Sutter Health’s Eating Disorder Program is located at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Berkeley, California. Sutter Health has inpatient treatment, partial hospitalization/day program treatment, and outpatient treatment for both adults and adolescents.
Any updated reviews or information about the program? Please post in comments below! You can check out the FAQ and Guidelines for suggested questions. Thank you!
Sorry for being so late on posting my review from when I said I would two months ago. I was on the child/adolescent unit, but I do not think the adult unit is much different. It is divided into like 7-17, geriatrics, and adults. Here is a full one for all of the people asking 🙂
When were you there?
Spring 2025
What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?
Inpatient
If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible?
Yes. You never leave the unit though. But around the unit, you can
How many patients are there on average?
The unit I was on was 15 patients. I think each unit has around 15 beds.
What genders are treated?
All
If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people?
Yes. We all had to say our pronouns and write them on the board in the day room so people would know. There were a couple transgender and nonbinary people there.
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc?
You see the medical doctor within 24 hours of getting admitted, and then as needed you’ll see a random one from the other Alta Bates campus. It is really hard to get the doctor though, like you kind of have to be like super sick. They would ignore patients who didn’t feel well. Everyone had a standing order for tylenol if you could take it so you could ask for it whenever. Also, when you saw the doctor, you would tell them about all of your medical problems and then they would try to put in whatever orders that you needed. They were big on IM vitamin supplementation there, so they very well might put in an order for you if you are deficient in anything. You see your psychiatrist daily because they are the ones who are the head of your treatment team. You don’t have individual therapy, just group therapy, but you have that daily. You see a dietician like a couple of times. They don’t work on the weekends, so it took forever for me to meet with a dietician – like 5 days. She said she would check in with me a few days after that. You see your nurses daily. You have two a day, one in the morning, and one in the afternoon/evening. They are who you’d go to if you need anything. You see a social worker within 24 hours of being admitted, and the good ones will check in with you periodically to help with what you will do after discharging.
What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
It was around 5:1 (5 patients to 1 nurse). Some nurses would have They also had like 1-2 techs per shift though
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)?
I honestly really don’t know. We didn’t have any skills or psycho-education groups. We had like art group, occupational therapists would lead a lot of groups, check in groups. I honestly don’t remember the content, but I don’t remember it being very therapeutic.
Describe the average day:
The schedule times/groups would change like daily. They would write the schedule up in the day room daily. I am not certain that this is correct, but I will write it to the best of my memory.
5:00 am – The night nurse would wake you up for labs but you could also be like sleeping they would just come in
7:00 am ish I think – Wake up, vitals, hygiene baskets are out so you can do that stuff
7:30 am I think – They would open the day room where you would have breakfast
8:00 am – Free time to do whatever until group
9:00 am – 12:00 pm – Groups. With snack in between
12:00 pm – Lunch and hanging out in the day room
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm – School
2:30-3:30 pm – Quiet time in our rooms
3:30 pm – Day room would open back up. Snack and we could hang out there, watch TV, do whatever. The people who lead groups were there until like 5:00 pm
Either 5:00 or 5:30 pm – Dinner
6:00 pm I think – Visiting hours
7:00 pm – Hygiene buckets back out, showers, etc
7:30 pm or around then – Day room opens up again. Snack and hanging out
9:00 pm – In rooms I think
The psychiatrists would come at any times of the day, and you would meet with them at some point during school, groups, or hanging out
What were meals like?
Everyone had premade trays. You never got to order what food you wanted from a list of options like the day before from a menu or something, no matter what you came in for. They would make you sit at another table and “watched” you if you were there for an ED. But they didn’t support you at all or anything.
What sorts of food were available or served?
It was like the kind of food that you would find in a hospital – pastas, proteins (chicken, beef, etc), vegetables, sandwiches, we had pizza one night, cereal, milk, packaged muffins, eggs, sausage, potatoes, french toast, pancakes, other kinds of grains, etc, They did have some like interesting combinations though that I wouldn’t expect really from a hospital. I have GI issues, so I am not sure if it is because of this, but after I talked to the dietician, my food changed. I think she thought it was better to eat foods that you are willing to eat rather than nothing. So I told her a reasonable list of foods that I was willing to eat (like not ED related avoidance), and the next day, they brought me some foods that I was willing to eat. But the food wasn’t exceptional or anything. It was just hospital food. They always had cereal in the cabinets though. For snacks, we had crackers, goldfish, muffins sometimes, fruit, chips, granola bars
Did they supplement? How did that system work?
They didn’t really have a system. But they did ask some people to drink ensures. I had to drink them sometimes. But it wasn’t like measured or anything like that. Wasn’t really a system. And theoretically, you didn’t have to. It didn’t feel like there would be many consequences if you didn’t.
What is the policy of not complying with meals?
Uh nothing? I guess you are supposed to supplement. Apparently, they did tube and do IV’s there, but I never saw that happen, and I just can’t imagine them doing that to be honest. The nurses didn’t seem to like know how to do that. And I heard there was this girl who was there for like three months because she was not complying, and I guess they didn’t do anything to make her more stable?? I am not really sure their policy to be honest. I don’t really think it matters. But they will just probably keep you for longer so I wouldn’t recommend.
Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan?
You can eat vegetarian. I would guess you can eat vegan too if you talk to your dietician about it and it isn’t for ED reasons
What privileges are allowed?
None it’s a psych ward
Does it work on a level system?
No
How do you earn privileges?
You don’t
What sort of groups do they have?
See above under the what kinds of therapy were used section
What was your favorite group?
None. I hated all of them
If applicable: Is the program trauma-informed?
No
What did you like the most?
I mean I liked my dietician. But I didn’t like anything about the place
What did you like the least?
Well it’s a psych ward so all of it. There was no therapy. No ED treatment. There was a super small window for visitors. One of the rooms had a camera in it which I really didn’t like. It was just like not a good place and was literally just a psych ward. And since it was a psych ward, there were a lot of restraints, booty juice, seclusion rooms, etc. Was not a healing environment. Very stabilizing like general psych stabilization, not medical stabilization.
Would you recommend this program?
No. I would only say maybe this if you are on a 5150 and need ED supervision as well. Not like they really did that, but they did some monitoring I guess.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
None. I mean we would occasionally “play basketball” outside
Do you get to know your weight?
No
What was the average length of stay?
Like 7-10 days
How do visits/phone calls work?
