The only adolescent eating disorder Residential Treatment program in our region.
Launching Summer 2024.
Filling the Gap
The Healing Connection’s adolescent eating disorders residential program is part of a full continuum of care, operated and led by The Healing Connection, in close collaboration with Golisano Children's Hospital and the Western New York Comprehensive Care Center for Eating Disorders. This gives patients and their families from upstate New York the best opportunity to combat the illness.
“Recovering from an eating disorder feels like building a home from scratch. Choosing residential treatment was like being given a blueprint, tools, and a team of carpenters, electricians, and plumbers to help create a strong foundation for my new home.
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About the Program
The Healing Connection adolescent eating disorders residential program is informed by evidence-based treatments and is strongly rooted in a relational/motivational approach. Treatment is developmentally-informed and emphasizes family-based treatment principles. Residential treatment may be appropriate for adolescents who need a step down from intensive hospital treatment or for those needing a step up from partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient or outpatient treatment. The residential program serves adolescents of all genders, ages 12-18.
A Multidisciplinary and Multifaceted Approach
The 24/7 care received by adolescents in the residential program is delivered by professionals from varied disciplines including medical, nursing, psychiatric and nutritional providers. Treatment includes talking as well as experiential therapies along with psychoeducation and skills-based groups. Because we believe that recovery occurs through growth-fostering connections with others, there is an emphasis on group therapies. See the daily schedule for examples of the group therapies. The adolescent eating disorders residential treatment program offers:
Supervised meals and snacks prepared with fresh ingredients by our in-house chef
Supervised bathroom use
Daily group therapy (including Creative arts therapy - e.g., art, music, dance/movement/yoga)
Individual therapy
Weekly individual family therapy and care management
Weekly psychiatric evaluation, psychopharmacological assessment and/or medication management
Regular medical evaluation and management provided by Golisano Children’s Hospital Adolescent Medicine physicians/NP
24/7 nursing assessment and care
Nutritional assessment and counseling and meal planning
24/7 residential counselor support and structure
Saturday Family Day: parenting group, family lunch preparation and mealtime support, and multifamily therapy
Daily tutoring*
Transportation to community outings including practice eating in restaurants
Access to parent peer mentoring, peer mentoring, care management and life coaching services offered by the Western NY Comprehensive Care Center for Eating Disorders providers
* Teachers are available to provide academic instruction at no charge to families. Teachers are New York State Certified in all subject areas and work through the Board of Cooperative Education Services (BOCES) of Monroe County. Our tutors have experience with junior high and high school students who have had eating disorders. Teachers coordinate regularly between The Healing Connection staff, home guidance counselors, subject teachers, and parents, to help meet the ongoing academic (as well as emotional) needs of the child. The parent/guardian needs to provide approval to grant the BOCES coordinator and the BOCES teachers to contact a child's school district (via phone, e-mail, fax) to coordinate tutoring. The Healing Connection Intake Coordinator will speak with parents about the availability of tutoring during the initial phone screen in preparation for intake evaluation and possible program admission.