Equip is a virtual eating disorder treatment program that is licensed to provide home care in all 50 states and DC. It is for-profit and owned by UnitedHealth Group and Optum.
Opened in 2019 as a start-up, Equip initially only treated children, adolescents, and young adults aged 6-24. Equip uses Family-Based Treatment (FBT) to treat children and adolescents. Each patient has a peer mentor, family mentor, physician, therapist and dietitian.
In 2023 Equip expanded its virtual treatment services to include adults. Shortly afterward, Optum UnitedHealth closed the in-person eating disorder treatment centers it also owned in favor of Equip’s virtual treatment model. (In 2022 Optum bought Refresh Mental Health from a private equity firm called Kelso & Co. Refresh operated a network of more than 300 mental health, substance abuse and eating disorder centers. The centers Optum closed after Equip’s expansion included Fairhaven Treatment Center in Tennessee, Cielo House in California and Turning Tides Eating Disorder Treatment Center in Florida.) Equip’s adult treatment program currently offers both outpatient and IOP levels of care. They are working on also adding meal support.
Any reviews or updates? Please post in comments below. You can check out the FAQ and Guidelines for suggested questions. Thank you!
When were you there?
I’ve been with Equip as an aftercare from any inpatient facility since early 2024.
What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?
Virtual outpatient.
What genders does it treat?
All genders.
If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people?
Yes! They have groups you could sign up for if you aligned with this.
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc?
Medical doctor – At admission and then as needed
Psychiatrist – At admission and then as needed
Family Therapist – 1x per week
Therapist for guardians – 1x per week
Peer Mentor – 1x per week (usually)
Dietician – As an adolescent, they only met with my parents and only allowed me to participate in the first half of meetings sometimes with my parents in the room
Nurse – N/A
What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
Groups were pretty empty if I’m being quite honest. You signed up for those. The ones I attended typically ended early due to a lack of participants. Maybe this was just the case for adolescents. When it was slightly full, most people were too shy to participate.
Your treatment team met with you when appropriate/scheduled.
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)?
I’m sure the groups provided some of these therapies. My family therapist just listened to me and my parents yell at each other constantly, haha.
What were meals like?
My dietician did constant labs to look out for refeeding syndrome and helped increase my meal plan regularly if labs were clear and weight was stagnant. It felt kind of contradictory whenever they were advising my family how to plate meals. Sometimes they said it was helpful if I went grocery shopping with my parents, sometimes they said calor1e tracking was important, sometimes they said just to eyeball it, sometimes they said to stick with safe foods, sometimes they said I wasn’t being challenged enough.
They didn’t really tell my family how to portion or spread out food groups across each meal. Just a calor1c goal to reach at the end of the day.
What is the policy of not complying with meals?
If you were completely honest with your treatment and they saw you going downhill in your health (weight, labs, orthostatics, etc.), you would be recommended to a higher level of care.
Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan?
Yes, but they will look into if it stemmed from any disordered eating rituals.
What sort of groups do they have?
Many listed in the portal you could sign up for.
What was your favorite group?
Recovery stories. Many of them made me shed a few tears while being mindful to not use triggering terms.
If applicable: Is the program trauma-informed?
My treatment team was and even told me they’d help me with any legal issues I’d ever have in the future regarding a source of my trauma (Someone I have a restraining order against)
What did you like the most?
My peer mentor. She really was my safe space.
What did you like the least?
I got away with a lot of relapse and when all fell down, they immediately turned to the highest level of care possible. Wish they saw the signs earlier, but I don’t blame them much with all the lying I did.
Would you recommend this program?
It really depends. If you’re an adolescent and your parents are holding you accountable for your treatment alongside support from your virtual team, it’s definitely a good backbone for recovery. If you’re an adult, please don’t go into this program if you’re not determined for recovery. It only works if you have your mind set on it.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
Very individualized with what they recommend. They encourage you to fill out forums daily to make sure your activity expenditure is not eating disorder motivated and you’re not driven but just simply enjoying your movement (If you were deemed medically stable to participate in said movement)
Do you get to know your weight?
You’re expected to weigh yourself weekly and report it back to your team. For adolescents, your parents may blind weigh you, but you could’ve discussed if you wanted to know your weight with your team.
What was the average length of stay?
I’m not sure. It’s been a long time coming for me, though.
What was the average age range?
LARGE span. They have elderly support groups, so I’m thinking as young as 8 to as old as 90.
What support do they provide outside of programming hours?
If you need support, let them know on weekdays and in advance. On the weekends, they’re hardly available and it’s recommended you call a hotline if you’re in need of dire support.
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team?
Equip IS the aftercare typically. I’ve never reached the end of my stay with Equip yet, so I wouldn’t know past that.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?
Equip is accessible across the whole US. Internationally I’m not so sure.
I don’t recommend this program for adults. Maybe they are great for kids and youth. Please don’t go if you are an adult. They have issues with finances and insurance. I met with the physician, a therapist, a dietitian and never got to meet a peer mentor. Each one on my team left their job after the first week I met them. They were very disinterested and their meal model and support was very triggering. It is very disorganized. I hope you will find something else helpful. I left the program after week 3 because there was no real support. Good luck.
How did you work through the financial/insurance issues that Equip has? I am working through those with them right now and it is a nightmare? Thank you!
In what way is it a nightmare? Perhaps the problem is with the insurance, rather than with Equip? I have good insurance and it went through very smoothly.
I am so sorry that you had this experience! I’m 56 and my experience was absolutely nothing like that. When were you there? I was there from 10/2024 to 10/2025 and was very pleased.
Full Review of Equip’s Child/Adolescent Treatment Program*
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*admin note: fyi Equip’s child/adolescent program is separate from their adult program; it is a few years older than the adult program
When were you there? My child was there June 2022-May 2023
What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)? Virtual IOP
If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible? Treatment is at home so accessibility is not an issue
What genders does it treat? All
If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people? Yes; and they have specific programming and support for transgender and nonbinary folx (support groups; lived experience mentors; etc.)
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc? Equip gives you a wraparound care team of at least 5 members, plus a psychiatrist if needed: 1) nurse; 2) dietician; 3) therapist; 4) Peer Mentor (for the child); 5) Family Mentor (for the parent/caregiver; and if needed, 6) psychiatrist.
Equip only accepts medically stable patients, so after my child was stable, we brought the admissions packet to our pediatrician, who took vitals, labs, etc., and filled out and faxed the form directly to Equip. After being admitted, we saw our own pediatrician as often as needed. We did blind weights at home twice a week and inputted them into their platform via text (you get a reminder every time one is due) and I had access to the weight plot (my child didn’t). The choice to do open or blind weights is up to the family. For us, our child had a lot of weight to restore during the program, so we chose blind weights the entire time to make things easier.
