Center for Change (CFC) is based in Orem, Utah, and offers Inpatient, Residential, Independent Living Program, Partial Hospitalization (PHP), Intensive Outpatient (IOP), and Outpatient eating disorder treatment. They also have a campus just outside of Salt Lake City that offers PHP, IOP and Outpatient, and a campus in Boise, Idaho that offers PHP and IOP.
CFC has specialized treatment tracks for patients with Diabulimia / Type 1 Diabetes or co-occurring Substance Abuse, or who are Athletes. It is also has a certified Gluten Free Food Service. For adolescent patients, there is an accredited on-site high school to continue academic progress.
Any current reviews? Please post in comments below. You can check out the FAQ and Guidelines for suggested questions. Thank you!
When were you there?
October 2024 – January 2025
What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?
Inpatient and RTC (residential)
If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible?
Yes
How many patients are there on average?
Inpatient can hold up to 21, RTC can hold up to 28. Adolescent RTC can hold around 20, I believe.
What genders does it treat?
On inpatient and RTC, they treat females including trans women. They also treat FTM trans adolescents. PHP and IOP treat females and males.
If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people?
Yes
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc?
Inpatient: therapist 4x weekly, dietitian 2x weekly, and depending on insurance, you might see the medical and psych nurse practitioners (NP) daily. Nurses are available 24/7.
RTC: therapist 2x weekly, dietitian 2x weekly, medical and psych NP once weekly. Nurses are available 24/7.
What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
On inpatient, including nurses, about 1:3 or 1:5. On RTC, about 1:5 or 1:7. Because RTC is a lower acuity unit, they have fewer staff scheduled unless the census is higher.
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)?
DBT, ACT, CBT, exposure therapy, and Internal Family Systems (IFS) and EMDR depending on the therapist.
Describe the average day:
Inpatient: morning vitals at 6:15, breakfast, free time, snack 1, group, midday vitals, lunch, group, snack 2, group, evening vitals, dinner, free time/facetime (depending on the day), snack 3, lights out by 9:15
RTC: morning vitals at 7, goals/stretching, breakfast, free time, snack 1, group, free time, lunch, group, snack 2, group, free time, dinner, free time/facetime (depending on the day), snack 3, lights out by 9:45
What were meals like?
CFC uses an Intuitive Eating approach, so meals are comprised of a main + sides. The number of sides is determined by weight restoration needs and dietary goals. Snacks are similar in that they differ depending on dietary goals.
There are different levels of plating meals. Everyone starts on plated meals/snacks and plated water. On phase 2, you can move to family style, where you plate yourself but have to choose from the first option in the kitchen. Then there’s advanced family style, where you can choose either main option and any of the available sides. Finally, there’s intuitive eating, where you plate whatever you’d like (within your meal plan guidelines) and eat according to hunger and fullness cues. You do not receive supplement for anything left on your plate on intuitive.
What sorts of food were available or served?
They serve typical breakfast foods (waffles, muffins, croissant sandwiches, cereal, cream of wheat, oatmeal, pastries) and sides are things like bananas, yogurt, milk or juice, etc.
Lunch and dinner have much more variety including Italian, American, Indian, Asian, etc. foods. Sides are variable, too.
One thing I really like about their approach to meals is that you’re allowed to add extras to things without it counting as part of your meal plan, so you aren’t required to finish it. Things like granola for yogurt, cookie butter or sun butter for toast, bananas, oatmeal, and cream of wheat, fry sauce for chicken sandwiches and fries, mayo for sandwiches, etc. You’re free to portion what you add to your meal and as long as it isn’t mixed in entirely with a plated item, you aren’t required to finish it.
Did they supplement? How did that system work?
They do supplement with Ensure Plus, Ensure Clear, or Kate Farms (though you need a dietary order for Clear or Kate Farms). Supplement amount is determined by how much of each item remains on your plate. The care techs measure a specific amount per your dietary order.
What is the policy of not complying with meals?
CFC has changed their policy on meal compliance quite a bit since the last time I was there.
If you refuse a meal, supplement, or plated fluids, you are put on nutritional correction. While on nutritional correction, you lose facetime and computer privileges, can’t go outside, can’t use phase privileges, can’t work on phase assignments, and can’t redeem stickers on RTC (more on this later). You can’t come off nutritional correction until you make up what you have missed. You can only do correction at meals and snacks and you have to be the one to approach staff to request to do correction. Depending on how much you have to make up, they’ll either give you Ensure Plus, or a bakery item or shake based on the dietary order.
If you are on inpatient and refuse 3 or more times, your team will discuss placing a feeding tube. This is different from how it used to be, where 3 refusals automatically meant a tube. If you continue to refuse without making up nutritional correction, they’ll determine if a tube is necessary. No nutritional correction is initially given on the tube until you are plated food, but even then you can negotiate makeup going through the tube feeds with your dietitian.
Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan?
You can now eat vegetarian, but not vegan. Being able to eat vegetarian is new since the last time I was there.
What privileges are allowed?
On inpatient, you can use the computer for email once daily for 20 minutes or longer for phase assignments. You can use the unit phone on MWF for a 20 minute call in a family room. Facetime is Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday for 30 minutes in your room, unless a tube feed is running, and then you use a family room.
On RTC, you can use the computer whenever you want but you can’t shop without an order, use social media, or watch videos on YouTube. You can use the unit phone whenever you’d like during free time with no time limit.
Then there are phase privileges. Each phase advancement comes with new privileges.
Phase 2: additional day of facetime on Monday, can make one 20 minute phone call in your room each day, can use an mp3 player for music during free time, can go on passes with family or friends (if on pass level exercise or higher) or can do virtual passes if you aren’t local, can go on short walks (if on low level exercise or higher), and can go on the rec outing and leisure outings (if on low level exercise or higher).
Phase 3: phase 2 privileges plus additional day of facetime on Friday, coffee each morning with an NP order, non-diet soda as a side at meals, a key to your room to use during downtime, can take yourself to groups without staff/without using the buddy system, can go outside with another phase 3 patient when weather permits, only do weights MWF, can use phone for music during down time, and can go on the social outing on Thursdays (if on low level exercise or higher).
Phase 4: phase 3 privileges plus facetime every day, a bathroom key to your own bathroom (so no more flush checks), can be weighed in regular clothes and not a hospital gown, and can have diet soda as a privilege (but does not count as a side at meals).
