Day Care Programme
For many people, the choice between inpatient care and weekly OPD appointments is a false one. The Day Care Programme exists between those two poles - clinical intensity when you need it, personal life preserved when you don't.
What is a Psychiatric Day Care Programme?
A Day Care Programme - also called a Partial Hospitalisation Programme (PHP) - is a structured, intensive treatment setting that runs Monday to Friday (or Mon to Sat), typically from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM or 5:00 PM. You attend clinical sessions for the majority of the day, then return home in the evening.
The clinical content is comparable to what happens inside an inpatient ward: daily psychiatrist review, individual and group therapy, occupational therapy, psychoeducation, and wellness activities. The key difference is that you sleep in your own home, maintain family contact, and aren't removed entirely from your daily life.
This matters more than it might seem. Recovery doesn't happen only inside a clinical space - it happens in the gap between sessions, when you apply what you've learned. Day Care is designed to support that bridge between intensive treatment and independent living.
Who is the Day Care Programme Right For?
Day Care is a clinically specific recommendation - it's not for everyone, and we will tell you honestly if a different level of care is more appropriate. Below are the clinical and practical criteria that make Day Care the right choice.
| Day Care IS right when... | Day Care may NOT be enough if... |
|---|---|
| You are medically stable (no active withdrawal, no acute psychosis) | You are experiencing active suicidal ideation with plan or intent |
| You are safe to travel to and from the facility independently or with family support | You are in the acute phase of psychosis or severe mania |
| You have a stable, supportive home environment to return to each evening | You require medically supervised detox from alcohol or substances |
| Your symptoms are moderate to severe but not at acute crisis level | Your home environment is destabilising or unsafe |
| You need more than weekly OPD can provide but don't need 24-hour supervision | You are unable to maintain basic self-care between sessions |
| You are stepping down from an inpatient admission and need a structured transition | Previous Day Care or OPD has not produced adequate improvement |
| You are a professional or student who cannot or prefers not to be admitted residentially | You have a history of frequent psychiatric hospitalisations or repeated relapses despite outpatient care |
| Your family situation means home-based evenings are important for your recovery | You require 24/7 monitoring due to severe behavioural disturbances, aggression, or risk to self or others |
Not sure which level of care is right? Our clinical team offers a free 30 - minute triage assessment by phone or video. Call +919289086193.
The Structured Daily Schedule
Structure is the therapeutic mechanism, not just the container. At Athena Day Care, the schedule is not administrative - it is clinical. Each element is placed deliberately to balance cognitive engagement, emotional processing, social interaction, and recovery.
| Time | Activity | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08:45 – 09:00 | Arrival, check-in, mood rating | Clinical monitoring | Daily baseline - flags anyone needing early clinical review |
| 09:00 – 09:30 | Morning community meeting | Group / social | Peer connection, daily intentions, programme news |
| 09:30 – 10:30 | Psychiatrist review (individual, rotating) | Clinical | Daily or alternate-day psychiatric review per patient |
| 10:30 – 12:00 | Group therapy - CBT / DBT / Process | Therapy | Core therapeutic work - skill building, trauma processing, or relapse prevention depending on group |
| 12:00 – 12:45 | Lunch break | Recovery / social | Unstructured peer time - critical for social reintegration |
| 12:45 – 13:00 | Medication round | Clinical nursing | Supervised medication for patients on complex regimes |
| 13:00 – 14:00 | Individual therapy session | Therapy | One-to-one CBT, DBT, EMDR, or trauma-focused session |
| 14:00 – 15:00 | Occupational therapy / skills lab | Skills | Practical life skills, functional recovery, vocational planning |
| 15:00 – 15:30 | Mindfulness / yoga / breathwork | Wellness | Nervous system regulation, somatic recovery |
| 15:30 – 16:00 | Psychoeducation group | Education / clinical | Understanding the diagnosis, medication, coping strategies |
| 16:00 – 16:30 | Evening reflection, discharge check | Clinical | End-of-day mood rating, safety check, any escalation needs flagged |
| 16:30 | Discharge - travel home | Administrative / Transition | Safe transition home with follow-up plan. |
This schedule is the standard template. Clinical groups are reconfigured based on patient cohort - an addiction-focused group will look different from a mood disorder group. Your schedule is confirmed at admission.
