|---|---|
| Hours/Day | 6 hours | 3 hours |
| Weekly Hours | 30 hours | 15 hours |
| Schedule | M-F 9 AM – 3 PM | M-F 9 AM – 12 PM |
| Length | 4 to 6 weeks | 6 to 8 weeks |
| Best For | Stabilization after inpatient or in place of it | Continued progress while returning to life |
Not sure which level of care is right for you? Our admissions team can help you decide based on a confidential clinical assessment.
Admissions and Insurance for PHP
Starting a Partial Hospitalization Program can feel overwhelming, especially when symptoms are escalating. Our admissions process is designed to be supportive, efficient, and confidential. Most patients complete the admissions process and begin treatment within 24 to 48 hours of the first call.
The process begins with a clinical assessment, conducted by phone or in person, during which we discuss symptoms, prior treatment history, current safety, and goals for care. From there, our team determines whether PHP is the appropriate level of care, verifies your insurance benefits, and coordinates a start date.
We do not accept Medicaid, MassHealth, or state-funded insurance plans.
Verify your insurance or start the admissions process: 781-217-6375
PHP Patients We Serve in Bedford and Greater Boston
Our Bedford location at 209 Burlington Road draws PHP patients primarily from Middlesex County and the Boston metro, including Lexington, Burlington, Billerica, Concord, Wilmington, Arlington, Cambridge, Woburn, and surrounding towns.
Because PHP runs five full weekdays from 9 to 3, geographic proximity matters. Most of our PHP patients are within a 30-minute drive of the facility, which makes the daily commute sustainable across a 4 to 6 week program. If you live outside that range and PHP-level care is what you need, our admissions team can help discuss options.
Need a Different Schedule?
Evening and Virtual Options at Our Sharon Location
Our Bedford PHP runs daytime, in-person, Monday through Friday. We do not currently offer evening or virtual PHP from this location.
If a daytime in-person schedule won’t work for you, our sister facility, Rockland Recovery Behavioral Health in Sharon, MA, offers evening and virtual mental health treatment options. Our admissions team can help determine which Rockland Recovery location and schedule are the right fit for your clinical needs and availability.
Take the Next Step Toward Stabilization
If you or a loved one needs structured mental health support without overnight hospitalization, a Partial Hospitalization Program may be the right fit. Rockland Recovery Behavioral Health North is here to help you understand your options and move forward.
Contact our admissions team today for a confidential clinical assessment and to learn more about our Partial Hospitalization Program in Bedford, MA. Our admissions coordinators are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Call: 781-217-6375
Or request a confidential callback through our admissions form below.