Does it work on a level system?
Yes, there is a phase program with 4 phases, each dedicated to an aspect of recovery. Every phase has a set of 15-20 assignments you have to complete before you can move to the next phase. You have to be on each phase a minimum of 2 weeks before you can advance to the next.
How do you earn privileges?
You earn privileges by phasing up or by using stickers on RTC. You earn stickers throughout each day for various things (if the unit gets vitals done 15 minutes before everyone has to be on the unit, if you meet your prior daily goal, if you set a daily goal, if you are compliant with meds, if no one boosts at a meal or snack, if you are honest about a behavior, etc.). You can redeem stickers for things like coffee, tea, or soda (with an NP order), hot cocoa or cider (but they count as a side at breakfast), leaving the dining hall after the first 15 minutes of a meal, using your mp3 player for half a day or a full day of music on phase 1, or your phone for music on phase 2, watching the sunset, adding 30 minutes to a virtual pass or 1 hour to an off-campus pass, etc.
What sort of groups do they have?
ACT, DBT, CBT, self-compassion, open process, experiential, IFS, RO-DBT, finger dancing (it’s an experience), yoga or RIMBA (optional and based on exercise level), community, togetherness, devotional (optional), music therapy, shame resilience, recovery planning, skills
What was your favorite group?
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
If applicable: Is the program trauma-informed?
Yes
What did you like the most?
I liked the Intuitive Eating approach to meals and snacks. It’s fairly unique to CFC and I loved that it normalized an all-foods-fit mentality and allowed for more flexibility within meal plans, as opposed to exchanges which I find restrictive.
What did you like the least?
The units sometimes feel a little understaffed. We almost always needed 3 care techs on each unit (especially on inpatient where it is very high acuity), but depending on the census sometimes we only had 2.
Would you recommend this program?
Absolutely
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
There is a range of exercise levels: wheelchair, walker, elevators, stairs/none, pass, low, and full. No one gets past stairs on inpatient. On RTC, the NP has to clear you for a higher level of exercise. You can also have your level lowered based on medical complications, noncompliance, etc. You have to be phase 2 to be allowed to participate in movement groups.
On RTC, you can go on short walks a few times a week low level or higher. You can also attend yoga on low, and RIMBA (a CFC specific type of movement) on full. Everyone can attend finger dancing on Mondays and Fridays.
What did people do on weekends?
There are a few groups on weekends, but for the most part we had free time. There’s a Saturday leisure outing for people on phase 2 and low level exercise that takes a few hours. We watched movies and played games during downtime. If you’re on phase 2 and approved for pass level exercise, you can go on a pass with family or friends, or you can do a virtual pass for up to 2 hours on Saturday and/or Sunday.
Do you get to know your weight?
No.
If applicable: How fast is the weight gain process?
CFC follows APA guidelines.
What was the average length of stay?
I would say 6-12 weeks from inpatient through PHP, but it’s so individualized.
What was the average age range?
13-50. Adolescents and adults are mixed on inpatient and PHP, but are separated on RTC so the average range there was 18-50.
How do visits/phone calls work?
You can apply for a visit on weekends no matter what unit or phase you are on. Phone calls on inpatient are MWF (non-facetime days) for 20 minutes. If you’re on nutritional correction, you can have a 20 minute phone call in a family room in lieu of facetime on designated facetime days. On RTC, you can use the phone whenever there’s downtime.
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)?
No electronics except for phones and mp3 players. Phones can be used during designated facetime for 30 minutes. Phones and mp3 players can be left at the front desk on RTC for music during the day according to phase privileges or sticker redemption.
For adolescents: Did they provide time to do schoolwork or offer academic support?
CFC has an onsite school for adolescents to keep up with their curriculum. I believe the schooling they receive counts for 1/3 of a regular high school credit per class.
For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go on outings/passes?
No passes or outings on inpatient. On RTC, you can go on rec and leisure outings on low level exercise, and can go on passes with family or friends on pass level. If you’re not local and don’t have anyone who can take you on pass, you can have virtual passes on the weekends.
For PHP/IOP: What support do they provide outside of programming hours?
I didn’t do PHP this admission, but spoke with a friend who confirmed there isn’t much support outside of programming hours. I do know the apartments are located between a grocery store and a hospital intentionally in case of an emergency.
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team?
CFC requires you to have appointments with your entire outpatient treatment team (including medical) within 7 days of discharge. They have a coordinator who will help you set up outpatient care by researching providers near where you live.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?
Yes, there are apartments for PHP patients who are not local. I know they also accept patients from Canada, but they aren’t in-network with Canadian insurance so this has to be worked out on the Canadian end of things if you don’t want to private pay. I do know some Canadian insurance will cover out-of-country treatment if there aren’t enough or sufficient resources in the country.
If applicable: How is the program responding to COVID? (Fewer patients, virtual programming, no visitors, masks, social distancing, etc?
The Center has resumed normal programming and isn’t currently using COVID precautions. However, if staff were recently sick, they wear masks for a few days upon returning to work. If patients are sick, they’re required to wear a mask and may be put on bedrest.
Other?
The Center has significantly improved their knowledge and treatment of ARFID. They have an ARFID-specific menu, approach, optional group, and an ARFID specialist dietitian who works with patients struggling with this eating disorder.
Center for Change has also become a higher acuity center in the last couple years. During my last stay, there were a max of 3 tubes on inpatient at any given time. Now they are almost always at their max of 8. (Keep in mind it’s not a huge inpatient unit and that’s more than 1/3 of the patients.)
Self-reflection is different now than it used to be. Nutritional correction has replaced SR for the most part. Now, instead of being 4 hours of sitting and doing assignments in isolation, you are given 3-4 writing assignments to complete on your own time and can be in the community while you do them. Facetime and phase privileges are paused until you come off SR.
I would reiterate what some prior comments have mentioned about SI/SH. This isn’t CFC’s strong suit, so if you are needing more intensive support for these issues, this may not be the right fit.
CFC’s programming is developed to allow you to advocate for yourself, to practice honesty without fear of anger or punishment, and to practice your skills as you progress through the program. It is truly individualized treatment. Center for Change is a strict treatment center, but they’re the best at what they do. It’s a challenge to be there, but I am leaving feeling more capable and stronger in my recovery than ever before.
Do people ever stay for shorter term stabilization?