You could call anytime I think as long as someone wasn’t using the phone. There was like an hour of visiting a night, but they would always let them in late and get them out literally the minute that the hour was over.
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)?
We didn’t get to use any electronics ever
For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go on outings/passes?
No. It’s a psych ward so locked unit
If anyone has any questions, I am happy to try to answer them if I can. Like I said, this place isn’t going to treat you, and also isn’t at all meant for ED’s. I think they just need to make it a general psych unit only.
I’m admitting here tomorrow and was wondering if anyone has been recently and would be willing to post a review. I’m so anxious.
Any recent reviews or information? Particularly about the inpatient programs!
I was at their inpatient program earlier this year and it was pretty horrible. It is basically just a general psych unit and you’ll be mixed with all the psych patients. You don’t get any privileges because it’s a psych unit. The only positive thing about the place was I really liked the dietician. If you’d like, I can post a more detailed review, but I wouldn’t recommend this place unless you have to go.
i was there end of 2023! I would love to hear how the program has changed. It was also pretty bad when I was there.
I would love a detailed review! I am planning on going later this week.
Completely agree with this–I found their program to be extremely not set up for treating folks with eating disorders. There was very little (read: none) enforcement of meal completion, and no eating disorder-specific programming at all. The unit was indeed mixed with all psych patients, and I felt that many of the providers there (including the medical doctor I saw, as well as the nursing staff/behavioral techs) were not sufficiently educated in eating disorders. I experienced a number of triggering and ill-informed comments from staff and honestly my experience verged on traumatic. I can also potentially post a more detailed review later, but I would strongly suggest going elsewhere for eating disorder-specific care, though I also know that there are no other inpatient ED programs for adults in this geographic area (at least as of right now) which makes it super hard!
I would really love a detailed review if you have time! It may be the only place willing to accept me, given my ED status and insurance combo!
Here’s my review from this summer, with the major caveat that I was only there for less than 24 hours before I left AMA because I had an awful experience and felt that the care I was getting there was not sufficiently ED-informed nor ED-specific. Broadly, this is a general psych unit, and ED patients are mixed in with all the other patients. I did not experience any ED-specific programming at all; the only thing that was different for ED patients was that we had our meals/snacks chosen for us and had to eat in a separate room, with supervision but basically zero enforcement of completion. There was only one other patient there on ED protocol when I was there, and she was not completing her meal plan at all, and staff didn’t even ask her if she wanted to supplement after each meal…I also felt that their nursing staff and behavioral staff (and even some medical and psychiatric providers) were not sufficiently educated in eating disorders, based on comments that they made to me about my vitals, my presentation, and why/how I ended up on the unit. The meal plan that they put me on to start was also grossly inadequate, almost laughably so.
I answered the standard questions to the best degree I could below, but overall, unless you’re also struggling with co-occurring issues and need general psychiatric stabilization, I’d strongly recommend considering elsewhere for ED-specific care!
When were you there?
Summer 2025 (for < 24 hours)
What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?
Inpatient
If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible?
Unsure
How many patients are there on average?
Probably 15-20 on the psych ward in total? There was only 1 other person on the ED protocol when I was there though
What genders are treated?
All
If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people?
Unsure
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc?
Nursing staff at least once a day, not sure about the others since I was not there very long
What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
Unsure but pretty high
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)?
In theory probably DBT but I was very underwhelmed by the programming/groups
Describe the average day:
Meals and groups, but not that much structure aside from meals. No pressure to attend groups, most of the patients didn’t attend them I would say.
What were meals like?
On ED protocol, they gave you your food (you had no choice) and you had to eat in a separate room for just the ED patients, with supervision.
What sorts of food were available or served?
Pretty standard hospital food
Did they supplement? How did that system work?
In theory I think you were supposed to supplement for not completing meals, but I never saw that happen.
What is the policy of not complying with meals?
In theory you would have to supplement for it, but I never saw that enforced at all. They didn’t even ask the other patient who was on ED protocol with me if she wanted to supplement when she didn’t complete her meals, they basically just let her walk out of the room with no questions asked.
Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan?
Vegetarian yes, vegan not sure
What privileges are allowed?
Not sure…you can have your phone all the time though, or at least I did
Does it work on a level system?
I don’t think so
How do you earn privileges?
I don’t think you can
What sort of groups do they have?
Pretty basic groups, I was very underwhelmed
What was your favorite group?
None
If applicable: Is the program trauma-informed?
No
What did you like the most?
Nothing…would highly not recommend
What did you like the least?
Lack of ED-specific programming, providers not seeming to be educated in EDs, being mixed in with a general psychiatric unit where folks were struggling with a broad range of other issues, some of which were very acute.
Would you recommend this program?
No
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
None…I think maybe some patients could go on a walk, but I am not sure if that was allowed for ED patients or not
Do you get to know your weight?
They did a bad job of concealing it from me…
What was the average length of stay?
Unsure
What was the average age range?
Very wide range
How do visits/phone calls work?
There were specific visitation hours, but I think you could take phone calls anytime
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)?
I had my phone the whole time, not sure about other electronics though
For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go on outings/passes?
I don’t think so but not sure
Sorry these answers are pretty vague, since I wasn’t there long I can’t speak to all that much about it, but also take it as a sign that I left AMA after such a short amount of time! I ended up going to an ED-specific inpatient facility after this, and while that wasn’t a great experience either, it was much better than my experience at Alta Bates. Please feel free to ask any other questions if you have any!
What types of foods were served though you can’t choose anything at all?
(this is as of 2022, but after the main ED doctor left, so I doubt much has changed after his departure)
On the adult unit, you will be allowed to choose your meals once you get dietician approval, typically within 1-2 weeks. I started having a say in my snacks after my first meeting with the dietician (although they want snacks to be more “stable,” so I was only allowed to alter my preferences 1-2x per week). They use the exchange system. You’re given a menu for the following week, and expected to fill it out (circle your preferences that meet your requirements) and return it to your dietician the next day. Lots of different options, but typical “hospital food” (aka, not the best lol).
