An outpatient alcohol rehabilitation program is usually designed to help alcoholics whose addiction has not yet become very severe. They can also be used as a "top up" treatment for alcoholics who have gone through a short term alcohol treatment program but are unable to pursue long-term residential treatment.

There has not been a lot of research conducted on the efficacy of outpatient alcohol rehab, but there are several centers in South Africa that offer this as a service. These centers are not residential which means that clients sleep at home and attend classes at the center. These classes include alcohol education lectures as well as group and individual counseling. Many of the outpatient alcohol rehab programs will offer resources for family members and provide an oversight function for overall case management.

An outpatient program can be quite intense and require the alcoholic to attend several evenings a week. Many of them require that the alcoholic attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings on the evenings that there are no activities scheduled at the center.

There are three behavioural methods of treatment used in alcohol rehab. They are: 12 step facilitation, cognitive-behavioural (CBT), and motivation enhancement. Counselors at an alcoholism rehabilitation facility will generally draw from all three approaches in an integrative manner.