I know of a few patients who did inpatient and left shortly after transitioning to RTC, so I do know it’s possible. However, I think you would have to sign a 7-day release to leave after stabilizing if you don’t want to do RTC.
How do they accommodate food allergies. I cannot have gluten or dairy. Thank you for your help if you know.
I believe you have to have a documented allergy by IgE blood test or other verified medical test to be on a gluten/dairy free meal plan
How punitive would you say this place is? Also could you give an example or two of the types of 15-20 assignments? Is it like all essays? Worksheets? A mix?
I am seriously considering CTC, BUT I am concerned about the TTI vibes of level systems and punishments and the being dropped a level punpunitivelI don’t do well with confrontation due to trauma both within the TTI and with a tyrant parent. I don’t mind being held accountable for my choices and behaviors as long as it’s not shaming and feels like it’s *actually* to help me. Idk if that makes sense?
also is IFS therapist specific or is it part of the group/pprogramming for everyone? My AN-R stems from my childhood trauma so it’s important for me to get help for that and IFS seems to be the best model I’ve come across.
Please feel free to email me at ccgp05@aol.com
Thank you so much!
Hi !!
i will probably be there soon . Do you know if it happens often that insurance refuse to extend coverage after 2-3 weeks ? My insurance seems to cover but I have read that sometimes they might refuse to keep covering.
feel free to email me
The treatment team (composed of therapist, medical provider, dietitian etc) meet to discuss your continued treatment or discharge plan. Their systematic, substantiated decisions are made in the best interest of the patient and their recommendations seem to be well received and accepted by insurance companies. Not in all cases but it seems like in most. …
Have you noticed any changes in completion rates, either positively or negatively, since self-reflection was replaced with nutritional correction? Do you think the increase in tube feeds is related to this change?
Completion rates are definitely down. Two years ago, you completed at CFC or you were tubed or discharged. Now, there’s a fair amount of people on inpatient (and even RTC) that refuse a lot early in treatment and are on nutritional correction. SR was definitely more intense than NC, but they’re basically the same loss of privileges, just without the isolation Most are tubed eventually, but it’s not a three strike policy anymore, so completion is definitely not the same.
I would say completion is the norm though. It’s much better than other treatment centers.
this review is so so helpful thank you!! I am on the waitlist for RTC right now. Do they allow crocheting in the adult program?
No, due to safety reasons they don’t allow yarn crafts.
Ok thank you! Do they have any other specific restrictions as far as crafts/hobbies/journals allowed? (obviously I am assuming anything involving sharps is not permissible but I know some places have different rules about what constitutes as a sharp)
No fidgets allowed. Journals can have a string as long as it’s shorter than 12”. Nothing can contain metal. They’ll provide pens for you that are CFC approved.
Most people do diamond art, coloring books, puzzle books, and read.
AE- do you know anything about their short term stabilization program now that they have it again?
Hey! I’ve been interested in this, too. Have you gotten any more info by chance? I’ve been telling myself I’m going to call, but have been so scared. I am going to call them up tomorrow to ask about this/their programming… posting here in hopes of holding myself accountable to calling them. I’ll report back what I learn!
Hi Car! I am also interested in the short term stabilization program–did you learn anything when you called? Thank you and wishing you the best moving forward in your own recovery journey.
Hi Car and Anonymous! I’m supposed to start this next week. When you call or email, all you have to do is ask about it! The admission director is wonderful.
Hi Eliz! Thank you so much for your response! I wish you the best during your time at Center for Change, and perhaps we will cross paths at some point in the future 🙂
Oh that is wonderful to hear! I have not called yet… have been too scared. I wonder if I could reach someone on the weekend? Also Eliz if you wouldn’t mind sharing, I’d be curious how long the process of getting admitted took? I am sure it varies but would love an idea if you’d feel comfortable sharing.
It was about a week from the time I first emailed them to get the process started to when I was offered an admission date, but that might have been faster than usual because there wasn’t a long wait list at the time. I don’t think you can reach anyone on the weekend, but I encourage you to call or email in the morning!
Thanks so much, Eliz – I plan to call tomorrow. I hope all goes well and that it’s a healing, helpful experience for you. You got this!
Thank you! Were you able to get in touch with them and/or start the admissions process?
Hi Eliz, I was wondering if you completed the short-term stabilization program and if so, if you could provide a bit of information about your experience if you feel comfortable.
Unfortunately I didn’t. I’m sorry I can’t provide any insight :/
I know you weren’t asking me but I was at CFC in 2023 and am about to readmit. I also went through the admissions process last fall.
Everytime they’ve been VERY clear the short-term stabilization program is no longer open/hasn’t been for years. They were completely unwilling to acknowledge my goals were not full recovery/full weight restoration, which was challenging therapeutically.
They do have great medical care imo and can handle higher acuity cases so you could do IP there and leave AMA (they require 7 days notice).
That’s what I did 2 years ago and plan to do this year. They were psyched about it but it’s a voluntary program so ultimately they’ll let you discharge.
They’re apparently telling different people different things. As of today, they were still willing to do a 3-week short term stabilization for me.
I just discharged and they’re much more supportive of a harm reduction approach now. I think if you ask if they have a short-term stabilization program, they’re going to say no. However, based on what I saw, they do short term stabilization if you tell them that’s what you’re doing from the start.
Basically, they’ll accommodate that if that’s your plan/all the time you have for treatment, but they don’t advertise that or encourage it.
When were you there?
February 2023-June 2023
What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?
Inpatient, res, and PHP
If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible?
Yes, since they do use weelchairs and walkers here.
How many patients are there on average?
It is a larger milieu. Inpatient I think was like 15 adult and adolescent combined and once you stepped down to res, they split. I was on the adult unit which I think held like 23 of us.
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined?
I believe it accepts anyone who was assigned female at birth, but you can identify as nonbinary, etc.
If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people?
Most of the staff were respectful of pronouns and identities, but I cannot speak for everyone as this is not part of my experience.
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc?
Inpatient you see the therapist 4X/Week, NP ~3X/week (also handles psych related things), psychiatrist 1X/week, dietician 2X/week.
RTC You saw your therapist 2X/week, psych 1X/week, medical 1X/week (Although you had to put yourself on the list to see them unless they needed to follow up with something already), and dietician 1X/week.
PHP Therapy is 2X/week, medical 1X/week, psych 1X/week, and dietician 2X/week
What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
1:4
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)?
