Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program

Thank you for taking the time to learn about the treatment we provide. This description is designed so that you can determine if this program will be the best fit for your child and your family.

About the Adolescent Program:
The program incorporates key aspects of the Maudsley method, a family based treatment that has been researched and shown to be the most effective treatment for adolescents with eating disorders. Family based treatment views families as an invaluable resource in treatment because they are uniquely positioned to provide the support and supervision necessary to combat this life-threatening disease. Parents are temporarily put in charge of eating behaviors in order to “combat” the eating disorder that is controlling their child's behavior. The treatment seeks to respect the adolescent's opinions and experience, but refuses to let this devastating illness continue to control their lives. During your family's involvement, you and your child will learn new ways to manage painful emotions and how to communicate more effectively.

We look forward to working collaboratively with you and your family in your journey towards recovery.

What parents are saying about the program:
"I wanted to thank you and your staff for the great job you did with my daughter. She is like a different person now from when we first arrived. I was thrilled with her weight yesterday. She reluctantly will eat pretty much what ever we put in front of her now. While I know we are pretty far from out of the woods, at least we are moving in the right direction now. I will contact you immediately if she starts moving in the wrong direction again. A thousand thanks, you really have made a tremendous difference for my family. We could not have gotten through this without you."

What adolescents are saying about the program:
"Thanks for everyone being so supportive. I believe in all of you. Thanks to all the staff for helping me. Good luck everyone - I know you can do it - Beat ED!"

Goals of the Adolescent Program:

• Help restore your child's physical health by:
• Reestablishing the parents' authority in the family in all areas that relate to food (meal planning, shopping, and eating expectations)
• Reducing other eating disordered behaviors (binging, purging, over-exercising, etc.)
• Emphasizing weight restoration/stabilization

Program Description:

• Length: 8 week program
• Family Sessions: Each family has a weekly 45 minute family session, either directly before or after the program. During these sessions, the adolescent's weight is overtly discussed in order to monitor progress in restoration and to better understand factors that may be inhibiting the recovery process. Families problem solve around issues that arose during the week with eating disorder symptoms and re-feeding.
• Parent Groups: Parents attend 2 groups a week. One group focuses on Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) techniques to help parents more effectively tolerate distress, manage their emotions, and interact with their child during this difficult time of illness. The second group includes both parents and adolescents and focuses on building a better understanding of eating disorders and the recovery process.
• Adolescent DBT/CBT Groups: Adolescents attend 6 group therapy sessions weekly. DBT skills groups are designed to teach practical ways to tolerate distress, regulate emotions, and be more interpersonally effective. The Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) group is designed to help identify new behaviors to challenge their eating disordered thinking, and dispute distorted body image thoughts.
• Family Dinners: There are 3 required family dinners a week. These dinners, brought in by the family, are held during program hours with the goal of providing additional support to both parents and the adolescent, and to coach families on how to manage behavioral difficulties at meal times.

Program Location: We offer the adolescent intensive outpatient program at both our Walden and Northampton locations.

Eligibility:

• Ages 12-17 years of age and their families
• Medically stable

For additional information, please contact our admissions department at 781-647-6727 or to schedule an in-service for your staff, email John Rocker at jrocker@waldenbehavioralcare.com.