We did not need a psychiatrist for most of the year and saw a psychiatrist at the end for an OCD evaluation prior to discharge, who was able to prescribe medication if we had decided to pursue it.
In the beginning of the program, we saw the therapist, dietician, and nurse together (me and my child) for the first week or so. We didn’t need a nurse so those visits stopped unless we had specific questions or needs. After the first week, I saw the dietician by myself, without my child, for the rest of our year there, which saved us from a lot of potential battles about amount and types of food and really helped me focus on making smart nutritional choices to support accelerated weight restoration and recovery. We ended up surpassing weight restoration significantly so my child was able to restart a stalled puberty and grow several inches taller during treatment despite the damage malnutrition had done.
My child saw their Peer Mentor (a recovered person trained by Equip to provide safe and appropriate support) weekly who provided DBT skill support and someone to talk to about recovery. He also attended some DBT skill group sessions. One of the great things about this was all the skills and the messaging were aligned across every point of contact: therapist, Peer Mentor, support groups, and us as parents.
The secret sauce of Equip is the Family Mentor – someone who has lived experience being a caregiver of a child/adolescent with an eating disorder. I was paired with another mom who had also had a son with AN who had gone through something similar at a similar age. My FM was worth her weight in gold and I would have paid the entire cost of the program for her (as well as the other FMs I had access to via the support groups). She was able to support me in a way that no other team member or provider could. She really knew what the challenges were and how incredibly difficult it was to be going through this process. She was like my therapist and helped me through really tough times. If I didn’t have her as a cheerleader, it would have been such a lonely and discouraging road. Whenever I had questions or doubts, she offered really wise support as someone who had been there before and as someone who was an advocate for me with the rest of the team.
What is the staff-to-patient ratio? 1:1 because the bulk of the program is individual sessions with the parent, with the child or with both the parent(s) and child together. It really helped to be an actual member of the team as a parent instead of someone on the sidelines since I was the one actually delivering the treatment at home (i.e., planning and making the meals; providing meal support; maintaining safety; etc.). One of the best parts of the program was having direct access to everyone on the team because their model is to empower, educate and support parents through the really challenging process of delivering FBT at home to their child.
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)? Equip is based on FBT (Family Based Treatment) for children and adolescents and teaches DBT skills. There may be some other modalities in the program since we were there and for adults and transitional-aged youth, I know there are some other therapies used based on efficacy for older patients but I didn’t have experience with that.
Describe the average day:
What were meals like? Equip supports 3 meals and 3 snacks a day spaced about 2-4 hours apart so your child gets sufficient nutrition, can recover from the physical injuries caused by malnutrition, and also starts building the habits of healthy eating in recovery. This was the same model used at Stanford’s Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital’s eating disorder unit (“Comprehensive Care Program”) where my child had been hospitalized for medical stabilization before we started with Equip so it wasn’t anything new to us.
What sorts of food were available or served? We were encouraged to eat what our family already eats and then make sure that our child with AN received sufficient calories and macronutrients to support healing and nutritional rehabilitation. They worked with what we were able to provide at home and didn’t prescribe any particular types of foods that we absolutely had to eat.
Did they supplement? How did that system work? We did Ensure Plus supplements with our child when he went over the time we allotted for meals because that’s the system we learned when he was hospitalized for medical stabilization but Equip didn’t say we had to do that.
What is the policy of not complying with meals? Equip doesn’t have a policy per se, but they supported us in finding ways to motivate our child to eat with distraction, leverage, etc. I attended every single caregiver support group that I could and learned invaluable tips from the Family Mentors leading the groups and also from my peer caregivers. I also attended educational sessions that provided practical strategies to help me help our child eat until he was healthy enough to eat on his own.
Does it work on a level system? When we were there, there were levels being put into place that sort of corresponded with the Phases of FBT and they offered specific support groups for those levels, which I really appreciated because a parent with a child who is able to eat and farther along has a different set of challenges than a parent just starting out trying to support their child in just picking up the fork at the table.
What sort of groups do they have? They have a lot of different groups for patients and caregivers, including affinity groups, FBT Phase level, DBT skills, body image, etc.
What was your favorite group? The body image group for parents, which is modeled after the same group for patients, was really amazing. It’s difficult to go through this journey and not examine all of your own internal challenges and society’s obstacles in helping your child recover and this program helped turn me on to my own issues, which made me a better caregiver for my child. There is another piece of it that involves ED advocacy, which I loved and also changed my life in a different way. I can’t comment on the group for patients because the minimum age was 13 and my child was too young.
What did you like the most? The parent education and empowerment is phenomenal and I have never heard of another place or program that provides what Equip does at the level that it does. All of their treatment is evidence-based and they are not looking to keep you in the program, like a revolving door program, and want to launch you and your child for good after discharge. Looking back, there is actually no other treatment program I would have done at the time. It was amazing to keep my child at home because he was 11 when hospitalized and I really didn’t want to send him away from home (even though I would have if Equip didn’t work out). It was nice not to have to any major transition out of the program because we just kept doing what we were doing with their support for the entire year when we discharged and we were already together at home. My child got to participate in their regular life and ease back into school and sports with the support of the team and the team backing me up.
What did you like the least? Our first therapist was not a good fit and that was frustrating because I wasn’t getting what I was expecting out of the sessions. It was also our first experience with any therapist at all and I didn’t understand what the point of it was. Luckily our second therapist was amazing and clicked with both me and my son got much more out of the sessions after that. It was too bad that we didn’t have her from the get go.
Would you recommend this program? I wholeheartedly recommend this program without hesitation to friends all the time (once word is out that your child has an ED, you end up becoming the point person for that kind of advice). My child would not be where he is today if we did not go with this program.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed? Since my child was medically unstable a month or so before starting the program, Equip recommended couch rest in the very beginning and then slow walks with the family until he was physically ready to participate in modified P.E. when he eventually went back to school. They helped me with the documentation to request a 504 with that specific accommodation.
If applicable: How fast is the weight gain process? Depends on how fast you want to go. If you want to be aggressive with restoration and rehabilitation, they will support you. If you need help ramping up, they will give you tools. We fell into the former camp because my child had severe early onset AN and ended up stalling his puberty process and becoming medically unstable, so we went as fast as we could (meaning we followed 3 meals +3 snacks at a very high intake level, supervised eating and monitored for exercise compulsion).
What was the average length of stay? Insurance covered a year of treatment and we stayed for the whole year. This helped a lot because at the beginning, our child wasn’t capable of engaging or interacting with the team when he was malnourished and still needed to weight restore, but nearer the end was well enough to engage.