ACT, CBT, DBT, music therapy, art/rec therapy, IFS
Describe the average day:What were meals like?Every meal consisted of an entree and sides. It starts out for everyone as main and 2 sides, but you can get increased from there (it’s individualized, and not required of everyone), I believe it would go up to main and 4 sides, not sure. You do not select your meals and they are unknown until you get to the dining room. You start out on plated everything, including water, and after your team deems it appropriate you will start self plating, where you go into the kitchen and dish in accordance to your meal plan, family style. They follow intuitive eating rather than exchanges. Snacks were the same in which you didn’t know until you get there.
What sorts of food were available or served?
Huge variety, served things from pizza to stir frys to curries. I would say they lean more on foods that can be challenging because they want you normalize eating all foods, and see that there are no good or bad foods. It was really diverse and eventually the meals do repeat but it was a pretty long time until they would, I would say at least a month. Desserts are regularly incorporated into your meal plan. They would be things like brownies, cookies, crumbles, etc. Breakfast were things like cereal, waffles (the belgian waffles are the best!), hasbrowns, parfaits. Snacks could really be anything. Sometimes it would be juice or crackers and cheese. I believe on Thursdays they have challenge snack day where you eat a variation of the same snack, and it would alternate weekly on sweet or savory. Depending on if weight restoration is needed, you might be asked to do shakes or parfaits. The shakes were things like cookies n cream, cookie butter flavored, m &m.
Did they supplement? How did that system work?
It’s based on percentages, and the techs will pour the associated amount of boost, and you are expected to drink it. I think they use chocolate or vanilla, but you can also get boost breeze.
What is the policy of not complying with meals?
Extremely strict policy, I think because they want you to be nutritionally stable so you can do the therapeutic work. If you refuse boost the first time, you will be on something called self-reflection, it’s about 4 hours of doing worksheets/sitting with yourself. The second time, I am not sure if anything happens, but if you get another refusal, depending on which level of care you’re in, you might get stepped up or they will talk about inserting a tube. When I was on inpatient, it was pretty automatic. But I will say despite the consequences, I did not feel I was being punished and staff were not mean about it in any way. I also think in RTC, if you supplement/refuse, you will be phase-dropped, in which some of the privileges you might not have for ~48hrs (things like extra phone time and outings).
You also have to make up anything you don’t have, which can be really overwhelming, especially if it’s a lot. But my dietician worked with me, and you can do things like shakes and such if you do have a lot.
For the tube feeding, I would say that depending on your case, they like to get it out as soon as possible. They will have you on the first day with everything going on the tube, then gradually incorporate everything. I think I started out with just one snack taken orally, and then every day something else was added. Once you are able to intake everything orally after 24hrs, the tube will be taken out. I also just want to say they are very experienced in inserting them and I was really scared but it was ok!
Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan?
I don’t think so.
What privileges are allowed?
It all depends on where you are in your weight restoration journey, where you are mentally, etc. As you go through their phase system, you get more privileges. Some of these include going on the outings, going on walks, having your phone to listen to music, coffee, getting extra phone time.
Does it work on a level system?
It’s on a phase system, 1-4. Everyone starts out on phase 1.
How do you earn privileges?
You have to advance in their phase system to earn the extra privileges, which means adhering to the meal plan, completing all assignments, processing in therapy. They will give you a packet that lists all of the requirements to advance to the next phase. You also have to apply for phase advancement, and get approval from your therapist. However, if you are on weight-restoration, I believe you have to hit a certain weight goal before advancing to the next phase, which can be really frustrating, as it is out of your control. I also think you need to be on a phase for at least 2 weeks until you can advance to the next one.
What sort of groups do they have?
They have all the typical ones like CBT, DBT, and ACT, but they also have things like Compassion, Music Therapy, Body Image, Yoga/Movement Group, Open Process, Free Art, IFS. I believe that inpatient, RTC, and PHP all differ in their groups. For example, in PHP we had a group on RO-DBT.
What was your favorite group?
Body Image
If applicable: Is the program trauma-informed?
Yes
What did you like the most?
I loved the techs, nursing, and the groups on Body Image and IFS. Most of the staff are very kind, very experienced, and care about you. We also did pet therapy every other week which was so nice. The outings were really fun and I made really good friends while I was there.
What did you like the least?
I am really hesitant to say this, but I had a terrible experience with my team. I felt wronged by my therapist and left in a worse mental state than when I came in. I really don’t think I made any progress therapeutically and really only nutritionally/medically stabilized. I wish I requested a different team, but I was too scared. I really think depending on who you get can shape your experience, as there is a LOT of staff here so everyone’s therapist/dietician was different. But if you don’t like who you are working with, you are absolutely allowed to talk about switching.
Would you recommend this program?
I am really sad and disappointed that I had a bad experience, because a lot of my friends had great experiences, so I still think this is a solid program. Please DON’T LET THIS DISCOURAGE YOU FROM GOING! 🙂 Sometimes things just don’t work out. If you think strictness will help you, rather than just force you to go through the motions, I think CFC is a good option. A lot of people are so caring and knowledgeable, and I appreciated it a lot. Plus the mountains are really pretty haha
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
Depends on your phase but we did yoga and other forms of gentle movement, plus walks.
What did people do on weekends?
There are still some groups, but more downtime so you can work on assignments, read, play games, work on puzzles. I forget which phases these are on because I came from out of state so I couldn’t do this, but you can go on 4hr or 8hr passes, meaning you could go out with family or go home, it’s basically leaving the center and then coming back. They will check for contraband though.
Do you get to know your weight?
No
If applicable: How fast is the weight gain process?
Sorry, I have no idea because I didn’t need to weight restore.
What was the average length of stay?
Honestly it was so varied and individualized. I know people who were in inpatient for 2 months, 2 weeks, etc. RTC was more 2-3 months. PHP I think could also be about 2 months give or take.
What was the average age range?
When I was there it was mostly 20-30s, but there is also an adolescent unit as well upstairs.
How do visits/phone calls work?
In the evenings you can use a phone or on certain days there was time scheduled for facetiming.
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)?
You can only have your phone is listen to music if you are on Phase 3, otherwise you can’t have your phone outside of facetime time. I think you can also get approval from your therapist if you need to make a call during the day or something.
For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go on outings/passes?
Yes (see above for more details)
For PHP/IOP: What support do they provide outside of programming hours?
