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Traveling for Treatment

The right care is worth the trip.

Clinically reviewed by Jillian Lampert, PhD, MPH, RD, LD, FAEDLast reviewed August 27, 2026

The level of care you need for an eating disorder is a clinical decision, and the right program may not exist in your community. People travel to The Emily Program from across the country for residential and inpatient treatment, and our admissions team works with out-of-state patients and families every day. If the care you need is not available near you, traveling for treatment is a reasonable and common choice.

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How to Choose the Right Treatment Center

The right eating disorder treatment center is the one that offers the level of care you clinically need, with specialists who treat eating disorders every day. Proximity matters less than fit: choosing a nearby program that cannot meet your needs often means repeating treatment later.

Eating disorder treatment is organized into levels of care: outpatient therapy, intensive outpatient (IOP), partial hospitalization (PHP), residential, and inpatient. Which level you need is a clinical determination based on medical status, symptoms, and history, and it is made with a professional, whether that is your physician, your therapist, or the admissions team at a specialty program.

Here is the difficulty: the higher levels of care are the scarcest. Many communities have excellent outpatient therapists and no residential program at all. When residential or inpatient care is what your assessment calls for, the question is not which program is closest. It is which program can actually provide that care, with a team that specializes in eating disorders rather than treating them alongside everything else.

When you compare programs, ask specific questions. Does the program offer the level of care that was recommended for you? Is eating disorders its specialty or one service among many? Does it treat your diagnosis and your age group? What does a typical day look like? How does it involve family? What happens when you step down to a lower level of care? A program worth traveling to will answer all of these directly.

What to Expect from Residential and Inpatient Care

Residential eating disorder treatment provides structured, round-the-clock support: therapeutic meals, individual and group therapy, medical and psychiatric care, and skills practice, all in one place. Knowing what happens at each step makes the decision to travel less daunting.

A young person talks with a therapist during an assessment

  1. The first call

    You or a family member calls 888-364-5977. An admissions specialist listens, answers questions, and schedules an assessment. The assessment determines which level of care fits, and it can happen by phone or video if you are far away.

  2. Getting here

    Once a start date is set, admissions walks you through what to bring and what admission day looks like, so you arrive knowing what to expect rather than guessing.

  3. A typical day

    Days in residential care are structured and full: supported meals and snacks with dietitian guidance, individual therapy, group therapy, medical and psychiatric appointments, and time to practice skills that make recovery hold outside of treatment.

  4. Family stays close, even from a distance

    Family involvement is part of treatment, not an add-on. Family sessions and updates can happen by phone or video, so being in another state does not mean being out of the loop.

  5. The step down is planned before you arrive

    Recovery does not end at discharge. Your team plans your transition to a lower level of care from the start, including options closer to home, so the path back is part of the plan rather than an afterthought.

Not sure which level of care fits? One call answers that question.

Call 888-364-5977

Stepping Away from School or Work

For parents

What happens to my child’s schooling?

Treatment does not have to mean falling behind. School-age clients receive academic support during treatment at our residential centers, so weeks of care do not turn into a lost semester.

At our Atlanta center, educational specialists provide tailored academic support, including dedicated classroom time and coordination with your child’s home school district, and the team supports the transition back to school at discharge. In Minnesota, school-age clients receive school programming and classroom support, including for students working independently on their home school’s coursework. Academic support is also available for school-age clients in North Carolina.

An eating disorder interrupts far more schooling untreated than treatment ever will. Weeks of supported academics during care protect your child’s education better than months of an illness that makes concentration, attendance, and energy progressively harder.

For adults

Can I take leave from work?

Many people use the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to take time away from work for eating disorder treatment. FMLA provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year for a serious health condition, and eating disorder treatment can qualify.

Eligibility depends on factors like your employer’s size and how long you have worked there, and your HR department can confirm what applies to you and start the paperwork. Many states now offer paid family and medical leave programs as well, and some employers provide short-term disability benefits that apply during treatment. Talk with HR early: leave taken to get well is exactly what these protections exist for.

Paying for Treatment

Most people pay for eating disorder treatment through insurance. The Emily Program is in-network with most major insurers in the states where we have locations, which means you typically pay your plan’s deductible, copay, or coinsurance rather than the full cost of treatment. Our team verifies your benefits at no cost before treatment begins.

No program can honestly quote you a single price upfront, because the total cost of treatment is determined by your specific benefits: your deductible, your out-of-pocket payments so far this year, your plan’s network status, and the level of care you need. What we can do is find out what your plan covers before you commit to anything. One call to 888-364-5977 starts a free verification of your benefits, including for out-of-state patients. If The Emily Program is not in-network with your plan, out-of-network benefits may still apply, and our team can walk you through the options.

Full details on the Insurance & Payment page

Find out what your plan covers before you decide anything. The verification is free.

Verify My Benefits

Why Recovery Is Worth the Trip

It is fair to ask whether treatment is worth leaving home for. Here is the honest answer: eating disorders rarely resolve on their own, and they take more than they announce. They take concentration, energy, friendships, semesters, and years. Treatment asks for weeks or months in another city. The illness, left to itself, asks for much more.

Full recovery is possible. People finish treatment and go back to school, back to work, back to meals with people they love. The distance is temporary. What you build in treatment goes home with you.

A young woman smiles during a one-on-one session with her therapist

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if I need residential treatment?

You cannot diagnose your own level of care, and you do not have to. An assessment with an eating disorder professional determines whether outpatient, intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, residential, or inpatient care fits your medical and psychological needs. If symptoms are escalating despite outpatient support, an assessment is the right next step.

How long does residential treatment last?

Length of stay depends on clinical progress, not a fixed calendar. Your treatment team reviews your progress continuously and recommends transitions between levels of care as you are ready.

What should I pack for residential treatment?

Comfortable clothing, personal comfort items, and anything that helps a place feel like yours. You will receive specific guidance on what to bring, and what to leave home, before admission.

Can my family visit or be involved from another state?

Yes. Family involvement is part of treatment, and sessions can happen by phone or video when family cannot be there in person.

Does insurance cover treatment in another state?

Often, yes. Coverage depends on your plan, not simply on state lines. The Emily Program verifies your benefits at no cost before treatment begins, so you will know what your plan covers before you make any decisions.

Can I take FMLA leave for eating disorder treatment?

Yes, eating disorder treatment can qualify as a serious health condition under FMLA, which provides eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year. Many states also offer paid family and medical leave programs. Your HR department can confirm which protections apply to you.

Do I have to live in a state where you have locations?

No. In-person care is provided at our locations in Minnesota, Washington, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia, and people travel to those locations from many other states. The admissions team works with out-of-state patients regularly.

What happens when I go home?

Discharge planning starts early in treatment, not at the end. Your team recommends the right step-down level of care and helps connect you with continuing support, so going home is a planned transition rather than a cliff.

Wherever you are starting from, start here.

One call answers the practical questions, from levels of care to insurance to timing.

888-364-5977
Call 888-364-5977
Schedule an Assessment