Treatment Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

Residential Eating Disorders Treatment for Adolescents

Who will be a part of my child’s treatment team?

The specialized, integrated adolescent treatment team in our residential level of care includes a psychiatric nurse practitioner, dietitian, family therapist and mental health counselors. Besides these specialists at our residential level of care, adolescents treated across our continuum build a unique treatment team that supports their recovery. Previous caregivers within Walden, as well as outpatient providers, remain involved as consultants to ongoing treatment.

What is Walden’s approach to treatment at the residential level of care?

Adolescent-focused care at this level includes Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills groups.These specifically target emotional dysregulation related to interruption of behaviors, address barriers and ambivalence to treatment and coach adolescents on how to be more effective in communicating with their family. Besides working directly with adolescents, our residential program is guided by a Family- Supported Treatment model. As with our inpatient care, there is an inherent separation of adolescent and family in residential treatment. We address this separation through daily contact with families by our multidisciplinary team, extended family visiting hours, family meal coaching, weekly family meetings and parent skills and support groups. Our model involves treating an adolescent with an eating disorder the same as an adolescent with more traditional medical needs would be treated. Parents are educated extensively in order to make effective choices in their child’s care. This includes regular contact with a dietitian regarding their child’s dietary interventions and medical staff to provide options and educations around recommended medications.There is also access to the family therapist who dually operates in a case management capacity.

Will Walden’s treatment team communicate with my child’s outpatient provider while they are in treatment?

Yes. Your child’s assigned therapist will communicate at least weekly with the outpatient team to discuss ongoing treatment interventions.

Will my child receive the same type of treatment as adults in the program?

No. For adolescents at this level of care, unlike the adults in the program, family plays a critical role in recovery. Family is involved in intensive family work outside of the home environment, including family therapy, parent education and parent skills groups. The goal is to increase the resources and support an adolescent has for recovery outside of treatment. Medical oversight, medication management, and dietary education and interventions remain a central focus at this level of care. We begin to more intensively layer interventions that go beyond the biological to include increased attention to the psychological and social aspects of the recovery process. Given that an adolescent is removed from the demands of daily living, life skills programming is of the utmost importance in order to reduce the risk of relapse upon an adolescent’s return to home, school and social environments.

What should I bring with me if I am admitted to the Residential Program?

Please bring your health insurance and prescription card, a valid form of identification (driver’s license), contact information for your current providers and a credit card for medication, copays and personal items. Click here for a complete list.