What decides the length
One of the guiding principles of the ASAM Criteria, Fourth Edition, is that patients move along the continuum of care "based on their progress and outcomes rather than arbitrary predetermined lengths of stay." The criteria include separate Transition and Continued Service Criteria, which a clinical team uses to decide whether you should stay at your current level, step down to a less intensive one, or move to a more intensive one.
How much time PHP takes each week
ASAM Level 2.5 programs provide at least 20 hours of clinical services per week. Virginia Medicaid’s rule for Level 2.5 partial hospitalization sets the same 20-hour weekly minimum and at least five service hours on each service day.
What usually comes next
When you no longer need that intensity, the usual next step is a lower level of outpatient care. In the ASAM Criteria, Level 2.1 intensive outpatient provides 9 to 19 hours of clinical services a week, and Level 1 outpatient care is less intensive still.
Sources
- ASAM Criteria, Fourth Edition, Volume 1: Adults (overview), American Society of Addiction Medicine
- 12VAC30-130-5100, partial hospitalization services (ASAM Level 2.5), Virginia Administrative Code
Sources checked November 2, 2026. This page is general information, not medical or legal advice. Your clinician, your health plan, and (for VASAP) your court order and ASAP case manager set what applies to you.