Therapeutic Modalities in the Day Care Programme
Day Care is not group-only. You receive a combination of individual therapy, evidence-based groups, and experiential modalities - chosen by your clinical team based on your diagnosis and treatment goals.
| Modality | Used for | Format in Day Care |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) | Depression, anxiety, OCD, phobias, health anxiety, insomnia | Group CBT sessions + individual sessions 3×/week |
| Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) | Emotional dysregulation, borderline personality, self-harm, eating disorders | DBT skills group daily + individual DBT coaching |
| Process / Psychodynamic Group | Understanding relational patterns, trauma impact, long-standing difficulties | 3×/week - open reflection format, therapist-facilitated |
| EMDR | PTSD, complex trauma, phobias | Individual sessions only - 2×/week during Day Care |
| Relapse Prevention Group | Addiction, bipolar disorder, recurrent depression | Daily in addiction cohort; 3×/week in psychiatric cohort |
| Occupational Therapy (OT) | Functional recovery, daily living skills, vocational preparation | Daily 1-hour structured group or individual session |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) | Recurrent depression, anxiety, stress-related disorders | Daily 30-min mindfulness session; MBCT group 3×/week |
| Art / Expressive Therapy | Trauma, non-verbal emotional processing, engagement for reluctant patients | 2×/week group - optional but clinically encouraged |
Return-to-Work & Return-to-Study Benefits
One of the most significant advantages of Day Care over inpatient admission is that it supports continuity - in your career, in your relationships, and in your sense of identity. You are not pausing your life to get better. You are rebuilding your life while getting better.
| For Working Professionals | For Students | For Caregivers |
|---|---|---|
| Home by 5 PM - evening and family time preserved | Continues school/college relationship (no long absence) | Home each evening to continue caring responsibilities |
| Occupational therapist helps plan phased return-to-work | Academic liaison support available on request | Social worker can assist with temporary carer support services |
| Sick leave documentation provided for programme duration | Medical certificates available for academic institutions | Flexible attendance options for primary caregivers |
| Burnout, workplace anxiety, and performance issues addressed directly in OT sessions | Exam anxiety, academic pressure, and social difficulties are part of the therapeutic focus | Caregiver burnout addressed in individual and group sessions |
Family Integration in Day Care
Recovery does not happen in isolation from family - and at Athena, we don't treat it as if it does. Day Care offers structured family involvement that inpatient care sometimes finds harder to deliver: because the patient goes home each evening, family dynamics are immediately visible and immediately addressable.
"Because he came home every day, we could actually see him changing - not just hear about it from a doctor's note. The family sessions on Thursdays helped us understand what he was going through. We stopped reacting the wrong way."
Family Involvement Schedule
| When | What | Led By |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 (Day 3 – 4) | Family orientation meeting - understanding the programme, roles, boundaries | Social worker |
| Weekly (Thursday) | Family session - progress update, communication support, boundary setting | Psychologist + social worker |
| As needed | Crisis consultation - if home dynamics require immediate clinical input | Social worker (same-day call) |
| End of Week 4 | Mid-programme family review - treatment progress, home plan adjustment | Psychiatrist + social worker |
| Final Week | Discharge planning meeting - aftercare, warning signs, what to do if relapse occurs | Full treating team |
Transitioning From Inpatient to Day Care
Day Care is the natural step-down from an inpatient admission. After acute stabilisation, most patients don't need 24-hour care - but they are not yet ready for weekly OPD. Day Care bridges that gap, maintaining clinical intensity while reintroducing the patient to their daily environment in a supervised, supported way.