Honestly I am not sure, there is no on-call number for a therapist or anything.
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team?
My team didn’t help with aftercare at all so idk.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?
They give you a number for shuttle services or hotels. If you are in PHP, you can stay in the apartments, and they will take you to and from programming.
I can also answer any questions you might have!
They do have a vegetarian meal plan and also a kosher meal plan! They try their best to work with patients with different dietary restrictions (mainly religious dietary restrictions) :))
Thanks for clarifying! I didn’t run into anyone in those positions so I wasn’t sure!
How is the food ? Do they have a chef?
The kitchen staff are phenomenal. Food is well prepared, nicely plated and varied. The staff goes above and beyond to make each meal feel special, particularly the “Friday night snack”. The dining area is clean almost everything (donuts included) are made in house using high quality ingredients. All this said….foods are quite challenging. It took me a while to accept the principles behind the menu selection but now realize it was for exposure and to help us embrace “no good/bad foods”
what is the “Friday night snack”? Do they have other options for fruit besides bananas, oranges, or apples – like berries? What would you consider to be “challenging”? How does the food compare to other treatment centers?
Full Review
When were you there?
March – June 2022
What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?
Acute care inpatient, residential (RTC), PHP
If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible?
Yes
How many patients are there on average?
16 inpatient (mixed adults & adolescents). RTC is separate and both adult and adolescent had 20-24 patients at any given time.
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined?
Females only
If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people?
Yes, Center for Change does support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people. At the beginning of most groups, everyone introduces themselves with their name + pronouns, and those names + pronouns are respected both inside and outside of groups.
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc?
Inpatient: nurse practitioner (NP) 3-4x, psychiatrist 1x (but the NP also does psych rounding), therapist 4x, dietitian 2x
RTC: nurse practitioner 1-2x, psychiatrist 1x (but again, NP does psych rounding 1x weekly), therapy 2x, dietitian 2x
PHP: nurse practitioner 1x, psychiatrist 1x (usually psych NP), therapist 2x, dietitian 2x
What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
1:3 or 1:4
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, etc.)?
ACT, CBT, DBT, art therapy, music therapy, rec therapy
Describe the average day.
What were meals like?
The meal system is intuitive-eating based, so there are no exchanges. You aren’t allowed to pick your menu, either. Meals usually start off as main + 2 sides and increase from there. Snacks are anything from fruit + cheese to large shakes, depending on where you are in your weight-restoration journey (if needed).
What sorts of food were available or served?
I’ve never seen so much variety in food. They served American, Tex-Mex, Indian, Asian, French, and Italian cuisine. Meals are on a 3-4 week rotation with breakfast rotating a little more frequently.
Sometimes, breakfast is just cereal + millk and sides, other times it would be things like cheese blintzes + berry compote and sides. Lunch was usually sandwiches, soups, salads, etc. Dinner was always different. Soup, pasta, chicken, flank steak, and they even having a Thanksgiving-inspired dinner in rotation. This doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of the variety at meals.
Snacks were on a shorter rotation and also had less variety in general if you were on a weight-restoration meal plan.
Did they supplement? How did that system work?
Supplement is based on the percentage of the meal you have left on your plate, as determined by your dietitian.
What is the policy of not complying with meals?
Center for Change is really concerned with everyone getting appropriate nutrition, so their policies tend to be strict.
CFC has something called “self-reflection”, which is essentially 2-4 hours of homework/journaling/reflection you have to do if you refuse to complete a meal, snack, or mandatory fluids. You aren’t allowed to be in the community unless you’re in groups. The time is meant to be spent breaking down the behavior. You can’t come off of self-reflection until you make up the supplement or fluids you refused to complete earlier, even if you’ve already done the time and assignments.
CFC also has a 3-strike policy with not complying with meals/snacks. After 3 consecutive refusals of both food and supplement, they’ll place a tube.
Are you able to eat vegetarian?
No
What privileges are allowed?
As you advance through the program, you earn more privileges. This can include things like having your music during any and all downtime, going outside unsupervised, going on short, supervised walks, or getting extra FaceTime during the week.
Does it work on a level system?
Yes
How do you earn privileges?
Everyone begins on Phase 1. To advance to any phase, you have to be on the prior phase for a minimum of 2 weeks. Each phase comes with a set of expectations and assignments that have to be met/completed before you can advance to the next phase. You typically go over your assignments in therapy and once you’ve completed them + read the required book for your phase, your therapist will recommend you for phase advancement.
Each phase comes with an extra day of FaceTime for 30min during the week. On some phases, you have the opportunity to have your headphones for music during free time or during all downtime, get a key to your room, or go outside unsupervised.
What sort of groups do they have?
ACT, CBT, DBT, body image, nutrition, art therapy, rec therapy, ceremonial, anatomy, relapse prevention
What was your favorite group?
Body image was my favorite
What did you like the most?
I loved how compassionate and individualized the program was. From the moment I walked through the doors, I was treated like a human being with dignity. I had a say in my treatment throughout my entire stay. While I didn’t always get my way, my team always made sure my voice was heard. And this wasn’t unique to me – everyone in the program is treated with dignity, respect, and kindness even when struggling.
What did you like the least?
There isn’t a single thing I dislike about the program.
Would you recommend this program?
Yes. I would recommend this program over any program I’ve ever been to. It saved and changed my life.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
You can earn activity and exercise privileges as you advance through the program if you’re medically stable. Everyone starts on elevators (some start lower on walker or wheelchair) and as you advance up to pass level and low level, you can start participating in movement groups and taking walks.
Everyone on RTC is allowed 15 minutes to stretch in the morning before goals group. Pass level is able to participate in yoga 1x/week + light walks and it increases from there.
What did people do on weekends?
Played games, watched movies (there’s a whole process for Friday Night Snack that involves watching a movie together), journaled, worked on assignments, FaceTimed family/friends during designated times. There were also groups on the weekends, just fewer of them.
Do you get to know your weight?
No
How fast is the weight gain process?
2-3lbs per week
What was the average length of stay?
I would say 8-16 weeks. I would say the shortest time from inpatient to PHP would be 8 weeks. Typically, people spend a few days on inpatient then a few weeks on RTC and PHP.
What was the average age range?
13 – 50
How do visits/phone calls work?
You get FaceTime 4 times during the week for 30 minutes on Phase 1 and can earn more FaceTime days as you phase advance. There’s also a unit phone you can use in the evenings in between FaceTime days.