For adolescents: Did they provide time to do schoolwork or offer academic support? Our therapist assisted us in obtaining a 504 to receive accommodations for support at school (e.g., excused from Health class; modified P.E.; time for breaks; excused tardies or the ability to leave early from class to eat; etc.). We brought the letter from Equip to the school and had no problems. There were also support groups and trainings for transitioning back to school with a lot of tips on how to navigate transitions and the school environment.
For PHP/IOP: What support do they provide outside of programming hours? I could message anyone on our treatment team anytime through the platform and we could schedule meetings with our team when we needed any extra help.
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team? We were offered to either stay on longer (because our insurance covered it) or stay on for OCD treatment, but we decided not to because we wanted a break. They provided some recommendations, but we felt equipped enough to keep doing FBT on our own. There are alumni support groups that I attend.
Other? Helping my child from nearly not making it until now has been the scariest and hardest thing I have ever done. We had a surprise diagnosis and my child was severely ill by the time we found out. Having evidence-based and effective guidance was so important to me during a time when I couldn’t think straight and I was scared out of my mind because of the statistics and because I had no idea what I was doing. The quality of the education and support I received from Equip is the reason I recommend them. The thing that made me confident when we were in the program is that they were continually iterating on their process and were/are really invested in helping parents get their kids to recovery. After leaving the program, I’m glad I have the tools to keep supporting my child through his journey. One of the reasons I’m writing this review is because when we were desperately desperately seeking care and had no idea what to do, there was no real review of Equip online I could find and I had no idea what to think – even though Stanford recommended them to us, I was skeptical. I hope this helps someone out there who needs more information.
I plan to give another update in a couple months, but I wanted to share this now since it seems like a lot of community members would benefit from it!
When were you there?
July 1st 2024-Present
What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?
Virtual Outpatient
What genders does it treat?
All genders
If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people?
As far as I’m aware, yes, but I have yet to attend groups with people whom this would apply to.
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc?
Medical doctor: At admission and then as needed
Psychiatrist: You are advised to find a psychiatrist outside of program, and report any med updates to the medical doctor
Therapist: 1x per week
Nutritionist: 1x per week
Nurse: N/A, all labs, vitals, and weights are taken by you and reported to your team. This can be very triggering; I was told to get a scale and blood pressure cuff myself (they don’t provide these, you have to purchase them elsewhere and out of pocket), and the numbers are reported to your team every week
What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
Groups have 1-4 staff members, depending on the amount of people and what topics are being discussed.
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)?
DBT, CBT, CBT-E, and exposure therapy
What were meals like?
You’re supposed to fill out SMTs (self-monitoring tables) for every meal and snack, and submit them to your treatment team weekly. They’re usually flexible around this, as it can be very triggering for people to keep such close tabs on meals and snacks. My team allows me to use Recovery Record and send in screenshots every evening. They use the plate model, with ½ the plate being grains, ¼ protein, and ¼ vegetables. Fats should be included in the cooked meal (i.e. fried in oil, butter on bread, etc)
What is the policy of not complying with meals?
It takes a long time for anything to actually happen around this, but eventually you’ll be recommended to a higher level of care. They don’t supplement since the program is virtual. I have Ensure Plus in my fridge at all times though and usually do it myself.
Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan?
Yes, but they will push as to whether or not it’s based on a disordered mindset.
What sort of groups do they have?
OMG, so many! They’re all listed in the online portal, and you can choose from as many as you like. The ones for adults include: ARFID Support, CBT-E: Clinical Perfectionism, Processing group, meal support, neurodivergent support, motivation building, plus-size/larger-bodied support, DBT-Interpersonal Effectiveness, Creative Arts, Binge-Eating support, LGBTQIA+, Trans/Gender Expansive Support, Athlete Education, Athlete Support, DBT Mindfulness, DBT Emotional Regulation, going back to school/college during recovery, CBT-E Low Self-Esteem, BIPOC support, DBT Distress Tolerance, Substance Use Skills, various one-time workshops or classes, courses for parents/supports, and groups for patients with their support systems. Teen groups are more focused on FBT
What was your favorite group?
Since I’m working full time while in the program, I haven’t attended any groups yet. I did change my work schedule this month though to accommodate a few that I’m interested in. I’ll share an update once I have more info.
If applicable: Is the program trauma-informed?
Yes and no. For general trauma, they’re very supportive. For trauma around ED behaviors, a lifetime of struggling, and unpleasant experiences from previous treatments, they are a little less understanding and push hard to just power through it.
What did you like the most?
The amount of groups! I’ve never had so much variety before.
What did you like the least?
Unfortunately, a lot so far. I’m not finding my sessions with my dietitian to be particularly helpful. For the most part, we just go over SMTs and do worksheets, which is very redundant. My session with my peer-mentor was super awkward and honestly unnecessary. I love my therapist, but we don’t actually do any processing– we briefly touch on what happened in my life the past week, and then almost exclusively do worksheets and prompts.
Would you recommend this program?
It really depends on the person and where you’re at in recovery. If this is your very first treatment, you’re an adolescent, and/or are 100% ready for FULL recovery, it’d probably be a great fit. As for me, I’m sticking it out for now. As someone who’s struggled with a chronic ED for 16 years though, I’m not sure the model will work for me in the long run.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
It’s very individualized. They only accept medically stable patients, so there are not really any restrictions. They are really on top of any overexercise that may be happening and encourage activities you genuinely enjoy doing
Do you get to know your weight?
You’re expected to weigh yourself weekly and report it to your team, ideally on camera with your therapist. I absolutely hate this for myself, but I’m sure it can be beneficial for others. The goal here is exposure therapy, and to process any feelings that come up. They want you to be desensitized to the number.
What was the average length of stay?
Unless you leave AMA, most people stay for a full year.
What was the average age range?
Since I haven’t been to groups yet I’m not sure, but since there are way more groups for adults than there are for teens, I’d guess it’s anywhere from 8yo to 80.
What support do they provide outside of programming hours?
You can pretty much reach someone anytime Mon-Fri if you need support. On the weekends and late evenings though you’re on your own, and encouraged to reach out to your support team or call a hotline.
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team?
The ultimate goal of Equip is to not need treatment again after discharge. They do suggest an outside therapist though.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?
Equip is accessible across the whole US. I’m not sure about internationally.
Other?
They are also heavily focused on FBT, even with adults. I’ve been working recovery independently since I was 18, and have very little desire to involve anyone else in it. Yet the point my therapist made to me this past week was that I shouldn’t have to carry it all alone, so I can see both sides.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any further questions!
Titania,
Thank you for sharing this information.
I just started this week (after discharge from IP), and I am hoping it gets better with Equip. I am already wishing I had made other plans upon discharge. I do not feel supported at all.
I am beginning to feel similarly 🙁 I’ve been considering stepping up to a virtual IOP program because I feel like Equip has actually been making my symptoms worse. Maybe I’ll see you in a group though!
