Virtual intensive outpatient therapy at UCHealth helping to improve mental health access in Colorado

Thomas Spickard says he struggled with his mental health for years.

"I just, I always knew something was probably wrong being that, first off, I am a man, and second, I live in a country where mental health isn't necessarily a focus," he said. "I just kind of ignored it, let my life crumble around me had substance issues."

It wasn't until recently that he was diagnosed with a personality disorder, as well as being bipolar.

Finding the right care, he knew, would be crucial.

"Initially, I didn't want to do a virtual type of group setting because I am more of a people person. I like being able to have that connectivity, but I actually like it now," he said.

He found that success using a virtual behavioral health intensive outpatient program, or an IOP, three hour sessions multiple times a week. UCHealth was the first to offer the online option in 2022 and are now looking to expand.

"We have higher prevalence of mental illness and lower rates of access to care here in Colorado, along with, like, 23% of adults in our state having a mental health issue," said Mica Stone, behavioral health clinical therapist for the virtual IOP program. "So creating a program that can provide access to care and eliminate barriers, including, at times, access to transportation, mobility concerns or complications."

Stone says the approach is as effective as in-person sessions.

"We've been doing virtual care for quite a while now, and we have seen through studies and patient results that it's just as comparable as in-patient care, and for some individuals it's even more successful, because it mitigates the potential barriers to engaging in care," Stone said.

For Spickard the screen he thought would limit his ability to connect has instead improved it.

"It's really changed my life," he said.

Patients can be connected to the virtual IOP by their UCHealth provider or they can self-refer. To learn more, or to be screened to join the program call 970-266-4144 or 970-207-4805.