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)?
No electronics. You can use your phone to set up your music on headphones, but you have to give it back right away and they monitor to make sure you’re not using other apps. You get your phone for FaceTime for 30 minutes and then have to give it back. No laptops, Kindles, tablets, etc.
On inpatient, you can use the unit computers for 20 minutes, 4 times a week for leisure (no YouTube or social media), and you have a punch card that they use to keep track of your usage. You have to have an order from your therapist to do any online shopping. You can also use the computer to work on phase assignments and those don’t count towards your 4 times. On RTC, you can use the computers whenever, for whatever as long as it isn’t YouTube or social media.
For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go out on passes?
No passes on inpatient. You can go on pass on RTC if you’re pass level exercise or higher and if you have family/friends nearby who can take you. But if you’re below pass level or don’t have family/friends to go on pass with, you can’t take passes.
For PHP/IOP: What support do they provide outside of programming hours?
I don’t know specifics, but you can always call the Center if you have an emergency.
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team?
I don’t know much about their aftercare because I discharged home to another state. But I do know they offer outpatient therapy and RD sessions and virtual support groups.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?
Yes! There are PHP apartments for out-of-state patients conveniently located between a hospital and a grocery store. They shuttle you to and from treatment in the mornings and afternoons.
If applicable: How is the program responding to COVID? (Less patients, virtual programming, no visitors, masks, social distancing, etc)
We wore masks while I was in treatment, but I don’t believe they’re requiring masks anymore. You could wear one if you wanted to, though.
Other?
I cannot recommend Center for Change enough. I wasn’t in a good place when I admitted to CFC but when I arrived, I immediately became confident in their ability to support me medically, emotionally, and mentally. I’ve never been met with so much compassion from complete strangers. My first few days were so challenging but even the difficult moments were met with care and concern and it made it all easier.
I also loved that it’s an Intuitive Eating-based program. There are no exchanges. I also grew to love the fact that I couldn’t choose my meals. It helped me surrender to the process and make space for the “all foods fit” mentality.
Center for Change saved my life. I highly, highly recommend this center.
thank you so much!!! It’s such a gift every time someone answers all the questions and takes the time to give information. I truly appreciate you.
I’m happy to help! CFC is a wonderful program and I’m happy to provide information. If you have any specific questions, let me know.
Did you find the larger group size hard to navigate or did you feel pretty seen as an individual? i’m really wanting to choose cfc based on the experiences of a lot of folks but the larger group size makes me a little nervous.
I found that CFC was able to individualize my care more than any other center I’ve been to. The therapists and dietitians do such a good job tailoring your care that you’ll definitely feel seen as an individual. Inpatient is a small unit of up to 16 people and RTC caps at around 20-24, but the milieu never felt too large to me.
Hi there! I admit tomorrow and am really nervous (I have been to many other programs but not here and I’ve heard its very strict) Does the three strike rule apply to everyone in IP? (Im going to IP)
Here is AE’s answer from a previous thread! https://edtreatmentreview.com/center-for-change-utah/#comment-21973
This other review (link below) also answers the question as well as your subsequent question in depth. (Because many people in recovery are quite triggered when someone comments on their post solely to ask what you asked in your other post, in this instance I didn’t approve the second one – to be clear, you didn’t do anything wrong! I just tried to answer it in my reply here so that AE won’t get a notification to her email just with that question.) I hope the combination of these two reviews provides you a full/comprehensive answer to your questions!
https://edtreatmentreview.com/center-for-change-utah/#comment-11956 To my knowledge, although that second review is from a couple years ago, it is still accurate aside from that they now let you choose Boost flavors and that they no longer use the “Caution” stage.
This is such a wonderfully helpful review– thank you! I just have one more quick question– how is is the food on inpatient, especially compared to residential? Is it similar to residential or is like typical hospital food?
The food is the same on inpatient as it is on RTC! It’s cooked by chefs in the on-site kitchen. I thought it was the best food I’d ever had in treatment, definitely not typical hospital food.
Oh wow, that’s great! Thank you so much!
FULL REVIEW
When were you there?
April 2019 – June 2019
How many patients on average?
On IP about 14, RTC 25, Adolescent 14, PHP varies a lot
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined?
Only females
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist?
On IP, medical every other day, psych every other day, therapist four times a week, dietician twice per week. On RTC and PHP, you see medical and psych once a week, therapist twice a week, and dietician twice a week.
What is the staff ratio to patients?
Roughly about 1:5
What sort of therapies are used? (DBT, CBT, EMDR) etc?
Lots of DBT, CBT, and ACT
What were meals like?
You sit at a table with roughly 8 other people, including staff, and have 30 minutes per meal and 15 minutes per snack. There are 3 meals and 3 snacks per day for every patient. There are also stages of plating at CFC. When you first arrive, the kitchen plates your food and water. You cannot have more water and you must finish whatever amount of fluid is plated. For the food, 100% completion is required unless it is your first 24 hours, then you only have to complete 50% of each food item. After the plated or ‘100%’ stage, you move on to ‘family style’ on which you plate yourself at meals according to your dietician’s instructions but you still have to finish 100% of what you plate yourself. Unlike a lot of other places, CFC does not use the exchange system but uses more of an intuitive approach. For example, your meal plan might be a main dish and two side dishes at each meal. After family style is intuitive eating on which you can pick whatever food you want and can eat until you are full and then stop, even if that isn’t 100% of what you plated. Additionally, CFC does ‘extras’ and ‘challenges’ meaning that once your dietician approves you can take more food at meals and snacks.
What sorts of food were available or served?
Most of the foods were homestyle.
Did they supplement? How did that system work?
Yes. They use Boost Plus to make up for the amount of calories you missed. You cannot choose the flavor of boost however. They have both chocolate and vanilla, no strawberry thank goodness.
What is the policy of not complying with meals?
They’ll give you supplement after the meal or snack. If you don’t drink that there are consequences like phase dropping, phase contemplation, behavioral refocus, bedrest, and eventual NG tube placement.
Are you able to be a vegetarian?
Sometimes. It’s pretty rare for a dietician to allow someone to remain vegetarian but I’ve seen it happen.
What privileges are allowed?
The privileges work on their phase system. Most of the privileges involve phone calls and computer time. On phase two, you are able to go on the outings which is really fun. You can also use an electric razor on phase two.