Breakfast: bagels/English muffins/toast + spreads (PB, jam, cream cheese, butter), cereals, granola + toppings (almonds, walnuts, cranberries, raisins), sausage/veggie sausage, scrambled eggs, yogurt + toppings, fruits/fruit cups/fruit juices, etc.Lunch: sandwiches (e.g. PB&J, hummus, turkey + cheese), burgers (typically w/avocado), burritos, rice + a protein, sides like chips, edamame, dinner rolls, fruit salads, apple slices, grapes, salad w/a packet of dressing, cake, cheesecake, ice creamDinner: typically same as lunch. As a vegetarian, I had rice + tofu most nights. Veggies served as a side (not a salad + dressing, but just like some roasted zucchini) were “optional”Also, you will be expected to have caloric beverages with your meals (e.g. OJ, apple juice, milk, soymilk, chocolate milk, etc). You’ll also be given an 8oz bottle of water.
Probably admitting here in the next week or 2. I was here last year around end of Nov/December 2023. Anyone been there more recently?
Any recent reviews? I’m hearing mixed stuff about this place
does anyone have any updated info on the adult edo program? i’ve been to the adolescent many times, about to go to the adult for anorexia specifically. what are the differences, what are groups like, do they have MHWs, do they still tube, and is there an adult cloud room? thank you so much
I was at the adolescent edo program recently from September- October 2023.
the main doctor left, the edo director. So the edo program has gone completely downhill. From my knowledge, the adult program is voluntary, so if your not compliant they will most likely kick you out.
I believe they tube on the adult unit. Yes they have MHW’s, nurses and everything. I’m not sure about the cloud room, but as the adult program is voulentary, I doubt they would have it. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
yeah i’m very glad he left though… i’m a bit confused, they do ng tubes but kick you if you aren’t compliant? don’t you only get tubed if you aren’t compliant? i plan to be compliant, but what if i need an ng tube, they will kick me out? i’m so sorry for the confusion. thank you!
I honestly don’t know. I’ve heard from past patients that the adult program is voulentary. I believe with the old doctor he would kick adults out for being non compliant. Probably now, at least how it was in the adolescent unit, if you aren’t complient, they tend to wait at least xx hours, or when people are very medically unstable before they tube. And if you refuse the tube, your parents consent to it, they can restrain to put the tube in. But I’m not sure if the adult unit does that.
your best bet is probably just being complaint, if you need the tube (no shame in it), and you accept it it shouldn’t be a problem.
they only kick out with the adult unit if your just flat out “no”. But if you’re willing to try, that is already taking a huge step in recovery.
I hope you do well there!!
Also, all the reviews from the last three years are all current as of October 2023.
thank you so so much for your help! i appreciate it!
They do not tube on the adult unit.
Hi! They do tube on the adult unit (I was there in December 2023 and was tubed) it was 100% voluntary. I personally had a really great experience at Herrick as I was medically stabilized here and then went to a specific ED program. My psych was wonderful and so were the nurses.
Anyone have info regarding the adolescent program for the young ones in particular?
What is the daily schedule?
Are the kids really kept in the “cloud room” all day if they don’t have their supplement?
Does it feel like a psych ward rather than a residential ED center?
would you recommend your kid being admitted here for an ED if they are 12-14 yrs old?
How is the supportive care- the tools and therapy – daily or just once a week?
Hello! I’m seeing this late, but I was recently in the adolescent program for a month.
the daily schedule is breakfast, group, snack, group, lunch, group, 3:00 room time, 4:00 group, 5:15 dinner, 6:30-7:30 visiting, snack, then bedtime.
yea the cloud room is true, and they have a protocol is if you miss a supplement let’s say in the morning, but you complete lunch, you still technically “owe” that supplement, you have to drink it or else your stuck in the cloud room. Your not allowed to go to any of the “fun ot groups” you can go to community meeting, but that’s it. When your in the cloud room, you cant have anything with you, besides like a journal, but even then some nurses can take that privledge away. You are stuck in that room all day.
yea it does feel like a phsyc ward. It’s based in the adolescent phsyc ward. there is no ed specific groups, the only “ed care” is meeting with the phsyc every day. and like eating meals.
no i would nor reccomend.i was also here 3 years ago, the ed program has gotten worse. there is no level system anymors, the only thing they do there is make you eat, if you dont then they make you be in the cloud room until you do so. They dont do anything else unless you get really unstable.
i guess the group therapy is okay, but as i said there is no ed specific groups. during meals you sit with all the other edo kids. some staff are supportive, EDucated, but others are not and make stupid comments.
if your looking for a good program, i highly reccomend clementine.
please let me know if you have any other questions
Hi! I recently went into the program for [SI], but due to my history of AN I was put on EDO program. This program is great for people just struggling with MH, but definitely not for Ed’s. They do not provide any support, aren’t flexible, and groups aren’t Ed specific. I went specifically for an Ed in 2022 and honestly it was extremely traumatizing, even though I only stayed for 3 ish days. However, a lot of the staff changed a lot compared to 2022…. This program may be helpful for someone who is weight restored, but if not, they push weight gain without any support for AN.
Hi, I wrote a while ago and am really needing an updated review. I know the inpatient is still open, but it has changed. And is a lot smaller.
Can someone give me a sample day of a beginning meal plan?
I know mine would be a little different because I’m gluten intolerant and vegetarian and allergic to nuts.
I have a lot of fears and questions. So whomever could answer would be my hero.
What is the daily schedule like?
What is are the meal times?
What is like a first day sample of food, both meals and snacks?
Are the staff there kind?
Do you feel you benefited from the program?
*TW* Are they aggressive with meal plans, or understanding of those coming in who have [redacted] been restricting? *END TW*
I also have no other options because I have state insurance so I’m trying to look at this through a positive lens 🙂
did you end up going to the program?
Does anyone have an updated review for the adult unit?. I should be admitting soon and would really appreciate a schedule sample, meal examples, meal times etc. As updated as possible. Thank you so much
The old ED program director left at the end of 2022 (afaik he moved to Mills Peninsula, there are rumors that he just retired tho so idk), and tbh the program is not supportive at all rn. Basically the only ED treatment components are “supported” meals (in which there aren’t any consequences for not complying with your meal plan) and increased medical monitoring (weights 3x per week & orthostatic vitals 2x per day). The ED program is also “voluntary,” so they won’t make you participate if you don’t want to. My most recent admission was for psych issues, but they’re well aware of my ED history, and during my stay I was openly engaging in behaviors & was becoming medically unstable, and my psychiatrist was just like “well, we don’t need to put you on the EDO protocol if you don’t want to be on it.” So you have to have *a lot* of self-motivation in order for this program to be beneficial.