| Stage | Setting | Duration & Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 : Acute Stabilisation | Inpatient (IPD) | 1 – 4 weeks. Medical stabilisation, diagnosis, medication initiation, safety establishment. |
| Stage 2 : Intensive Rehabilitation | Day Care Programme | 4 – 8 weeks. Therapy, skills building, family integration, functional recovery, relapse prevention. |
| Stage 3 : Consolidation | Intensive OPD (2–3×/week) | 4 – 8 weeks. Applying skills in daily life, reducing clinical contact, building independence. |
| Stage 4 : Maintenance | Standard OPD (monthly) | Ongoing. Medication review, therapy as needed, early warning system. |
Transition from IPD to Day Care is always a clinical decision made by your treating psychiatrist. It is not automatic. The Day Care team receives a full handover from the inpatient team before your first Day Care session.
How Long is the Day Care Programme?
The Day Care Programme does not have a fixed end date. Clinical discharge is based on the patient meeting specific goals, not on completing a set number of days. Typical durations below are indicative.
| Condition / Presentation | Typical Duration | Discharge Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Moderate Depression (step-down from IPD) | 4 – 6 weeks | PHQ-9 score in mild range, daily function restored, aftercare plan in place |
| Moderate Depression (direct admission) | 6 – 10 weeks | As above, plus therapy goals achieved and outpatient plan confirmed |
| Anxiety Disorders | 4 – 8 weeks | GAD-7 significantly reduced, CBT skills applied independently, triggers managed |
| Bipolar Disorder (post-manic episode) | 4 – 6 weeks | Mood stable, medication adherence established, family psychoeducation complete |
| Addiction (post-detox rehabilitation) | 4 – 8 weeks | Craving management achieved, relapse prevention plan built, support network identified |
| Eating Disorder (moderate) | 8 – 12 weeks | Behavioural normalisation, nutritional goals met, body image work initiated |
| PTSD / Complex Trauma | 6 – 10 weeks | Stabilisation complete, trauma narrative begun, safety skills generalised |
| Dual Diagnosis | 6 – 10 weeks | Both conditions addressed, integrated plan, support system in place |
Locations & Programme Enrolment
| Location | Day Care Availability | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|
| Gurgaon | Mon – Sat, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM Psychiatry + Addiction cohorts | Max 12 patients per cohort |
| Delhi | Mon – Fri, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Psychiatry cohort only | Max 8 patients |
| Noida | Enquire for current availability | Rolling admissions |
| Guwahati | Mon – Fri, 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM Psychiatry + Addiction cohorts | Max 10 patients |
How to Enrol
Pre-Admission Assessment (45 – 60 min)
A senior clinician assesses whether Day Care is the right level of care for you. This can be done in person or by video. If stepping down from Athena IPD, this is coordinated by your inpatient team.
Programme Orientation (Day 1 morning)
You meet your key worker, receive your individual schedule, are introduced to the group, and complete any outstanding assessments. Your treating psychiatrist meets with you on Day 1.
Programme Begins (Day 2 onward)
The full structured schedule begins. Family receives their first update. Your key worker is your point of contact for any questions or concerns.
Programme Cost & Insurance
| Day Rate (full day, 9 AM – 4:30 PM) | ₹3,500 – ₹6,000/day (All therapy, psychiatrist review, nursing, meals) |
| Weekly Rate | ₹17,500 – ₹30,000/week (5 days) |
| Standard Programme (6 weeks) | ₹1,05,000 – ₹1,80,000 (Indicative total) |
| Insurance Coverage | Covered under most health policies as 'Day Care hospitalisation' - confirm with your TPA |
| Income Support / Sliding Scale | Limited subsidised spots available - enquire with our admissions team |
Day Care psychiatric programmes qualify as 'day care hospitalisation' under Indian insurance regulations. Most IRDAI-registered insurers must cover them. Our billing team handles TPA coordination on your behalf.
