Posts Tagged “Residential Treatment”

Eating disorder care spans across a continuum of levels. At one end are less intensive levels of care (LOC), and at the other are more intensive ones. Each level along the spectrum is increasingly more intensive than the one before it:

• Outpatient Care (OP)
• Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
• Partial Hospitalization Program/Intensive Day Program (PHP/IDP)
• Residential Care

Though the names and exact criteria for each level of care may vary across providers and insurance plans, the eating disorder field generally follows this multilevel structure in treatment, research, and education. At The Emily Program, we use these guidelines to inform treatment recommendations and ultimately aim to match each client with the care that best meets their unique needs. Co-occurring physical and psychiatric conditions, client location, and environmental or home stressors are among the factors also considered in making a recommendation.

**Content warning: This is one person’s story; everyone will have unique experiences in recovery and beyond. Some stories may mention eating disorder thoughts, behaviors, or symptom use. Please use your own discretion when reading and speak with your support system as needed.

Bronwen Clark is a Los Angeles-based writer and therapist. She is the author of Don’t Be Weird, a memoir that follows her journey through treatment and toward eating disorder recovery. Find Bronwen @bforboundless on Twitter.

Here Bronwen opens up about the purpose and process of writing Don’t Be Weird, and shares with us a selection of excerpts.

The Emily Program is built on hope.

Hope whispers in a client’s first phone call, its hum beneath any fear or shame. It sets a client on a path of healing, a journey accompanied by others who then help hold that hope. It anchors all of us in a shared commitment to eating disorder treatment and recovery.

And hope keeps us together in uncertain, challenging times.

The Emily Program hosted an open house last week to celebrate the opening of the Anna Westin House West—the first residential eating disorder treatment facility in Minneapolis. The Emily Program has expanded residential programming in the Twin Cities as part of its ongoing commitment to offering comprehensive, effective treatment for eating disorders. The 16-bed residential program will provide structured, evidence-based care for those in need of highly intensive eating disorder treatment. The first clients will be welcomed on September 9th.

In alignment with The Emily Program’s other residential facilities, the Anna Westin House West will provide around-the-clock intervention aimed at lessening eating disorder behaviors, while restoring the medical and nutritional stability of clients. In this safe and supportive environment, clients can expect individual and group therapy, medical monitoring, psychiatric and nutrition services, and 24-hour nursing to be a part of their treatment plan. By providing comprehensive care at the residential level that steps down into less intensive programming, The Emily Program walks alongside clients for their entire recovery journey. 

At the open house, Minneapolis Mayor Frey led a ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside The Emily Program staff. Kitty Westin, whose daughter is the namesake of the Anna Westin House West, expressed how meaningful the site was to her family, and Emily Program founder Dirk Miller and Chief Strategy Officer Dr. Jillian Lampert spoke about the mission of The Emily Program and its goals for the future. Attendees of the open house were able to tour the Anna Westin House West, connect with local community members, meet Emily Program providers, and enjoy refreshments.

When your child struggles with an eating disorder, it can be a time of fear, frustration, heartache, and confusion. From navigating treatment options to learning how to support your child’s recovery, it can be a complex and challenging time. The Emily Program knows this. Since 1993, we have worked with families and friends to help them support loved ones suffering from eating disorders. 

What Is Eating Disorder Treatment?

Eating disorder treatment is specialized care that addresses all facets underlying an individual’s eating disorder along with their current behaviors. Eating disorders are treated most effectively at a specialty treatment center that provides multidisciplinary support. At The Emily Program, intensive care involves a medical professional, therapist, and dietitian. These professionals comprise an individual’s eating disorder treatment team, ensuring that their eating disorder is holistically addressed and that recovery begins with a solid foundation. At The Emily Program, treatment teams provide multidisciplinary, integrative support for individuals of all identities struggling with food and body issues. Treatment may look different for every client and can vary based on the level of care recommended for the individual.

Eating disorders occur at different levels of severity, which is why we offer multiple levels of client care, from outpatient to residential. Whenever possible, our goal is to minimize the disruption to a client’s day-to-day life. However, when an eating disorder presents as a crisis, more intensive care becomes necessary so harmful behavior patterns can be interrupted as soon as possible. Some examples of eating disorder related crises include:

• Medical instability
• Inability to control one’s own behaviors
• Extreme changes in BMI to the degree that physical health may be at imminent risk

 In each of these situations, residential care is most often recommended. In residential care, medical safety for at-risk clients can be maintained because of the presence of 24/7 nursing and medical providers. Residential care exists so that clients who are medically unstable or unable to improve in other care levels can avoid hospitalization, which is a far more restrictive experience. Residential care is not forced care and it is not designed to limit freedom. It is designed to provide safety, rapid results, and to prepare clients for long-term recovery.