Groups are just general psych ward groups (e.g. relaxation skills, process, coping skills, spirituality), nothing ED-specific. The OT is *very* kind, but he’s not really there as a therapeutic resource — you’re expected to get all (or at least *most*) of your therapeutic support from your psychiatrist, whose ED knowledge may be hit or miss (previously all ED patients would work with the program director who was *very* knowledgeable, but now that he’s no longer there, it seems like psychs are just randomly assigned).
Tbh I used to highly recommend Herrick for IP, but nowadays this program is really not beneficial unless your primary issue is safety-related and you’re only using this admission as a stepping stone for residential ED treatment.
Regarding the schedule, I posted a review (under “Anonymous”) a year ago and it’s still valid as of last month (minus all the info regarding the program director & my praise of the program lmao), but if you’d like me to rephrase things or have any other questions, just let me know!
Thank you so much for answering my questions. I’m limited on options because I have MediCal so this is kind of my only option. So how long do people stay if they arent being compliant then?
That’s understandable! It’s certainly not the worst program out there, it’s just also not anywhere near the best. And like I said, it can help if you have enough self-motivation.
Tbh the specific time you’ll be there (especially regarding noncompliance) will vary based on your provider. If you’re admitting strictly for ED reasons & are becoming medically unstable, at least one of the current psychs will put you on a hold & force a tube, but others won’t do much. I’m not sure at what point they’ll actually kick you out — the old program director once gave me the weekend to get my shit together, then said he’d want to administratively discharge if I still wasn’t compliant come Monday. But again, he’s no longer there, and I’m not sure how the current providers operate.
And to answer your other question regarding waitlists — tbh all my adult admissions have just been through the ER for safety reasons, so I’d be admitted anywhere between 1-5 days. When I admitted purely for ED reasons as an adolescent (back in 2015), I believe it took about a week?
You are truly a godsend. Thank you for answering all of my questions. It really does mean the world to me. How are you doing currently. I have more questions as well. If you dont mind emailing me at cheyanne1993@mail.com. it’s a little easier than back and forth on here. If you dont mind. Also my email is just the mail. Not gmail 🙂 just so you know lol
Sent! ?
Glad I could help! And I’m doing okay nowadays, still alive haha ?
Hey em! I know it’s been forever, but do you mind emailing me again? For some reason I lost your email and had some important questions about alta bates. Pretty please and thank you. Also I hope you’re doing well! My email again is cheyanne1993@mail.com
What is the phone policy here? Haven’t seen anything on that
No personal cell phones/electronics allowed at all. You can make calls on the ward phone. I’m not sure about the adult side but on the adolescent side they used to have tablets you could use. Being here is the same as at an involuntary psych ward.
During COVID, they changed their electronics policies to start allowing phone time on the adult unit during standard visiting hours, & if you asked nicely, some of the nurses would also let you use your phone outside of standard phone hours as long as it wasn’t during a group (you’d have to choose wisely though lol — some of the nurses weren’t so lenient). This is current as of July 2022, but idk whether they’ve reverted to the pre-COVID policies since then.
Hey everyone. I’ve been looking into this program and since I am 20 I was wondering if I would be in the adult program or the adolescent program? I know that different places have different age limits so I was just curious. As well, does anyone have an updated schedule for the inpatient program?
Thank you so much! 🙂
You would be in the adult program. Adolescent (that I know of) is 12-17.
🙂
I was in the adolescent ward but it may be similar, here’s what I remember vaguely.
6:00am- Wake up, vitals, weights (on Mon, Wed, and Fri)
7:45am- Breakfast
8:15am- Chill wait for group
9:00am- Group #1
10:00am- Snack
10:15am- Group #2
11:00am- Group #3
12:00pm- Lunch
12:30pm- Group #4
2:30pm- Snack
2:45pm-Shift change, sit in rooms
5:00pm-5:30pm Dinner
6:30pm-7:30pm- Visiting
8:15pm- Snack
8:30pm- Chill, watch TV until 9
9:00pm- Get ready for bed
10:00pm- Lights out
Hello! Thank you so much for replying to my question. That is so helpful to know the schedule and as well what program I would be in. Take care!!! 🙂
There is a chance I will be allowed to go here. I have a GJ tube and Port, and I need some feedback on their IP program.
I am an adult, and I am not underweight. I had two massive traumas this past year and I dont have other options for treatment centers because of my health issues outside of ED.
I would love more information on their adult IP if you have it as last I heard they were not doing the adult program. I was at res in Jan/Feb at they attempted to transfer me but didn’t get anywhere so just discharged me nowhere instead as no other res would take me. If it’s open if you have more info please share.
Thank you! This is possibly why they were not responsive to the staff that was trying to refer me there as they primarily wanted them to tube me. I have ARFID as well so it doesn’t seem like that would have worked out anyway.
Would not recommend it. Normal psych facilities provide overall better care. Hard to connect with doctor and SW.
My daughter has been there a week. The doctor lowered her meds, which I saw no reason for. Social Worker, [redacted], very hard to deal with. M*****, nurse, is EXCELLENT. Other nurses are good and answer questions. My daughter actually seemed to get worse while there. Limited visiting. Discharge plan very sketchy, done by SW. Discharge plan left on a voicemail. I had many questions….some of the discharge plan was to places I myself researched. She also set up an appointment with a doc who is out of network.
*admin note: names have been redacted per site policy. (although usually the entire name is redacted, here we have left the first initial of the nurse, so that other parents and kids who go there can know where to find the best support there!)
Wow, they gave you her discharge plan in a voicemail?? That’s SO inappropriate, for almost limitless reasons, especially when she is a minor.
I really really hated this place. I still have flashbacks (no other trauma issues) Never send your child/adolescent here. I’m now doing much better, I’m in recovery. BUT DEFINITELY NOT BECAUSE OF HERRICK. Clementine was really the life saver. People at Herrick were decently nice, but there were some very awful aspects. And unfortunately, I have heard from my friends it has gotten worse. Also this is in a recovery mindset, so keep in mind that I may under harshly describe it because I liked some of the aspects when I was deep in my ED.
Ok I’ll make a list:
Thanks for the encouragement! I feel sad that my daughter was here for a week and a half. Nurses are the best part, especially M*****, who is excellent. Very professional.