I am sorry that you feel the same! It’s hard. My therapist is only a LPC, not a LCSW,PH.d etc. I am not disrespecting a LPC, but I do have a long history with ED. I am not getting real therapy. Which is what I need.
Equip feels more like very expensive coordination of care. I might be able to create a better team outside of them. It’s just way too overwhelming to think about! I am transitioning from IP and Equip has not done much for me. 🙁
Titania,
How are things going now for you with Equip?
I just wanna say you’re an amazing mom for doing all that for your child…. You carry patience and empathy
been with equip for two months. After admissions, all medical monitoring stops. Even when I go to my PCP to get weights and vitals, or to the lab to get bloodwork they fail to follow up. I think equip is a bit of a scam as they bill your insurance $2500 a month for glorified outpatient, when for those inside appointments insurance would pay closer to $1000 max. It’s been hard to get appointments with my medical provider. I am having to schedule 3 weeks out. Be careful
They charged my insurance 4500 for one month! Seems really high for what I am receiving.
Right now they’re trying to bully me into seeing a therapist I don’t like who is trained in EMDR but refuses to offer it to me and instead insists on doing low self esteem worksheets. As if boosting self esteem will cure an ED, like low key offensive. They basically gave me an ultimatum that they won’t let me see the dietitian unless I see the mediocre therapists even though there is no minimum hours required by insurance
I’m sorry you are having struggles with them as well. I requested a new therapist after my initial meet n greet. My new one seems ok, just inexperienced ( meaning not a higher level of education). I honestly think Equip has made me worse ( not that anyone is responsible in that way- just not helpful at all!!)
Am an adult looking for treatment options–just had an info call with Equip.
To echo other comments, I don’t think they have any idea what they’re doing with adults. Still. Definitely an outpatient level of care–they told me I’d have weekly sessions with a therapist, dietitian, mentor, and medical provider as needed. They would work with my PCP for any necessary medical monitoring (my PCP books out months in advance…not sure how that’d work). I asked how that would be different than continuing to work with my awesome outpatient therapist and dietitian and their response was to ask “do you have a recovery mentor?”…
When I asked about any groups or meal support, I was told that they have limited meal support options that vary depending on availability of dietitians–the goal being that you use your family support for meal support as much as possible. I’m an independent adult, looking into treatment is hard enough, expecting me to rely on my husband to monitor my meals is a fast-track to divorce and resentment. Was then told that their groups are more like “classes” which just brings to mind all sorts of psycho-ed sitting around filling out worksheets–not something I’m looking for at this point in my recovery. More information on their “classes” would be available after admission and meeting with my team for the first time–again, not something that sat well with me, I have a great team already, I’m looking for additional support.
Overall, very disappointed–they market themselves as a virtual treatment program but seem to have very little actual treatment programming.
It seems to me, (because they’ve been doing this for YEARS, now) Equip is far more interested in supporting, and putting a huge focus on one specific member of their team, and her “recovered” daughter. (I use quotations, because we have no idea how true that statement is.)
All they do is market her as THE mother who saved her child through mandatory milkshakes, and specific weight goals.
They are a major for-profit company, and it continues to show; especially as we peel back the layers here more, and more.
I don’t want to discourage ANYONE from seeking treatment, I just feel there are far better options, both virtually, and traditionally than this program.
Thank you for your detailed review; it will help many. ?
Only do Equip if you need FMLA paperwork or other disability paperwork completed. Some other virtual program like Within Health give you a hard time about paperwork. Equip is a joke. They lie and say they are “all levels of care.” In reality, it is an outpatient team, not IOP, not PHP. If you need more support, you should seek more support. My appointments are regularly canceled. My therapist is shaming, saying, “I can’t want this more than you.” Also my therapist is useless, asking me, “What skills can help you in this situation” instead of actually teaching me a skill. Very few BIPOC female providers.
The original Equip model worked because parents serve as diet techs, prepare meals and doing weights and vitals. This model breaks down for single adults living alone. Equip is so lazy and unethical that they pressured me to do open weights rather than coordinate with my PCP for weights.
Insurance likes it because they don’t bill for the groups as they are optional.
Update: I’m almost done with my first week, and so far I’m very pleased. I’m not going to do a full review until I’ve been in program at least a month, but here’s what it looks like so far (as an adult)
Dietitian and therapist weekly or as needed
Medical provider upon admission, then as needed
Recovery coach as needed
There’s a whole variety of weekly groups you can choose to attend if you’d like
You must be and remain medically stable to attend programming
Please let me know if you have any questions and I’ll answer them as best as possible!
Titania, Thank you for sharing! I am getting closer to my discharge from IP and admitting into Equip’s program. I will look forward to a full review!
Thank you as well, I am also getting ready to admit to equip after inpatient. I was told by equip there were only 2 groups, but are there more?
Thank you
There’s a neurodivergent support group, an ARFID group, LGBTQIA group, motivation group, plus size/larger body support, interpersonal effectiveness, creative arts, CBT-E/Perfectionism, binge-eating support, emotional regulation, nutrition education, processing, meal support, low self-esteem, family/support person group, BIPOC support, distress tolerance, substance use support, athlete support, back to school during recovery group, and many more. From what I understand you can choose as many as you want. Not sure why you were told otherwise. I’d ask for clarification
Wow! That’s so weird that they would tell me there were only two groups when there are all of these. Have you found any groups more helpful than others?
I’ve only finished my first week, and since I’m still working full time I haven’t been able to attend everything that I want to. I’m altering my work schedule later this month though at which point I’ll give an update 🙂
Does Equip take Medicare? This program sounds like it could really help me, too.
On the website there is a place for you to enter your insurance and they will let you know if it is covered
Thanks. I did that yesterday. Unfortunately, Medicare won’t cover Equip. my state doesn’t have any ED care for adults. It has one virtual PHP for children/teens.
What state are you in? Maybe some of us can help you find a program. Otherwise if there is no care in state, a sca is also a possibility,
Honestly, been an older adult patient for almost 5 weeks. May change my tune further into it but they don’t know what they are doing with adults who are older. Groups are segregated by adult and under 18, yet most of the groups are not static and the over 18 seem to consist of a lot of kids still living at home yet over 18. They are new to the over 18 group so I hope they figure this out soon.
Do you find the program beneficial for your recovery at all? Especially when it comes to mealtimes?
I do mainly because the dietician I have is the best dietician I have ever had. She is patient and kind but challenges me in a way that works for me. I will add that I am doing some meal support outside of the program. They only have one meal support per week right now with Equip, which I think is a huge fail with independent adult patients. You have to be very motivated to make Equip work for you if you are not doing FBT.
Recent review as of Oct 2023:
there was some confusion in older reviews so I wanted to give updated information from at least as of now.
They do not seem to currently have any upper age limit now that they take adults.
