VIRTUAL INTENSIVE OUTPATIENT PROGRAM · CALIFORNIA
Virtual IOP in California for adults
The Kin Wellness virtual intensive outpatient program (IOP) is structured mental health care for adults in California that meets by video, three hours a session, three to five days a week.
It sits between weekly therapy and more intensive care like a partial hospitalization program (PHP) or residential treatment. You get more support than one hour a week while you keep living at home and, for most people, keep working. Morning track 9 AM to 12 PM or evening track 5 PM to 8 PM Pacific. We work with most major PPO and HMO plans, including Aetna, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna and United Healthcare. New clients can start right away.
LEVEL OF CARE
Where IOP fits
Weekly therapy
One hour a week. Enough for many people, and not enough when symptoms are getting in the way of work, sleep, or relationships.
Intensive outpatient
Nine to fifteen hours a week of group and individual care, with a treatment plan and a team. You live at home and keep your routine. Intensive outpatient programs generally provide 9 to 19 hours of treatment a week, the range Medicare uses in its definition. Ours runs 9 to 15.
Partial hospitalization or residential
A partial hospitalization program (PHP) usually runs 20 or more hours a week, most of the day, while you sleep at home. Residential or inpatient care is round the clock and away from home, for people who need to be somewhere supervised right now. Kin offers neither, and many people come to us when they step down from one.
When a different level of care is safer
IOP is not an emergency service. If you need medical detox, round the clock supervision, or you are in immediate danger, a higher level of care is the right place to start, and we can point you toward it. If you are in crisis now, call or text 988 or call 911.
WHO IT IS FOR
Who our IOP is built for
Adults in California who need more than weekly therapy, and who can safely live at home while they get it.
People often come to us when
Weekly therapy has helped, but not enough, and things keep getting harder.
Anxiety, depression, or trauma symptoms are affecting work, sleep, or relationships.
They are stepping down from residential treatment or a partial hospitalization program and want structure while they settle back in.
They are working, caring for someone, or raising a new baby, and cannot step away from their life for treatment.
They are burned out and running on empty.
What you need to take part
A private space where you can talk without being overheard. A spare room or a quiet office works.
A device with a camera and an internet connection.
Three to five blocks of three hours a week, in the morning or the evening.
At a glance
9 to 15 hours a week. Three hour sessions, three to five days a week. We set the number of days with you.
Morning or evening. 9 AM to 12 PM or 5 PM to 8 PM Pacific, Monday through Friday.
By video, anywhere in California. You need a private space and an internet connection. Groups meet by video. Individual sessions, EMDR and medication appointments can also happen in person at our Fountain Valley office.
WHAT YOUR WEEK LOOKS LIKE
What a week in the program looks like
MORNING TRACK
9:00 AM to 12:00 PM Pacific, Monday through Friday. Three hour sessions of small groups led by licensed clinicians. Some groups teach skills you can use that same week, some explain what is happening in your mind and body, and some are space to talk through what is going on.
EVENING TRACK
5:00 PM to 8:00 PM Pacific, Monday through Friday, for people who work during the day. The same groups as the morning track, so you do not miss anything by choosing the evening.
AROUND THE GROUPS
Individual sessions with your therapist at least once a week, a treatment plan built around your goals, and medication management if it is part of your care. How medication management works
QUESTIONS
Common questions
What is an IOP, and what makes it virtual?
An intensive outpatient program (IOP) is structured mental health treatment that gives you several hours of care a week while you keep living at home. A virtual IOP delivers that care by video. At Kin Wellness that means three hour sessions of group and individual care, three to five days a week, for adults in California.
How is IOP different from weekly therapy?
Weekly therapy is usually one hour a week with one therapist. IOP is nine to fifteen hours a week with a team: small groups, individual sessions at least once a week, a treatment plan, and medication management when it is part of your care.
What is the difference between IOP and PHP?
Time and intensity. A partial hospitalization program (PHP) usually runs 20 or more hours a week, often five or six hours a day. An IOP runs fewer hours. Ours is 9 to 15 hours a week in three hour sessions, so most people keep working or caring for family. Kin offers IOP, not PHP. If you are finishing a PHP, IOP is a common next step, and we coordinate the step down directly with your current program so there is no gap.