[Doctor’s name redacted ***] treated my dtr at Alta Bates. Her 1st day, she took her off mood stabelizers and changed w/o advising it takes to 6-8 weeks to be effective. *** proceeded to administer isolation as a consequence for not adhering 100% meal consumption, knowing my 17 y/o had vomited everything for 3 months. My dtr called repeatedly, sobbing because she was isolated; *** refused to allow her to attend art therapy groups, socialize, or have an NG tube. My dtr, with the help of a nurse, wrote her concerns. She explained to *** that during her previous hospital stay, the tube allowed her to begin to eat what she could without [using symptoms], and get the nutritional calories she needed…by the time she left, she was eating 100% of her meals. This time: I removed our dtr AMA, only to find [she had self harmed], as a result of the archaic isolation techniques that *** enforces (she calls them protocol in the “cloud room” (isolation), & apparently no body checks. Pick any other Dr or treatment. She does not specialize in ED.
*The doctor’s name and triggering description of symptoms redacted by admin per site policy
I am so sorry your young daughter went through this. My D is currently experiencing treatment there. Not good. I really thought a Sutter hospital would be good. Disappointing.
I know this is a long shot, but has anyone recently been to Alta Bates.? Even within the past year or 2?
Their ED inpatient program is still running and I have specific questions.
How many calories do they typically start someone on who has heavily been restricting, and how aggressive are they with increases?
I have Medi-Cal insurance so my options are slim to none. This is one of the only places I could possibly go.
Do you get choices in what you eat?
Do they allow vegetarianism?
How long do you get for each meal/snack?
What’s the typical length of stay?
How much are you expected to gain per week if on weight restoration?
Is everyones meal plan individualized?
It would mean the world of someone could answer these questions
Thank you so much for the update on Alta Bates being open! I fixed the review page to reflect this.
I was there twice back in 2016 and 2017. The dieticien and doctors were very helpful but you stay in the regular inpatient unit with other psych patients. They are very strict about compliance and expedited weight gain. They will discharge you if you are noncompliant or treatment resistant
Hi, I was at their adult program within the past year (don’t want to give a specific date bc it’s a *very* small program now, so you could easily identify who I am haha). I’ve also been to their adolescent program a few times, so if anyone has questions about that one, feel free to ask!
(also, sorry in advance for how long this review is going to be… clearly I just don’t have a filter lmao)
1. How many calories do they typically start someone on who has heavily been restricting, and how aggressive are they with increases?
First off, everyone eats 3 meals & 3 snacks. That bit is non-negotiable. When you arrive, they’ll put you on a pre-set menu. Meals vary, but you’ll have the same three snacks every day (morning snack = banana, afternoon snack = celery + pb, evening snack = nutrigrain bar). Totals on the pre-set plan would usually come out to ~2500 calories, sometimes more sometimes less. Supplements are always a pre-set amount. Snacks are one Ensure Enlive. For meals, if you complete 50% or less of every item on your plate, you have to drink 2 Ensure Enlives (emphasis on *every* item — if you eat everything except for a packet of salad dressing, you would still have to drink the two Ensures bc the salad dressing was a 0%). If you complete 51%-99% of every item, you will be given one Ensure Enlive. For the Ensure, they will let you pick the flavor. They pretty much always have vanilla and chocolate, strawberry sometimes runs out but if you like it they can order more for you.
They are fairly aggressive with increases, and if you’re hypermetabolic, you may end up on a *very* high meal plan (like, well over 5k). If you’re losing or maintaining when you’re supposed to be gaining, they will increase your meal plan. It’s not something they mess around with. If you’re struggling to physically tolerate your meal plan, they can give you something like Reglan or Zofran (or both) to help with the fullness & nausea.
Do you get choices in what you eat?
Once you meet with the dietician, you’ll be able to pick three “dislikes.” Your three dislikes will never appear on your meal plan (and if they accidentally do, you can get a substitution). But keep in mind that these dislikes have to be fairly narrow (e.g. you can’t say “cheese,” but you can say “cheddar cheese”).
You will also be able to choose whether you want regular milk or vanilla soy milk (just fyi, the meal plans contain *a lot* of milk)
Once you’ve been there for a few days, the dietician will allow you to start picking your own snacks. They have a pretty big list of options, so chances are there will be something you like. It is worth noting that you can only make three changes per week, so you’ll still be stuck eating the same things a lot.
After about a week, you can start picking your own meals as well. These are generally a bit more restrictive, especially for dinner since you’ll usually only have one or two options for your main.
Do they allow vegetarianism?
Yes, as long as you can convince them it’s not disordered. I’m vegetarian too, and they were willing to accommodate my request. This will count as one of your three dislikes though.
How long do you get for each meal/snack?
Meals are 30 minutes, snacks are 15, and then supplements are 5 each (so 10 total if you have to do two Ensures). There is a clock in the room, so you can keep track of the time yourself. Most staff will also let you know when you’re at the halfway point, sometimes 5 minutes as well. If you’re on a relatively high meal plan & are struggling to complete meals in the allotted time frame, you can also ask your psychiatrist to give you five extra minutes for meals and *sometimes* they’ll be willing to accommodate.
What’s the typical length of stay?
Quite frankly, this one varies a lot. Adults tend to not always stay the recommended length of time, either due to insurance cutting or them choosing to AMA. It’s also going to depend on whether you need to weight restore, and if so, how much (they like to weight restore you before discharge, if possible). If you have good aftercare plans set up (e.g. res or php), you’ll be able to leave sooner than if you don’t. Finally, if you’re there for other issues as well (like safety-related things), that can also prolong your stay. Personally, I ended up discharging AMA after two weeks, but if I hadn’t AMA’d, I probably would have been there for at least another 2-3 weeks. My first admission down on the adolescent unit was 40 days, which seemed to be a bit on the longer side of average.
How much are you expected to gain per week if on weight restoration?
They will not discuss numbers with you (you’ll do blind weights, and if your psychiatrist is the ED program director (which the vast majority of ED patients end up with), good luck getting him to spill lol), however, based on what I read in my medical record, it seems like they’re generally shooting for 2-5 pounds per week. This past admission was kind of all over the place haha, but during my first admission, I ended up gaining ~3.5 lbs per week.
Is everyones meal plan individualized?