*I would describe this program as almost something between outpatient and IOP*
you have to be medically stable, but can be I guess at any BMI point if stable (it seems). Because it is like outpatient, you have to be at least somewhat motivated if you are an adult because there is not really meal support or someone making sure you do it besides your family member or support person.
For non-adults they mostly use FBT or modified FBT
For adults they mainly promote CBT-E but admissions said they also will use a variety of approaches that are informed by things like DBT, ACT, and others.
You will be assigned a Therapist, Dietitian, Peer Mentor (a recovered person like a recovery coach), MD or RN, and can add a psychiatrist and also Family Mentor (if you are an adult the family mentor can meet with your chosen support person it doesn’t have to be a parent) but you don’t have to see all of them every week forever.
They do have optional groups you can choose to sign up for.
Equip seems good for people that do not have the option to go (or do not want to) away to a higher level of care, you can schedule appointments that are convenient for being an adult with a life, and the peer mentor aspect is really unique and cool in my opinion.
Equip would maybe not be as good of an option if you are an adult that is not at least a little bit motivated. At a different point in my recovery if i was not as motivated or was lying a lot I would not have been able to stay accountable. I think negative reviews from the kids and teens are mostly because FBT can be so brutal to experience for everyone, but so is not getting better i guess.
I am in the processing of getting my medical clearance to start Equip. Do you know if there are any plans to have more meal support in the future? I was really hoping there was more online meal support groups than there appears to be. I just cannot mentally face inpatient again but I don’t know if I can do the meals without support…especially in the beginning.
hi! sorry it took me so long to respond. at least as of right now, there is only one meal support group each week. that is definitely a limitation of this virtual set up. I have utilized facetime with friends, or have scheduled appointments during meals/snacks with my therapist and peer mentor so far.
REVIEWS IN COMMENTS
– admin
I have been trying to obtain admission to Equip for adults, and the experience has been miserable. The admissions team does not provide any assistance with communication, and I fear that all my efforts will be for nothing. Does anyone have any guidance for the admissions process? Do they have minimum guidelines that they are not sharing? Would the program be worthwhile? I realize the term program may be misleading, as Equip seems to be more care coordination. Any feedback would be appreciated.
Equip’s model is really geared more towards children and adolescents, or young adults who still live with their parents. If you’re looking for intensive online treatment as an adult, I would suggest Within or ERC Virtual programming.
My understanding from my therapist is that this has changed and they do offer an adult program that is not FBT based. I am currently checking into it too and will update as I get additional information.
Yes, can confirm that they have adult programs that aren’t FBT based. I believe they offer CBT-E, DBT, and some other ones. They pick the one that works best for you, but it seems like CBT-E is the first line.
I’m doing the CBT-E program and while they encourage you to bring in supports, it isn’t required and they respect my decision not to do so.
The admissions process took about 2 weeks for me. You’re assigned an admissions specialist and you mainly communicate with them via text. They help coordinate communication.
They first got my insurance info and confirmed my benefits/cost share. Then they have you fill out an intake survey so they can get an idea of your current symptoms and behaviors. The most time consuming part of the process was the medical clearance process. You have to visit your PCP and obtain orthostatics, labs (CBC, CMP magnesium, and phosphorus I think), height, weight, and an EKG to make sure you’re medically stable. They also ask for growth charts, but they’re not entirely required for adults as far as I know. They ask you to sign releases for your medical providers so they will communicate this info to them as well. Their admit dates are on Mondays, usually a week out from when they receive your medical clearance.
The program seems to be worthwhile so far. I only see my therapist, dietitian, and peer mentor every week. They do assign you a medical provider and family mentor (if you bring in support), but I don’t personally use them. It does seem more care coordination to me, with my therapist and dietitian mainly the ones coordinating with each other. They also recently added some groups/skills classes specifically for adults and I found those helpful. The first week was the most time consuming in terms of appointments as it’s “intake week” where you meet with all 4 providers (therapist, dietitian, peer mentor, medical provider). After that, it was easier to fit into my schedule as I just need to schedule three 50-minute appointments and maybe attend 1-2 groups. They’re super flexible with timing, you can either schedule week to week or choose a recurring time for each provider. The peer mentor aspect of the program is unique because you’re able to speak with someone who’s been in your shoes and I find it a great source of inspiration. Feel free to ask any questions if I missed anything, happy to share more about my experience.
As an adult at equip, how do they manage meals? Since you can’t do the FBT model as an adult, how do they support you around meals? I would like to try equip, but I need support with meals. Thanks for your advice.
Yeah..that’s definitely a limitation I noticed. There really isn’t that much support with regards to that, which I guess aligns with the fact that they are mainly an outpatient program. They do give you a regular eating schedule and a plate to follow for meals (similar to the Plate by Plate approach with half grains, 1/4 protein, etc). There is also an adult meal support group once a week run by peer mentors, but other than that I don’t think there’s other forms of support.
I am currently 3 weeks into Equip and I do feel the main limitation is the lack of meal support. I am trying to find it other places but it’s quite frustrating right now. I do think the addition of a peer mentor is game changing in a way. I’ve never experienced this and it is really helpful. I find mine is very honest with me and I respect her a lot. I’m not really impressed with my therapist, but I am continuing to see my regular therapist during the program. My dietician is amazing. Feel free to ask any questions you may have about the program and I will do my best to answer.
I too could not handle another carceral program. Being home is a game changer, but it also requires a different level of motivation. One I am not completely sure I have but I am trying.
Yes, they have a new adult program that is CBT-E. Not FBT.
I have been repetitively denied admission even AFTER medically stabilizing in the hospital, the children’s hospitals discharge criteria [such as BP and HR] was still too low for EQUIP.
Within is amazing. Adult >30 here, with a long history of AN-B/P. It’s the best program I’ve ever been to (and I’ve been to many, including one that is consistently regarded as excellent, on this board and externally). Being home and doing intensive, tailored treatment has been life-changing. It’s a pain to get an SCA, but it’s worth it.
I tried very hard to get into Within and was insurance denied and could not get a SCA. I’ve heard such amazing things about it. So happy for your experience. Hope things are still going well for you.
Update on personal experience- Equip apparently does have a minimum weight requirement, a fact the admissions team chose not to share. Very unpleasant experience with the process, and I would not recommend this organization to any adult who has a complex history.
Do they provide a minimum BMI number or percent of IBW that patients must meet in order to admit?
**admin note: remember in replying to be careful with your wording, so as to not trigger other people or go against site rules
We’ve had an amazing experience with Equip! All of our treatment team has been excellent and got us in a much better place. FBT works and yes, it’s super hard but it’s worth it. Highly recommend!
Did you have a child that used Equip?
