What if I have a bad evening at home — who do I call?

Every Day Care patient receives an after-hours helpline number. For emergencies, call 112 or go to your nearest emergency department.

Can I use my phone during the Day Care programme?

Yes — phone use is permitted but phones should be on silent during therapy sessions and group activities.

Is there food provided? Do I need to bring lunch?

A structured lunch and morning snack are provided as part of the programme fee. Dietary requirements are recorded at admission.

Can I take time off during the Day Care programme?

Short absences can be accommodated in some cases but are subject to your psychiatrist's approval. Full attendance is encouraged during the first 4 weeks.

What happens at the end of the Day Care programme?

The final week includes a comprehensive discharge review, written discharge summary, aftercare plan, and family briefing.

ATHENA BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH · BY CARE SETTING

Day Care Programme - Intensive Treatment During the Day, Home in the Evening

Intensive clinical treatment during the day. Home every evenin

Speak to Admissions View Daily Schedule

📞 +91 98115 33155 · 💬 Chat on WhatsApp · 📍 Delhi NCR · Guwahati

Programme Highlights

✓4–8 hours of structured therapy daily
✓Home every evening - family life preserved
✓Daily psychiatrist review
✓Ideal for working professionals
✓Natural step-down from inpatient

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Understanding Day Care

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 Monday to Saturday), 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.

Is It Right for You?

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…

✓ You are medically stable (no active withdrawal, no acute psychosis)
✓ You are safe to travel to and from the facility independently or with family support
✓ You have a stable, supportive home environment to return to each evening
✓ Your symptoms are moderate to severe but not at acute crisis level
✓ You need more than weekly OPD can provide but don't need 24-hour supervision
✓ You are stepping down from an inpatient admission and need a structured transition
✓ Your family situation means home-based evenings are important for your recovery
✓ You are a professional or student who cannot or prefers not to be admitted residentially

Day Care may NOT be enough if…

→You are experiencing active suicidal ideation with plan or intent
→You are in the acute phase of psychosis or severe mania
→You require medically supervised detox from alcohol or substances
→Your home environment is destabilising or unsafe
→You are unable to maintain basic self-care between sessions
→Previous Day Care or OPD has not produced adequate improvement

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 Core Differentiator

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	-	-

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.

Day Care Programme

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.

Best for

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Used For: Depression, anxiety, OCD, phobias, health anxiety, insomnia

Format in Day Care: Group CBT sessions + individual sessions 3×/week

Best for

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

Used For: Emotional dysregulation, borderline personality, self-harm, eating disorders

Format in Day Care: DBT skills group daily + individual DBT coaching

Best for

Process / Psychodynamic Group

Used For: Understanding relational patterns, trauma impact, long-standing difficulties

Format in Day Care: 3×/week - open reflection format, therapist-facilitated

Best for

EMDR

Used For: PTSD, complex trauma, phobias

Format in Day Care: Individual sessions only - 2×/week during Day Care

Best for

Relapse Prevention Group

Used For: Addiction, bipolar disorder, recurrent depression

Format in Day Care: Daily in addiction cohort; 3×/week in psychiatric cohort

Best for

Occupational Therapy (OT)

Used For: Functional recovery, daily living skills, vocational preparation

Format in Day Care: Daily 1-hour structured group or individual session

Best for

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)

Used For: Recurrent depression, anxiety, stress-related disorders

Format in Day Care: Daily 30-min mindfulness session; MBCT group 3×/week

Best for

Art / Expressive Therapy

Used For: Trauma, non-verbal emotional processing, engagement for reluctant patients

Format in Day Care: 2×/week group - optional but clinically encouraged

Return to Life

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.

76%

of Athena Day Care graduates return to work or study within 90 days of programme completion (internal outcome data, 2022–2024)

For Working Professionals

Home by 5 PM - evening and family time preserved
Occupational therapist helps plan phased return-to-work
Sick leave documentation provided for programme duration
Burnout, workplace anxiety, and performance issues addressed directly in OT sessions

For Students

Continues school/college relationship - no long absence
Academic liaison support available on request
Medical certificates available for academic institutions
Exam anxiety, academic pressure, and social difficulties are part of the therapeutic focus

For Caregivers

Home each evening to continue caring responsibilities
Social worker can assist with temporary carer support services
Flexible attendance options for primary caregivers
Caregiver burnout addressed in individual and group sessions

Family Integration

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."

— Parent of Day Care patient, Delhi, 2024

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 IPD

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 1

Inpatient (IPD)

1–4 weeks
Medical stabilisation, diagnosis, medication initiation, safety establishment.

Stage 2

Day Care Programme

4–8 weeks
Therapy, skills building, family integration, functional recovery, relapse prevention.

Stage 3

Intensive OPD (2–3×/week)

4–8 weeks
Applying skills in daily life, reducing clinical contact, building independence.

Stage 4

Standard OPD (monthly)

Ongoing
Medication review, therapy as needed, early warning system.

Programme Duration

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

Locations & Programme Enrolment

Athena Gurgaon

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Max 12 patients per cohort

Sector 47, Gurugram, Haryana

Mon–Sat, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM | Psychiatry + Addiction cohorts

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Athena Luxus

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Max 8 patients

Ghittorni, New Delhi

Mon–Fri, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM | Psychiatry cohort only

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Athena Noida

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Rolling admissions

Sector 16 B, Greater Noida, UP

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Athena Guwahati

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Max 10 patients

Garchuk Road, Guwahati, Assam

Mon–Fri, 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM | Psychiatry + Addiction cohorts

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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.

Fees & Insurance

Programme Costs & 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)	Full week programme
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.

Can't pay upfront? EMI options available - most families pay ₹5,000-₹8,000/month for a full Day Care programme. Ask our admissions team.

Ask About EMI

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

This depends on your clinical condition and any medications that affect driving. Your psychiatrist will advise on Day 1. Many Day Care patients commute independently by auto, cab, or metro. If driving is not recommended, our social worker can help arrange transport logistics.

Every Day Care patient receives an after-hours helpline number. If you are struggling between sessions, you can call or WhatsApp our duty clinician. For emergencies (risk to life), call 112 or go to your nearest emergency department. Your key worker also checks in by text each evening for the first two weeks.

Yes — unlike inpatient admission, phone use is permitted. However, we ask that phones are on silent during therapy sessions and group activities, and there are designated phone-free periods (primarily group therapy blocks) to protect the therapeutic environment. Your key worker will explain the programme norms on Day 1.

A structured lunch and morning snack are provided as part of the programme fee. This is not incidental — for patients with eating disorders or those in early recovery, shared mealtimes are a therapeutic element of Day Care. Dietary requirements (vegetarian, allergies, etc.) are recorded at admission.

Short absences can be accommodated in some cases, but they affect clinical continuity and are subject to your psychiatrist's approval. In general, we ask that patients commit to full attendance during the intensive phase (first 4 weeks). After that, some flexibility may be possible depending on progress.

The final week includes a comprehensive discharge review with your full team, a written discharge summary, an aftercare plan (including OPD follow-up schedule, medication plan, and relapse warning signs), and a family briefing. You don't 'graduate' and disappear — Athena's OPD and Relapse Prevention services maintain continuity.

Yes — that's one of the most common reasons for Day Care referral. If you've been attending OPD for 8–12 weeks without adequate improvement, stepping up to Day Care's intensity often makes the difference. The reasons OPD may not have worked (insufficient therapeutic contact, home stressors, motivational barriers) are all directly addressed in Day Care.