Aside from the first week where you’re on the pre-set menu, yes. The dieticians are also pretty flexible & willing to work with you if you can give them a reasonable request. For example, I was struggling to complete my meals in time, but was finishing snacks early. So, the dietician was willing to move things around a bit so that I’d have larger snacks & smaller meals, which helped *a lot*
If you decide to go through with this program, good luck!! I do think it’s a pretty solid program if you’re willing to give it a try. I know a lot of people don’t appreciate the lack of ED-centered programming (it’s a general psych unit, so you just do all the general psych groups like art therapy and relaxation and such), but personally I thought that was actually a good thing bc then you’re not constantly surrounded by ED content. If your psych is the ED program director, he does take some getting used to, and ngl I hated him at first lol. But over the years I’ve come to realize that he’s actually a really good doctor if you’re willing to give him a chance, and you can tell that he truly cares about his patients, which is something I can’t say about any of the other IP psychiatrists I’ve had over the years. You have to keep in mind though that it is a voluntary program, so if you’re not willing to try and just start refusing everything, they will not hesitate to discharge you. But again, if you’re willing to give it a try, I do think it’s worth it 🙂
I know this was a year ago you replied but do you have a sample day of food like your first day? And times of meals? Also, on average how many eating disorder patients are there at a time? And where are groups held?
Oops my bad, I just responded to your other post before seeing this one ?
Tbh I’m not 100% sure on the pre-set menu since the dietician would typically just start mine off on my last meal plan ?. But here’s what I remember:
breakfast: 2x cheerios, milk (soy or reg), juice (can’t remember the rest)
morning snack: banana
lunch: hummus sandwich, milk (can’t remember the rest)
afternoon snack: celery slices & pb
dinner: tofu, rice, & veggies, milk (can’t remember the rest)
evening snack: granola bar
meals/snacks are around 8am, 10am, 12pm, 2:45/3pm (2:45 when MSW *isn’t* there, 3 when they are) 6pm, and ~8pm (evening snack time varies *a lot* lol)
Census varies, when I was there last month there weren’t any ED patients. The most I’ve ever seen on the adult unit was 4.
Groups are just on the unit in the day room. It’s not separate ED groups — you’ll be programming with all the other general psych patients.
How long did you have to wait before getting in to the program?
THEY ARE NOT CURRENTLY RUNNING THE ED PROGRAM!!!
I was here a week ago and the ED program unit is CLOSED. They keep ED patients in a general ward with mental health patients. They are no ED groups or therapists. You eat together (there was just 3 of us) in a room separated from everyone else and THAT IS IT. Nothing else remotely like ED treatment. They are extremely strict about meal plan completion and will discharge you if you aren’t 100% compliant. They said they do tube feeding but it was never given as an option for me even though I asked bcuz they said they don’t normally do it.
Everything the admissions counselor told me was a lie. Don’t come here looking for ED treatment!
they are currently running the program and the day you posted your comment i was there and i just came out yesterday.
Does anyone know if they tube here? What do you do if you’re non compliant?
Any recent adult IP reviews would be greatly appreciated! I am from California and I have Medicare. I don’t have many other options.
Did you end up going and any information or reviews on the program?
What were meals like?
they catered in some meals (little teasers, indian, etc.) and if you were on the ed track, they told you how much to get. otherwise meals were served on trays, some examples were milk/almond milk, mac, tofu with veg and rice, soups, salads, crackers, desserts, edamame, ensure, yogurt, potatoes, eggs, pancakes, pb and j, ravioli, ice-cream and teriyaki tofu. snacks were things such as apples, oranges, edamame, applesauce, oreos, chips, trail mix, ice-cream, ensure, etc.
Any recent IP reviews would be greatly appreciated!!!
Thinking of doing the adult IP program. Would love any recent reviews. Also wondering how aggressive their refeeding approach is?
I have had 7 lengthy stays here due to my Anorexia ._ they do tube and these people really truly care._ I felt safe here overall very intense progam I was on 7250 calories cont feeding.
Without this hospital in September of 2011, i would not be here today. I struggle with anorexia and this hospital was the place that refed me, i stayed for about 3 weeks. It opened my eyes to other conditions, and i always felt safe when i was there. I made new friends that inspired me for life,, ill never forget this hospital.
When were you there: twice in late 2012 in inpatient
How many patients on average? its a mixed unit, but the ED program is usually from 3-10
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined. i believe it does treat both genders, but when i was there all the ED patients were girls
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc? You see your Dr. every day, even if they have to stay until almost 10 at nigh, so dont worry about that.your doctor can give meds as well as being your therapist. you see a nutritionist when you come in and you can request to see them again almost anytime you want.
Describe the average day: The initial review said it all
What were meals like? meals were ok, the group I was with was very supportive and if you were struggling there were always “you can do it!”s there are 1-2 staff members depending on the size of the group, and the “EDOs” as we were called sat at a different table than the rest of the patients on the unit
What sorts of food were available or served? all sorts of things. i dont know how they decided it, but there was pasta, burgers (turkey, veggie, black bean,beef) fish, mac and cheese, pizza on saturdays or fridays, edamame, nuts, granola, rice, goldfish, chips, juice, milk (regular, soy or chocolate soy) yogurt etc.
Did they supplement? How did that system work? yes. if you finished 50% or more of every item on your tray, you got 1 ensure. if you finished less than 50% of anything, you would get 2. for snacks it’s always one, no matter how much you eat of it.
What is the policy of not complying with meals? you get your ensure, if you don’t drink it, you are sent to the cloud room until you do. the cloud room is basically a small room with a chair with clouds and and a rainbow painted on the walls. (its really gross in there)
Are you able to be a vegetarian? YES! they dont care, if you want to be, you can be. they have lots of vegetarian options
What privelages are allowed? later bed times, passes if you have a certain insurance, outside privilages, exercise
Does it work on a level system? yes, levels 1-4. on 2 you can exercise and go outside, 3 you get passes
How do you earn privelages? EAT! and don’t go nuts or anything. if you try to hurt yourself or they catch you not complying with rules you get demoted a level or you have to stay on level one. also getting points (explained below) and fiolling out your hope book (Explained later)
What sort of groups do they have? theater, focal group (where you talk about your problems) art, pet therapy, POC (plan of care, where you work in your “hope book”. ) spirituality, life skills
What was your favorite group? theater or pet therapy.