We have had a bad experience with Equip. They can’t keep their therapists, so we have been with them for 7 months and have had 6 therapists. The turnover rate is extremely high, and they basically assign a new therapist every month. Needless to say, my child has made no progress as she keeps introducing herself and having the same introductory conversations over and over and don’t get into actual therapy.
Are there any other FBT therapists in your area? Equip isn’t known to have the best therapists (or anything really).
If you need additional names, feel free to email me at mouseanon2016@gmail.com. I know a lot of FBT therapists.
Just for frame of reference, I’m a 56 year old with private insurance. I spent 12 months with Equip and was mostly very pleased. I think their program for OSFED is weak and the offerings for older adults are very much a WIP. That said, I’m incredibly pleased with most of the staff, all the way from intake, financial assistance and customer service through the therapists, group leaders and psychiatric nurse practitioners. Caring, competent, efficient and a pleasure to work with.
How does weight management/reporting work? How many times per week is it expected to step on the scale and is that done independently or on a zoom meeting?
I was weighing in weekly and was offered the choice of a numberless scale or to use my own independently. I am not triggered by the numbers and would have continued to weigh myself ANYWAY, so I just went with that option. I suppose that might have been problematic if I were lying, but I am way too busy to be dishonest with them. It would just be a waste of my time.
I dont recommend Equip for adults; they have fraudulent billing practices. I was told they were covered as an in network service and even after meeting my deductible and out of pocket maximum I still received a 9000 dollar bill for services that I am not benefitting from. There admissions reps are trying to get me to stay on with them and wont allow me to discharge so I self discharged and decided to look for something better.
Holy cow!!! Not only didn’t they bill me more than they were supposed to, I was there for a full year with 100% covered by insurance.
Why did they keep you for an entire year? Was it just because your insurance kept paying? Also, what kind of insurance do you have?!
I didn’t feel ready to leave, even after the year.
Anthem bcbs
Because they are technically outpatient, their insurance contracts ask for a full year of payment up front. This is called case-based billing and is not uncommon in programs like Equip and Charlie Health.
This program changed my life. It was challenging, but I was able to attend while working full time. I am in a much healthier place mentally and physically because of it. As a woman in my 30s I never felt judged or out of place. My team met me where I was at and helped me sift through distorted thoughts and unhealthy behaviors and really getting to the root cause of my ED behaviors. I can’t recommend enough.
My daughter has had multiple food issues since birth, and they began to really take over her life once she hit puberty. After over 15 years of having our concerns dismissed by doctors, psychologists, and other medical professionals (“she’ll grow out of it”), we finally found a team willing to listen to our concerns and observations and take a closer look at her situation. After looking at growth charts, reviewing her eating habits from her shaky beginning throughout her life, and carefully asking the right questions, she was diagnosed with ARFID, and a holistic plan of treatment was proposed for not only our daughter but for the whole family. We feel so heard and hopeful that our daughter can overcome these challenges – and our family can better support her – with the help of our Equip team.
Hi, Can anyone provide information about what meal support looks like with Equip? I’m trying to get information about the following questions:
1) How many meals and snacks are supported each day?
2) Do the meal support facilitators have access to clients’ meal plan and check that the client has prepared an appropriate meal/snack to meet their meal plan?
3) Do meal support facilitators record completion amounts and any other notes and report back to the client’s team/put it in the client’s chart?
4) Or is meal support with Equip more like emotional support/community rather than structure/accountability?
Really what I need is the type of meal support that is found in a typical inpatient, residential, PHP, or IOP program. The admissions people I’ve spoken with at Equip don’t seem to know details about meal support, just that they have it. Any information folks could provide would be really helpful so I know whether to pursue Equip or figure out a different direction! Thanks so much!
Hi-
1) They have meal support groups for two lunches and two dinners (for different time zones) each day. No snacks unless you want to eat snack at the lunch/dinner times since times are staggered a couple hours apart.
2) Meal support facilitators do not check what you’re eating/whether it fits your meal plan.
3) They also don’t check on how much you completed or report back to the dietitian. Nothing’s recorded or checked.
4) Yes–it’s just supposed to be emotionally supportive space/shared meal rather than meal support in IOP/PHP/res/inpatient.
Equip really focuses on using your natural supports (like family, friends, roommates) for meal support. Which is good for clients who have those supports in their life, and of course a real drawback for clients who don’t, or for clients who are struggling a lot and need more structured accountability.
They do have you keep track of your own food kinda like Recovery Record if you use that, so there’s sort of accountability in that but no more than regular outpatient. Sometimes people do challenge meals/snacks with their therapist, dietitian, or peer mentor, but that’s not frequent- just occasional. Meal support is kind of a weak point for Equip. Equip is kinda like “outpatient plus”. Like a well coordinated outpatient team, plus a peer mentor, plus access to a lot of support groups. Somewhere between regular outpatient and IOP.
I left Equip last month, so my experiences are fairly recent.
1) How many meals and snacks are supported each day?
I was told that they encourage clilents to eat 3&3 each day,
2) Do the meal support facilitators have access to clients’ meal plan and check that the client has prepared an appropriate meal/snack to meet their meal plan?
I’m guessing no, since I don’t even understand the question.
3) Do meal support facilitators record completion amounts and any other notes and report back to the client’s team/put it in the client’s chart?
Again, what? This was my first ED experience, so I have no idea what you mean.
4) Or is meal support with Equip more like emotional support/community rather than structure/accountability?
I’m sorry 🙁 I don’t understand the question.
My takeaway from your responses is that Equip doesn’t offer meal support…..
I guess it depends on the definition. They have what they call meal support, but they don’t require you to show your plate. Is that helpful?
Does anyone have a copy of the list of groups EQUIP offers and the time/time zones they’re offered?
July of this year to now
IOP
PA upon admission then check ins maybe every few months. Supposed to see dietician and therapist weekly but that does not happen. Psychiatrist can be given to you but you have to ask for it. “Peer Mentor” had so little availability that I’ve seen her maybe 3 times and most sessions got cancelled, but that was supposed to be weekly/biweekly.
Far too many.
Seemingly none. Mine didn’t follow any particular style. My therapist was not trained on emdr.
Describe the average day:
Meals are done by yourself
N/A
My dietician frowned upon me keeping boost in the home
Recommending hloc. I was non compliant with filling out the self monitoring tool because honestly, it was a massive pain to update a pdf with everything you eat so I stopped and there were not repercussions
Yes.
Any.
I did not attend any.
100% NOT.
Flexibility
Being treated like a liar. Therapist was incredibly condescending towards my partner. Scolded him for not having a job (he’s an air force firefighter… she thought he just sat around waiting to be deployed all day not getting paid)
Absolutely not.
In my case, none. Got scolded for anything I did and talked down on.
I used my own scale. Was given “equip scale” to have a numberless one but they don’t work.
They shoot for several pounds a week.