Is a virtual IOP as structured as an in person one?
It runs on a set schedule of three hour sessions, three to five days a week, with a treatment plan and a team that talks to each other. Individual sessions, EMDR and medication appointments can also be in person at our Fountain Valley office if you prefer.
How long does an IOP last?
Most people take part for 30 to 90 days, depending on what they need and what their insurance authorizes. Before you finish, we build an aftercare plan with you: stepping down to weekly therapy, continuing medication management if it is part of your care, and knowing what to do if things get harder again.
What do the groups cover?
Topics include anxiety and panic, depression and mood, trauma and the nervous system, relationships and boundaries, communication skills, family patterns, parenting, mindfulness, DBT skills, CBT and ACT, life skills, and processing groups.
Can I keep working while I am in the program?
Most people do. The evening track runs 5 PM to 8 PM Pacific for people who work during the day, and the morning track runs 9 AM to 12 PM.
Is there a virtual IOP in California with evening sessions?
Yes. Our evening track runs 5 PM to 8 PM Pacific, Monday through Friday, for adults anywhere in California. It covers the same groups as the morning track, so people who work during the day do not miss anything.
Can I attend in person?
Groups meet by video. Individual sessions, EMDR and medication appointments can be in person at 8780 Warner Ave, Ste 11, Fountain Valley, CA 92708, if you prefer.
Where in California do you serve?
Anywhere in the state, by video. We have regional pages for Orange County, home of our Fountain Valley office, Los Angeles County, the Inland Empire and San Diego County, and a list of every county we serve.
Is treatment covered by insurance?
Most major PPO and HMO plans are accepted, including Cigna, Aetna, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and United. Call 949.706.8610 or send us a message and we will verify your benefits before you commit to anything. We do not currently accept Medi-Cal or Medicare.
How much does a virtual IOP cost?
It depends on your plan. We work with most major PPO and HMO plans, and we verify your benefits and explain any deductible or copay before you commit to anything. We do not currently accept Medi-Cal or Medicare. Contact our admissions team to learn about the program and check availability, or send us your insurance to verify coverage.
How do I start?
Call 949.706.8610 or send us a message. We check your benefits, do an intake by video, and most people can start immediately.
What if I am in crisis?
IOP is not an emergency service. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For a mental health crisis, call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, at any hour.
If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) or call 911. Our program is not an emergency service.
Clinically reviewed by Angelina DeSanto, LCSW, Clinical Director. Medically reviewed by Dr. Joe DeSanto, MD, Medical Director. Last updated October 2026.
Related: Evening IOP · What is an IOP · IOP vs PHP · EMDR therapy · Medication management · Conditions we treat · All services
Insurance: Aetna · Anthem · Blue Cross Blue Shield · Cigna · United Healthcare · All plans
Where we serve: Orange County · Los Angeles County · Inland Empire · San Diego County · Bay Area · Sacramento · Central Valley · Ventura and Santa Barbara · North State · All 58 counties
WHO YOU WOULD WORK WITH
A small team you will actually get to know
Kin Wellness is run by its clinicians. The people below are the people in your groups, and the full team is on the Team page.
Cofounder and Clinical Director, LCSW #80761, Ph.D Candidate
Paola Mercado Demeza, AMFT
Cofounder and Lead Clinical Therapist, Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist #15190. Supervised by Angelina DeSanto, LCSW, Ph.D Candidate
Dr. Joe DeSanto, MD
Angelina DeSanto, LCSW
Medical DirectorLET US HELP
Tell us how to reach you
Tell us how to reach you and someone from our team will call you back. The first conversation is short and confidential: what has been going on, what your questions are, whether this is the right level of care for you, and what it would cost with your insurance. There is no obligation to enroll, and if it is a fit you can start right away.
Prefer to call?
949.706.8610
Office hours Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 8 PM Pacific. In person care at 8780 Warner Ave, Ste 11, Fountain Valley CA 92708.