What did you like the most? groups
What did you like the least? (the doctor i had. he’s kind of annoying and full of himself)
Would you recommend this program? yes, but if you do go there, make sure to tell them to modify their table policies. they dont check trays thoroughly or mouths, so you can often get away with not finishing your food.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed? once you are on level 2 you can go outside and play basketball, volleyball or hula hoop
What did people do on weekends? weekends are a little quieter, but pretty much the same
Do you get to know your weight? No
How fast is the weight gain process? i dont know, you dont get to see, but i think it depends on how much you were eating before/ how much you have to gain
What was the average length of stay? I would say about 2 weeks
What was the average age range?about 13-16
How do visits/phone calls work? visits are every day, and you get 2 phone calls per shift (4 per day)
Are you able to go out on passes? yes, but only on a certain level with certain insurance
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an OP treatment team? yes, they have PHP and IOP
Other: Point cards- you have to get a certain number of points per day to move up levels, but its pretty easy as long as your not in the cloud room.
Hope book- basicaly an ED workbook. it helps you and your doctor work together to explain why you have an ed, why you should recover, and tracks your progress and things like that.
Hope I helped!
I want to put in a good word for Alta Bates. I went there at the beginning of 2011 and have been in real recovery ever since. For one thing, I do believe that treatment success depends very much on how ready the patient is to change, and I guess I was pretty ready. But I credit the people at Herrick for being ready to “push me over the cliff”, if that makes sense. I mean, they really stayed focused on the problems that were perpetuating the disorder, and I was forced to feel them at look at them. They knew what they were doing.
I was uncomfortable about 95% of the time I was there, and I think that was a good thing! It’s not a vacation; it’s supposed to be shitty. It’s shitty to feel all the feelings you’ve been avoiding. It’s shitty to lose your primary coping mechanism and feel like you have no way to make yourself feel better. It’s just shitty recovering, at first. I guess I was ready though. when I came in, I thought I was hopeless because I had been doing this stuff for so long, but the miracle came when I just suddenly stated to trust them.
Anyway, as far as the specifics go: I was bulimic and didn’t need to gain weight. I was not abstinent from bulimia for the majority of my time there (about 3 months outpatient). No was on mad at me, but I had to talk about it when I arrived in the morning. sometimes I would leave telling everyone, I’m going to go binge now because it’s the only thing that will make me feel better, and they’d be like “OK. Is that actually going to work though?” No! It didn’t. So my point is that they weren’t just lecturing about stuff we already knew; they just wanted us to talk about what we were thinking. And of course, the more I talked about it (and listened to everyone else talk) the more I realized that we were all really sick.
When I was there, several of the staff were people in recovery. I didn’t dislike any of the staff. All the nutritionists and other therapists were nice too. It seemed like everyone was just genuinely concerned for me and wanted to help me. I especially appreciate this because I was not exactly charming most of the time. I was in a pretty bad mood a lot. I threw a few tantrums when my feelings overwhelmed me. But everyone just kept being nice to me.
We did restorative yoga and I got a lot out of that because it helped me relieve my anxiety and forced me to be in touch with my body. We did a lot of DBT work, which focuses on how you handle your emotions. We did a process group every morning that was so unbelievably uncomfortable because I could resonate with almost everybody’s experience, but I couldn’t just escape. We did a few nutrition groups, but the actual food was not a major focus (for me at least, perhaps because I wasn’t dangerously underweight). Also we did not get to talk much about body image, even though we all wanted to, because body image is not actually the problem. It’s just the thing that people with eating disorders come to believe is the problem.
Oh I actually did talk nuts and bolts about food in my individual nutrition sessions, which were pretty frequent. I hated hearing that I needed to loosen my grip on my food, but of course that was what I heard every time. It was true! I was encouraged to let my measurements be imperfect, and not to cut any food groups out entirely. For a while I was using a food tracker app to try to control my intake. Nobody forced me to stop, but they asked me why I was doing it. Eventually I realized that it did make me feel worse. Also I started working out at a gym to control my weight, and again I just got questioned about it, which made me see that it was just another version of the same problem.
Anyway, I would for sure recommend this place to anyone with an ED. Even if you don’t fully recover this time, I bet you will learn enough that your eating disorder will become less comfortable and less useful to you. Actually I think many of the people I went with didn’t fully recover while in treatment, but we’ve kept in touch and most of them have returned to seek more treatment elsewhere, which is major success. (I created a Facebook page for us all to stay in touch, which wasn’t allowed. That’s one thing I disagree with them about. It has been awesome to keep our relationships going, even two years later now. We encourage each other and all the fighting or whatever they’re worried about hasn’t happened. I made a point to invite everyone.)
I am so, so, SO grateful to be through with bulimia! The struggle was worth it!
sounds very real life actually, thanks for the information!
Hi, thanks to everyone who contributed these reviews, especially BH above. I’m looking into the IOP at Alta Bates (the Adult Program)–I’m not sure if anyone checks this page, but I’d like to chat briefly with an alum program from the program if possible. My email is posted below, if anyone happens to see this.
Thanks,
effective.glissando@gmail.com
I basically relapsed RIGHT out of IP… really disappointing and not their fault, but this whole reply is just my experience.
Between their EDO program and a 5-day stint in the medical ward, I was in there almost 6 weeks. Left because insurance gave me the boot. They have a super aggressive refeeding program and I wouldn’t really recommend them. I developed horrible edema from it, too, but that’s me. At the rate I was going with my AN, they may well have saved my life, but a less aggressive program probably would have, too. And it was like being in prison. They went through my stuff, moved it,, confiscated it, etc.. I relapsed almost immediately. Could be worse, but my everyday choices are not great, that’s for sure. Again, that’s on me. But I don’t want to believe I went through all that trauma that for nothing.
Certain staffers can be *extremely* rude, even when you’re polite, and sometimes even when you’re in distress, and their methods are inhumane, imo. Consequences for finishing 50% or less of one meal is: 2 Ensure Plus drinks. If you eat 51-99% of your massive meal, you have to drink 1 of them. Truth is, if you eat 99.9999% (all but the residue or crumbs *anyone* might leave without noticing) they won’t let you go to the therapy groups downstairs. It seemed like a punishment to most of us, and one that triggered tears in many, but they call it an incentive. So if they don’t approve of your behavior and slip-ups (maybe “approve” is the wrong word in regard to slip-ups), they deprive you of the very thing that could help you: therapy. I’d call that defeating the purpose.
The EDO program is in the greater psych ward of the hospital. It is an esteemed EDO IP for acute patients – esteemed by a mere handful of patients I met and by many non-patients. I realize that some people may not like or want *any* treatment, but I’m referring to my fellow adult voluntary clients. Many more patients like the PHP, and I must say the PHP facilitator is awesome incarnate.