Over a year. I think they’d keep you forever if they could.
Honestly, I can’t say enough bad about this program.
I consider myself recovered. I do not struggle with my ED anymore (due to things very much outside of this program, it did not help or contribute to that at all) and every session is filled with accusations of behaviors because my weight did not stay where ERC put me at. Every week instead of talking about actual issues I was bombarded with my therapist and dietician talking about how vital starting weight restoration was and how exercise must be strictly forbidden (while perfectly healthy and medically cleared by my doctors)
Instead of actively talking through trauma, my therapist just tried to blame others which was incredibly unhelpful.
Was sobbing during one of my only peer mentor sessions and instead of engaging in conversation she just had me list my values and then just started at me when I didn’t engage.
Yeah. Stay away. Waste of my time.
Just wanted to share that Equip is now able to offer 4 meal support times (2 lunch & 2 dinner) every day of the week except for Saturday dinner. This is in partnership with Project Heal’s meal support program and is for the adult patients only. The lunch times are 10am/12pm PST and dinner times are 4pm/6pm PST.
Does equip tube you OP? unsure what the NG tag is about. I am looking to start soon but will not if they use NG tubes OP.
[*TW: tubes] Sorry, that tag is confusing! Equip doesn’t tube people at all. 🙂 It just means that Equip is able to accept new patients who already have tubes when they are admitting. Most PHP/IOP/outpatient programs won’t accept a new patient if they have an N/G, and this creates a barrier to care for some people who are discharging from a higher level of care with an N/G and then can’t find a treatment team or program to go to.
I am stepping down from IP into Equip really soon. I am a bit nervous after reading some of the reviews. I understand they are not an IOP or PHP, but I DO need a strong team. I do need to go back to my 9-5 job so a typical IOP/PHP just doesnt work.
Does anyone know if I can bring on an outside therapist for additional support? I asked them but have not gotten a straight answer.
Hello, I am thinking about going to EQUIP as a step down from HLOC. I was wondering if Equip has groups and how often? Is this included in your bundled cost or is it additional?
Thank you!
Hi,
I just had an information session with Equip and understood that the groups are bundled into the program fee. I am also stepping down from a HLOC. I will be setting up a admission interview soon ( I am about a month away from discharge).
Thank you very much for letting me know. Do you happen to know about how many groups they offer? When I’m reading the comments above and below it looks like there’s only two a week.
Are you at Acute right now? If so, email me at [redacted] (Rachel can you delete after “anon” responds)? Thank you
Shannon
SD,
I am not at ACUTE. I am at Columbia Univ Center for Eating Disorders in NYC. Great program (not medical stabilization).
Thank you for sharing. I am glad to hear it’s a good program. Good luck at equip. Perhaps our paths will cross!
What state are you in?
I will be participating in Equip from Indiana. Do you live in NY?
No, I live in California. I am only in NYC for treatment. My discharge date has been pushed to beginning of August. I am looking forward to starting Equip.
I just had an informative interview with Equip, and I’m really impressed with what I’ve been told so far. This program basically keeps your outpatient team under one roof, and sounds like a good step-down for someone who has finished an IOP program, or someone who is struggling to find outpatient providers who specialize in eating disorders.
The therapies I was told are offered are CBT, DBT, exposure therapy, and of course FBT. I was informed that as an adult (I’m 30), you personally decide who you want as your support system if you decide to do FBT, and it isn’t required.
I’m doing an intake interview at some point next week, and I’m happy to answer any questions after and once I start program.
Titania,
My IP team is looking into Equip as me as a step down. I am older, and need to get back to work ( which makes a traditional PHP/IOP more difficult). Please let me know how it is for you! Would love to know.
Did you start the program? Would love to hear your thoughts about it.
I have an unofficial admit date of July 1st. Right now they just need medical clearance, since they only accept medically stable patients. I’m going in for a checkup on Friday, and should start once they receive the documents. I’ll keep everyone updated 🙂
Great, thank you!
It’s so unfortunate that Equip pushes FBT so hard! It’s so harmful and traumatizing for both the kid and the parents when FBT is forced and not working! They should offer other types of therapy when FBT isn’t working or desired by the patient. It creates such power struggles and can really hurt family relationships!
Also, they advertise how amazing it is to offer treatment to so many who don’t have access to care BUT how many parents can just take off work for weeks on end to enforce FBT? If that’s what’s needed to truly be successful with FBT, then isn’t this treatment only offered to privileged families who can afford to take off work?? Just seems so misinformed!
I understand your frustration, but FBT is truly one of the best, evidence based treatments out there for kids still at home. If you want to keep your kid at home, this is the way. Eating disorders are wicked and cruel and I am sorry these are your choices.
It doesn’t matter if something is “evidence based” if it is unhelpful or harmful to the patient. Patients should be able to advocate for themselves and their needs, and always assuming it’s the eating disorder talking is gaslighting. Any treatment team should have the patient as an active participant and value their input. It should be “experience based” as well, centering the patient’s unique lived experiences.
I don’t appreciate your insistence that not being able to do FBT is “your choices.” This is a priviledged position. Many families cannot afford to stay home that long, or are too dysfunctional for it to work.
For many people the ED is a way to cope with familial trauma.
FBT isnt going to work well for a client in a very dysfunctional family system, especially those with @b*SE.
I saw on another comment that Equip has added a non-FBT adult program. There isn’t a lot of info on their site so I’d appreciate any info about this. Does it have an upper age limit?
They have an adult program that is CBT-E based primarily, with some DBT & ERP. The sample schedule they gave me was:
M: therapy (individual)
T: dietitian
W: medical provider (MD, PA, NP)
Th: family mentor (optional)
F: peer mentor
They still encourage some family involvement, they have a mentor who is a family member who has had a loved one go through recovery. It’s optional. The peer mentor is like a recovery coach.
I believe they said the upper age limit is 25 but I might be wrong… They said college aged students can choose the traditional FBT path or the adult/CBT one! I’m currently intaking with them, lmk if you have any questions and I’d be happy to ask!
Thank you for the info! Unfortunately it won’t work for me as I’m over 25, but hopefully this can help someone else out. No groups at all? Is it technically considered outpatient or IOP?
I don’t think they have an upper age limit for the adult program, but they are vague about it online. It’s outpatient. Not IOP. They sometimes have groups about coping skills that the child clients participate in (more like classes than groups, really), but it’s not a standard part of treatment there.
In the adult/CBT track, how do they support you with meals? Can you give me any info regarding this part of their adult program? Thanks!
I’m looking into this right now for my sister, who is 71 y.o., and was not given any indication there was an upper age limit.
I recommend calling their phone line directly to get questions answered by speaking with an actual person! (855) 387-4378.
