We’re excited to announce that The Emily Program will open two residential programs—one for adolescents and one for adults—in Columbus, Ohio in 2021. With this expansion, we will address the lack of residential treatment available to adolescents in the state, as well as growing demand for adult residential programming.
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:
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.
Family-Based Therapy (FBT), also known as the Maudsley method or Maudsley approach, is widely considered the treatment of choice for adolescents with eating disorders. Numerous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of FBT, and indeed, at The Emily Program, we have found that adolescent clients who participate in FBT have the best outcomes of any treatment modality we utilize for this age group.
FBT is based on the understanding that families know their children better than anyone else and is anchored by the idea that parents are often fully capable of feeding their children. In the FBT model, parents have control of their child’s weight restoration and are actively involved in their child’s recovery process. The role of the professional is to support the family as they work toward restoring their child’s health.
We understand that taking the first step to starting eating disorder treatment is huge. Many of our staff have been there, too. We know that making the first call to The Emily Program can be stressful and scary, which is why we aim to make it as easy as possible. Our admissions line (1-888-364-5977) is open 7 days a week and staffed with admissions specialists who can help start you on the road to recovery.
The Emily Program has a new group therapy option for Minnesota adolescents! This new group, “Recovery Club,” is open to clients aged 10 to 18 who are receiving outpatient care at our St. Paul, East Metro, and St. Louis Park, Minnesota sites. The one-hour session takes place every Tuesday afternoon via telehealth and will ultimately be held in person in St. Louis Park.