Does it work on a level system?
Yes. There are four phases. You have to remain on each phase for at least two weeks before applying for advancement. Once you apply, your treatment team reviews your application and decides whether or not you can ‘phase up’. Something to keep in mind for those who are weight restoring at the center… To apply for phase two, you have to be at least 50% weight restored. To apply for phase three, you have to be fully weight restored. This held a lot of girls back unfortunately. Phasing up earns you privileges like phone/computer time, going on rec outings, going on passes with family, keys to your bedroom, shaving, getting weighed in clothes instead of a gown, etc. There are also punishments that go along with the phase system. There’s phase dropping in which you go back to phase one for a certain amount of time, usually 24-48 hours but I’ve seen longer. If you are on phase one or can’t be phase dropped, there is phase contemplation in which you have to complete many therapeutic assignments and you cannot talk to anyone for four hours. After that is behavioral refocus which is basically phase contemplation for longer, usually 24-48 hours. Beyond that is bedrest in which you are stuck in your room all day with nothing to do, not even assignments, except for groups and meals. Only your therapist can take you off of bedrest. It usually lasts about two or three days. [*admin note: as of 2021 CFC no longer has “caution” protocol*] Beyond that is a special ‘level of care’ called caution. It is implemented when someone is self-harming, tries to escape the facility, is suicidal, or just broke a bunch of rules. You can’t talk to any of the other girls, have a staff member with you 24/7, have to wear scrubs, and eat at a separate table. The time length of caution varies.
How do you earn privileges?
By phasing up.
What sort of groups do they have?
They have so many groups. There are a lot of skills groups like DBT skills, CBT skills, ACT skills, etc. They also have recreational and experiential where you play games or go on outings. There are also some specific groups like body image, open process, 12 step, music therapy, art therapy, and relapse prevention. Plus, there are some exercise groups that your dietician and medical team have to approve you for. They do yoga, strength training, and RIMBA (think slow paced Zumba).
What was your favorite group?
I really enjoyed body image group. The therapist leading the group was amazing! She had a lot to offer. I also really liked art therapy because it gave me time to relax.
What did you like the most?
I loved the community I built with the girls I met there. In every stage of the program you have a roommate which I thought I would hate. It turned out to be one of my favorite things about the place. I bonded in a unique way with each of my roommates. I really felt like I could talk to any of the girls there. The staff were also amazing. I could talk to any of them whenever I had a moment which meant a lot in my recovery.
What did you like the least?
The culture shock of coming to treatment. I hated having all my privileges suddenly taken away. It felt really weird to not be able to flush my own toilet or check my email when I wanted to. I was really uncomfortable my first week there.
Would you recommend this program?
Definitely. I feel infinitely better than when I arrived. I hated the first week or so of the program and wanted to leave desperately. I’m glad I stuck it out.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
It really depends on you personally. Both your dietician and the medical team have to approve you for any exercise. It ranges from girls on wheelchairs to girls going to strength training. Your dietician’s decision for exercise is usually based on your food consumption, rate of weight gain, and whether or not you abused exercise in the past. The medical decision is usually based on ECG, labs, and vitals.
What did people do on weekends?
Most people rested, got on the computer or phone if they had the privilege, and watched movies. You’re allowed to have your blankets on the unit during weekends and we had almost no groups which made the weekends really chill but also really slow.
Do you get to know your weight?
Oh heck no! All weights are blind weights, no matter your phase.
How fast is the weight gain process?
I’m not exactly sure. I believe they aim for about 1-2 pounds per week but it also depends on your body and your metabolism. The amount of time for weight restoration varies a lot between patients.
What was the average length of stay?
Honestly it usually depends on insurance. I believe the average is between two and three months but I have seen girls be there for six months and other girls leave before they hit two weeks.
What was the average age range?
The youngest they take is 13. Most of the girls were between 15 and 25 but there were a couple younger girls and a couple older women in their 40s and 50s.
How do visits/phone calls work?
If you are admitted to IP or adolescent, you cannot make phone calls or have visits within the first five days. If you are admitted directly to adult RTC you can make phone calls and have visitors as soon as you want. However, for visitors, your therapist must sign off that a specific person can visit you. For girls on IP and adolescent, phasing up earns you more phone calls and more email time. On adult RTC it is unlimited for each phase.
What is the electronics policy? (ex: cell phones, iPods, Kindle, laptop, tablets)
You can’t have any of them unless you are on PHP.
Are you able to go out on passes?
Yes! Once you get to phase two and are medically cleared, you can go out on pass with family and sometimes friends.
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient team?
They kind of help. It wasn’t their strongest suit but all the therapists there do a good job of reminding you to set up appointments for once you leave.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?
Yes. They take people from different countries. There were a couple girls from Canada while I was there.
FULL REVIEW
*posted from an anonymous user
*Note on CFC — CFC has three units (or four, if you count PHP). Inpatient is for medical/psychiatric stabilization, and they take ages 13+. Adult residential (RTC) is residential for ages 18+. Adolescent residential (technically adolescent RTC, but everyone just calls it adolescent) is residential for ages 13-17. I was on inpatient and RTC, and there are some significant differences in the programs, so I did a separate review for each. Some people admit directly to RTC if they’re stable enough; others go to inpatient first and then transition to RTC when they’re stabilized. A very small minority stay IP the whole time because certain insurances don’t cover RTC.
Center for Change (Utah) — INPATIENT unit
When were you there? February-May 2019 (I went back and forth a couple times between inpatient and residential)
How many patients on average? They don’t cap the number of patients. The most I saw was 20-ish (and we were tripping over each other. they really should cap it).
Does it treat both males and females? Just females.
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, therapist, nutritionist, etc? Typically, you see a nurse practitioner 2-3 times a week (based on need), a psychiatrist or psych nurse practitioner three times a week, a therapist four times a week, and a dietitian twice a week. If you’re on the inpatient unit but RTC billing (meaning you’re paying the rate for RTC), then you see the NP once a week, psychiatrist once a week, therapist twice a week, dietitian twice a week.
What is the staff ratio to patients? Hard to say, as the number of patients was always changing. There were usually two or three care techs on the unit plus one milieu nurse and one med nurse.