They do not have an upper age limit. I am 55 and 3 weeks into the program. I will say that based on my experience in groups, most of the older people seem to BED or BN. I have only encountered one other older person who is AN-R. That said, it could be that they are not attending the groups. One frustration is their lack of meal support and most of the groups, though labeled as “adult” are actually 18-21 year olds who are still living at home and doing FBT. I wish they had some groups specifically for people who are actually “adulting”.
They added groups for 35+ and 50+. I found that extremely helpful!
Can someone explain the admissions process at Equip? from the initial phone call?
For those who didn’t like Equip or FBT – if you (as a patient) or your child (as a parent) was given the option of a) medical admission; b) partial hospitalization (e.g. at a specialized eating disorder center) or c) Equip – which would you choose and why?
Also, for those that talk about rates of recovery – does anyone know the baseline comparison rates? From what I’ve learned, even patients who undergo multiple inpatient hospitalizations for ED, the recovery rates are still low. In other words, is 40% an improvement above the inpatient hospitalizations? Thanks!
Hi, Marney! I have minimal experience with Equip, but I wanted to answer to the extent that I can.
If my child met criteria for a medical admission, I would proceed with that immediately. Eating disorders are deadly, and I would ensure that they were medically stable before proceeding with ED-specific treatment.
As far as choosing between Equip vs. a non-Equip program like a PHP or residential treatment center, I think it depends a lot on your family. Family Based Treatment (what they do in the Equip program) is hard. Parents are in charge of deciding and preparing all meals and snacks, as well as monitoring the child to ensure they aren’t exercising or using ED behaviors in other ways. Many families that are successful with FBT have a parent who can stay home with the child for at least the first few weeks of refeeding. At Equip, there is also minimal therapy offered to the child until after they have gained the needed weight. Parents meet with the therapist and the child meets with a recovered mentor.
At a PHP program, parents are still going to be responsible for deciding and preparing some meals and snacks, especially in the early days of treatment, though your child’s dietitian will likely give you some guidance about what/how much to feed them (part of FBT is the idea that parents know how to feed their child, so the dietitians are supposed to be less directive than they would be in a traditional program). Additionally, your child will eat at least some meals and snacks while they’re at program, so there’s less supervision required by the parents. They will also have individual therapy along with therapy sessions with the whole family.
Your question about recovery rates is interesting, and hard to answer. A huge issue with all ED treatment research is that it is funded by the treatment programs themselves, so there are huge conflict of interest issues. FBT is supposed to be the most effective treatment for adolescent AN, but I think that is in comparison to AFT (which is not super widely practiced so it’s hard to compare).If I had to make an inference, I would think that 40% sounds accurate across the board. **No matter what you choose, nutritional rehabilitation will be key to recovery.** If that comes from an FBT model, great. If it comes from a non-FBT model, great. I would choose based on the situation that you think best fits your family and go from there.
Good luck!
Just wanted to upvote this and say it’s so, so true in all regards. Thanks for your wise words, Nonnie!
I cannot find reviews on Equp anywhere! Nothing on Google, only one on here… the only “reviews” I’ve found are on Tiktok from kids who have been through (and disliked) the program. I find this really concerning! Does anyone know why this is? And is anyone (parent or client) able to provide a thorough review?
I watch all of Equip’s videos on YouTube—they post one every week, because they do a family zoom support group on Thursday’s. You can get a ton of information if you watch those, but you certainly won’t get an unbiased review. They believe they are the “Gold Standard of Adolescent Treatment,” and they will remind you of that at every chance. Their positive treatment percentages are pretty…unimpressive.
From what I’ve read, and learned, you truly need to be into the idea of FBT, and hold strongly to that approach, which in my opinion, is far beyond any family’s pay grade.
I will say, I like the idea of their Recovery “Coaches,” and being able to connect with recovered individuals who can help aid in daily struggles, and life, beyond what a therapist can.
Thank you so much for responding! I’ll have to look the videos up! Where did you find their positive treatment percentages? I also love the peer mentor concept.
FBT intrigues me. From friends who did it when they were younger, I’ve rarely rarely heard good things… so many questions.
You are so welcome! I know their percent rates from their YouTube videos specifically—they mention them all the time and they are in the low 40s (not sure if I’m allowed to say that!)
I think a lot of the kids lie their way out, because FBT can be SO traumatic, and really does have the power to affect families in many…not so positive ways. So, when these kids are telling their treatment team they are “cured,” it skews numbers even more when collecting data.
I hope you find the videos helpful, and I’m sure there is some good that can come from Equip, but I would urge you to look into their funding/for-profit business structure. It’s very interesting. Just a quick Google.
So interesting, thank you! Love your point about FBT often being really traumatic and those responses skewing data. Will definitely Google the business structure in addition to watching the vids!
I’d like to note that this business model’s CEO first cofounded an ED nonprofit, Project HEAL.
I’m not here to say if that a negative or positive. However, she does credit FBT to her recovery. Her family could afford to put FBT at the center of their lives for upwards of a year for round-the-clock care.
I think the family unit needs to be able to prioritize the program over the long-haul to begin to make it feasible. It seems some degree of emotional stability and financial security would help make this a more successful option if pursued.
Different things work for different proletariat, so I think having options is rather hopeful and helpful for the community at large.
The more options, the fewer left out?!?
Does anybody have any information on this program (aside from the website)? Specifically for someone in her young 20s
I’m currently 16 and i’m in this. I honestly think it’s driven my family apart, and it’s made my depression spike again. it might work for u, but i personally hated it with a burning passion and it was extremely triggering and made me relapse even harder
Ugh, I’m sorry. Did it cost you a lot? I was looking into Equip but my insurance wouldn’t cover it
Hi S, I’m so sorry it made things so much worse for you. I hope you find the compassionate care you deserve! If you’re able, could you answer any of these questions?
Any experiences with EQUIP?
I almost took a job with them. I was very impressed by their program, particularly for young people with restricting EDs. It is very FBT-informed, so if the patient is not living with family or a strong support system it wouldn’t be a fit. But, I do think they have brought together a really incredible team of FBT providers and seem to do an excellent job. FBT is HARD on the whole family (but it works!), so I could imagine that their wraparound support model is useful. I know they were working on starting adult programs that are less FBT-focused in the near future, too!
Ah, thing is that im 20 and nervous about the whole refeeding process and transitioning to maintenance. Ive been in and out of treatment for 6 years and never maintained my weight beyond a month or 2 so idk what to do. Im tired of my ED and want to get better but it just seems like such a long process and refeeding is so hard sometimes
It is hard, but it’s so worth it! I encourage you to give it a try. I’ve never met someone who regrets recovering.
Does anyone know anything about the Equip virtual outpatient program? It’s focused on adolescents and FBT, but they seem flexible based on age and situation… Even with my awful insurance it’s very affordable, so might be a good option for others on this site too.