Insurance will generally prioritize non-EDO MI’s. I know for me every MI symptom I’ve ever had came out in that ward due to the stress.
I must say that some of the staffers are nice, and really a joy to work with.
I’m so glad this is back up.
Thanks for all you do.
Pre-2012 Reviews
2012
i was there for php/iop. alta bates is on the small side and intimate. their meals are done by exchange. i think this could be a good place for someone whose main concern is an ED but may not be so focused on other illnesses or dual diagnosis. especially since theres little individualization at the php/iop level. the meals are everybody — ip (adolescent and adult), php, and iop and staff sit with you. they have a catered meal once a week. the rest of the time you pick from a menu for the following week. im a very picky eater, and they were flexible. the nutritionists are super nice! it was blind weights and vitals every other day or so at this level of care. not sure if you get to know your weight. i didnt ask since i was still using my scale at home anyway :/ but i wasnt pressured to gain weight at all actually. i am on the higher side of a normal weight. i never saw any tubing, but i wasnt there too long. i heard from inpatient people that weekends were a bit dull and less scheduled, but i think this is the case for most ip places (even non ED). i think theyre in the process of updating their location within the building? this is what i last heard.
let me know if you have other questions!
2011 at 6:06 am said:
Ok, So I just left this place yesterday & I have really mixed feelings about my stay… First off let me say I was in the ADULT ed program & I was there because I had no choice (5150), Anyway, the ED unit is a MIXED unit which makes it very uncomfortable because you cant wear belts or draw string pants which doesn’t work well with the re-feading process.
Also groups are held off the unit & used as a “privilege” so for example… if you don’t eat 100% you don’t go to group! You get stuck on the unit with all the depressed people!
The food is OK but get used to eating the same thing every few days, it’s always a sandwich at least once a day as the hospital doesn’t have a kitchen on site so they make the food at the main hospital & send it over in a truck.
The last YUCKY, is that there is no individual therapists. it’s all group therapy
The only thing good about this place was the unit staff. They were really nice, friendly & supportive… Meal times were actually not to bad, they were not riding us & it’s a small enough group that they can really sit with you if you need it & there also fair about the food, like they help you figure out how much you need to eat so you know if you have to boost or not.
I wouldn’t recommend the program unless you’r going to die & you have no where else to go!!
______
When were you there: May for 1 week (I’m misdiagnosed with anorexia off and on due to being a teen girl but after a week there they confirmed I don’t have an ED it’s my physical symptoms making it difficult for me to eat. I am reviewing based on my experience but since I don’t have an ED also on some of the friends that do have ED’s there.)
Describe the average day:
6:30 – Weight (mon, wed, fri) and blood work if needed)
7:00 – Suggested wake up and you want to if you want a shower!
8:00 – Breakfast
9:00 – Check-in
9:30 – Workbooks
10:00 – Snack
10:15 – Focal Group
11:15 – Drama, Art or some group
12:00 – Lunch
1:00 – School
2:00 – Snack
2:15 – P.E. (If level 2+), workbooks, or pet therapy
3:00 – Room time
4:00 – Usually art therapy
5:00 – Community meeting
5:30 – Dinner
6:00 – Visiting hour!
7:00 – Room time
7:15 – Group game
8:15 – Snack
9:00 – Wrap-up and bedtime Level 1
9:15 – Bedtime level 2
9:30 – Bedtime level 3
9:45 – Bedtime level 4
10:00 – Lights out
What were meals like? Since this is just an adolescent psych unit there is an “ED” table where there is at least one staff sitting there depending on the amount of patients. There is supposed to be no food talk but there always was. Many of the staff members criticize you and make you cry during meals. The girls were supportive though throughout the meals.
What sorts of food were available or served? I really liked that they were for healthy eating. They had lots of fresh fruits and vegetables available as well as juice and soy milk which was pretty much what I ate. I tried some of the other food and didn’t like it tasted like hospital food but I got served different things. They offered: Taco bar, burrito bar, sandwich bar, spaghetti, macaroni, chicken, ribs, cereals, oatmeal, english muffins, peanut butter, bagels, muffins, bars, yogurt, cake, chili, fish, rice (icky hospital kind though), cookies, salad, pancakes, french toast, ice cream, and different kinds of sandwiches. That’s all I can think of right now!
Did they supplement? How did that system work?
Yes, if you finish 50% or more 1 Ensure Plus anything less 2. If you don’t finish them in 5 min you go to the cloud room. They don’t put NG tubes down there but I came in with one and they screwed up my feds and had NO clue about feds, NG’s nothing! Seriously I know way more than them sad. The girls did say they were threatened with them before so I guess they do them sometimes.
What privileges are allowed?
P.E., later bedtimes, and passes if you have Kaiser insurance.
Does it work on a level system?
Yes – Safety level, level 1, level 2, level 3, and level 4. You don’t have to get to a certain level to leave it’s just for privileges.
What sort of groups do they have?
Focal group, art group, drama group, med group, relaxation, pet therapy, life skills group, game group.
What was your favorite group? Pet therapy and art group! Only because I like those things anyways.
What did you like the most? Visiting times! Also I made some good friends with the girls there even though we have different problems.
What did you like the least? Focal group!!! Beyond awkward for me!!! Also most of the staff except a couple were horrible!!! There was a video camera watching me in my room because I had the tube someone could strangle themselves with it and it had the only real outlet in it. 2 of the rooms have video cameras by the nursing station.
Would you recommend this program? Well I’ve been to Kaiser EDIOP Sacramento and absoulty recommend no one EVER go there!!! So compared to that for someone with an eating disorder I find this program pretty top of the line they just need to fire some of their nurses and get new ones. They keep you really busy which is beneficial for most with ED’s but with me being ill coming in made me sicker.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed? You can walk around all you want…well not literally someone would stop you but you walk a lot compared to most. There is P.E. if your allowed, yoga, and relaxation.
What did people do on weekends? Pretty much the same as weekdays except longer visiting hours on Sundays and sometimes we got to watch a movie.
Do you get to know your weight? You get to know your goal weight and girls got to know if they were close to it.
How fast is the weight gain process? 1-3lbs a week but I lost weight like usual for ED programs.
What was the average length of stay? A few days to a few months. It depends on how much weight you need to gain, how willing you are to eat, stuff like that.
What was the average age range? 12-18
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an OP treatment team?
They have PHP and OP I didn’t go though.
If you have any other questions just ask me! =)