How to Choose an Eating Disorder Program
What’s Important When Choosing an Eating Disorder Program?
Choosing the right facility is critical to ensure you or your loved one is receiving the necessary level of treatment for eating disorders. There are many levels of care to take into consideration, and will depend on the severity of one’s eating disorder. Important things to look for when selecting a program are effectiveness of treatment, professionalism of staff, and accreditation.
Treatment entails getting to the root of underlying problems including trauma, a lack of self-esteem and emotional dysregulation. Clients learn to understand the causes of their eating disorders and are taught how to normalize eating and the relationship with food, develop coping skills, and build self-esteem.
Learning to manage an eating disorder requires intensive therapy, often including family therapy for continual support and a solid foundation of recovery after completion of treatment.
Most importantly, recovery is a lengthy process that will continue after treatment is completed. Those who attend comprehensive, evidence based programs are more successful in recovering from eating disorders than those who elect to forgo treatment.
Without evidence-based care, treatment for eating disorders are typically unsuccessful. This is attributed to the absence of a solid treatment foundation, failing to address the underlying causes of one’s eating disorder, and neglecting co-occurring mental health conditions.
Eating Disorder Solutions is a full-spectrum eating disorder treatment center.
Our clinical team treats both adolescents and adults. From our years of experience, here are five things to keep in mind when looking for an eating disorder program.
Consider Facility Accreditation
Licensing and accreditation are important markers of quality care and safety.
Accreditation by the Joint Commission holds treatment centers the highest standards of client-centric care, security, and safety of both staff and clients.
Accreditation is maintained through thorough external examinations measuring treatment effectiveness, safety protocols, and overall treatment modalities.
Facilities accredited by the Joint Commission provide evidence-based treatment modalities; these treatment models are proven to effectively treat a myriad of clinical conditions. When tracking alumni from accredited facilities, they typically have better outcomes than those who receive care from a nonaccredited facility. Accreditation evaluations are conducted on a regular basis, ensuring facilities continually adhere to accreditation standards and treatment guidelines.
Eating Disorder Solutions is certified by the Joint Commission! We are happy to answer any questions you have about receiving treatment through an accredited eating disorder center.
Research Levels of Care for Eating Disorders
There are several levels of care in eating disorder treatment. Treatment recommendations are based upon one’s symptomatology, psychiatric evaluation, and need for medical treatment. Although it is not up to you which level of care you enter (this will be determined upon admission by a team of professionals), it is essential to know if an eating disorder treatment program offers the levels of care needed for recovery.
Here at Eating Disorder Solutions, we offer holistic treatment programs for every stage of eating disorder recovery including residential, partial hospitalization, and outpatient programs customized to individual needs. Our seamless continuum enables clients to maintain the connection to their treatment team as they transition from higher to lower levels of care based on a comprehensive evaluation upon admission, continual progress monitoring, and treatment adjustments as needed. The levels of treatment below are as described by the American Psychiatric Association.
Residential Treatment
Residential treatment is ideal for those who do not yet possess the motivation to get better, or who are overwhelmed with grief, depression, or anxiety due to their disorder. Clients in residential treatment need support to develop a healthier relationship with food.
Residential treatment offers around-the-clock care, ensuring clients have immediate access to both medical and psychiatric staff whenever necessary. Treatment is structured throughout the day and includes many treatment blocks, where clients participate in both group and individual therapies. Clients are successful with assistance and continued therapy, developing positive coping skills, self esteem, and resiliency.
Partial Hospitalization Treatment
Partial hospitalization treatment for eating disorders provides clients with care and support throughout the day. Often referred to as ‘day treatment’, clients participate in group and individual counseling sessions for about eight hours each day before returning home or to a housing facility each night.
During partial hospitalization treatment clients receive therapy throughout the day to further address the causes of the eating disorder. Clients typically need assistance gaining healthy weight and support to prevent purging. However, after PHP clients will have learned how to manage feelings of intense guilt, repulsion, and self-hatred. Markers of treatment include maintaining a healthy weight with minimal help and a positive outlook on recovery.
Intensive Outpatient for Eating Disorders
Intensive outpatient care for eating disorders provides clients with more therapy and time with psychiatric staff to further remedy the underlying causes of one’s eating disorder. Clients should have a healthy body weight, possess fair motivation to recover, and actively participate in reducing purging and starving episodes.
IOP stops clients from relapsing in the absence of a support system. The program guides clients through the transition back into work and family life.
During intensive outpatient care, clients attend sessions several times a week, as recommended by clinicians, and continue therapeutic treatment. Without IOP, clients tend to relapse when exiting treatment too soon or without a stable enough foundation in recovery. IOP remedies this, continuing therapy, expansion of recovery tools, coping skills, and mental wellness.
Outpatient Eating Disorder Treatment
This is the least intensive level of care intended for those who do not require medical monitoring. During treatment, clients focus on identifying the underlying causes of their eating disorder and unlearn harmful behaviors and coping habits through comprehensive therapy. Therapy focuses on building self esteem, unearthing inner and outer beauty, and living well. Outpatient clients should have a stable support system and easy access to their treatment facility in the event of an emergency.
Does Your Facility of Choice Address Co-Occurring Mental Health Disorders?
Co-occurring mental health disorders are conditions that contribute to or exacerbate an eating disorder. Without addressing underlying mental health conditions, treatment is compromised and client lives remain in danger due to a lack of coping strategies and guidance on how to refrain from self-harm through dangerous binging and starvation behaviors. Ensure the treatment facilities in consideration actively screen, evaluate, and offer care for underlying mental health disorders.
At Eating Disorder Solutions, members of our multidisciplinary team collaborate closely to address both the eating disorder and any co-occurring disorders. We are fully focused on helping each patient achieve full and lasting recovery with our integrated approach to treatment.
Thank You
Learn more at: https://eatingdisordersolutions.com/how-to-choose-an-eating-disorderprogram/ www.eatingdisordersolutions.com | +1 (972) 619-7274