What sort of therapies are used? DBT and CBT. They have one group a week devoted to each, though if you’ve been in a significant amount of treatment, you could probably teach them yourself — they’re just basic introductions to the CBT triangle, distress tolerance, wise mind, etc. I think ACT is worked into various parts of the program, but it’s not explicitly used or taught.
Describe the average day. On weekdays, you’d get up at 6:30 and have an hour to get ready before breakfast at 7:30. Most days there was a group at 8:45 — stretching, community meeting, something like that. Snack at 9:30. Group from 10 to 11. Lunch at 11:30. Group from 12:30 to 1:30. Snack at 2:30. Group from 3 to 4. Dinner at 5, then free time till snack at 7:45. You get ready for bed one room at a time, since staff has to be there to watch you in the bathroom, and they start taking people to their rooms 30 minutes after you finish snack. I think official lights out is 10:30. Weekends are way more chill. There’s a process group Saturday morning, then “tech group” (the techs come up with something to do, usually a game) in the afternoon. Sunday there’s experiential group (often art), and then unit choose (again, usually a game) in the afternoon. I think there’s a meditation group somewhere, but it was optional, so most people didn’t go.
What were meals like? We ate in a dining hall. There were a total of five tables. Inpatient usually took up two tables, except when it got insanely crowded, and then it was three. If you’re plated (and most people on IP are), you get your tray from the rack, get your fork/spoon/straw/salt/pepper, and then sit down. You start out on plated water, meaning they pour 16-ish oz. water with each meal and snack and you have to drink precisely that amount, or else it’s a refusal. Most people get off plated water relatively quickly, unless they struggle with water-loading or restricting. So if you’re off plated water, you can pour your own, and you can put ice in it. They don’t have a clock during meals, and you’re not allowed watches, but they call “first fifteen” (after 15 minutes) and “last five” (after 25). For snacks, it’s “first five” and “last five.” So 30 minutes for meals, 15 for snacks. Most meals were okay. We played the usual treatment games, and they had a ton of conversation cards on each table. People got redirected for talking about food. The typical treatment experience.
What sorts of food were available or served? I should start by explaining how the whole food thing works. They don’t do exchanges or any of that. You probably won’t know your meal plan at the beginning — they tell you only when you start plating — but they go by main and number of sides at meals. Everyone starts out on plated, meaning you get no say in what they give you and if you don’t eat 100%, you have to boost. Family style is when you get to serve yourself at meals, but you have to have the first of the two options for the main (and then you choose the sides). Advanced family style is the same, but you can choose which main you want. Then on intuitive, you don’t get boosted if you don’t finish, but very few people get to that (hardly anyone on IP), and of course if you do and you start losing weight, they’ll take you off. I think on intuitive you get to choose what you want for snack? On all the others, you don’t.
They had a wide variety of food. Four-week rotating menu. Stuff like bagels, cereal, French toast, scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy, muffin, yogurt parfait, toast, fruit, juice, sausage, etc., for breakfast. Lunches I remember: chicken noodle soup, turkey sandwich, chicken wrap, sweet pork salad, pizza…I’m trying to think what else. Dinner stuff would be like macaroni and cheese, turkey and mashed potatoes, fish and rice, quesadillas, burritos, a huge range. They don’t do nuts at all.
Did they supplement? How did that system work? Yep. Boost plus, chocolate or vanilla, you DON’T get to choose the flavor. They boost calorie-for-calorie, minimum of 1 ounce. They will boost you if you don’t scrape your plate well enough. They do it once the meal’s over — everyone else leaves, and those who are boosting stay while the techs calculate and pour it, and then they give it to you and you have 5-10 minutes to drink it, otherwise it’s a refusal.
What is the policy of not complying with meals? The official policy is after one refusal, you go on phase contemplation (described below), second refusal is behavioral (described below), and third, you get an NG tube. It wasn’t exactly like that for everyone, though. If people came in super medically compromised, they sometimes tubed immediately, and some people seemed to get away with a lot of refusals before it came to that. You always have to make up what you refused — so like, if you refused dinner and got put on behavioral and you wanted to get off behavioral the next day or the day after that, you’d have to drink the boost from dinner, and whatever else you’ve refused. Sometimes if you’re on behavioral for a while and you’ve refused a ton of stuff, your dietitian will give you a shake instead (same calories, smaller volume). And if you end up getting tubed, it’ll all just go down the tube.
Are you able to be a vegetarian? I’m actually not sure. If so, it wasn’t that common.
Phase system. This will cover all the stuff about privileges. There are four phases. Everyone starts on phase 1. To advance to phase 2, you have to be there for at least two weeks, be at least 50% weight restored (if applicable), complete a bunch of assignments, get approved by a vote on your unit, and then get approval from all your treatment team members. It’s pretty thorough. On phase 1, you get very basic privileges. So on inpatient, that looks like: four 20-minute phone calls a week, four 20-minute email sessions on the computer, no iPod, no leaving the center (so no passes or outings), normal bedtime, no musical instruments. On phase 2, you get to leave the center, so you go on outings and passes, plus you can go on walks around the neighborhood if you’re cleared for exercise. You get your iPod for 30 minutes on weekdays and 1 hour on weekends. If you’re still IP on phase 2, I think you get unlimited computer time and phone calls. Don’t quote me on that. There’s an 8-strikes-you’re-out rule for boost, meaning that the 8th time you boost, you get phase-dropped, so you’re back to phase 1 for 24 hours. You can get phase-dropped for a whole host of other reasons, too. I can’t remember a ton about Phase 3 and 4 privileges because honestly, most people don’t get to those. I think you can be in your room a little bit in the evening, more iPod time, going outside on your own, stuff like that. And pretty much no one on IP is anything above phase 2.
Then there are also the consequences. There is a HUGE book of rules that you can read through and there’s a very specific consequence for everything, but generally, if you break a rule, you get Phase Contemplation. Do it multiple times, you get on Behavioral. And then if you really cause trouble, you go on Caution, but most people never have to do that. [*admin note: as of 2021 CFC no longer has caution protocol*] Phase Contemplation is for things like refusing one meal/snack, mild self-harm, being caught exercising, wheeling your own wheelchair (not all staff, but some staff will definitely put you on phase contemplation for that), skipping a group, etc. You have to sit at a designated table in the milieu for four hours (except groups) and work on a packet of assignments that they give you. When you’re done with that, you can do other assignments or read a “therapeutic book.” Phase Contemplation is up after four hours, if you’re done with the assignments and staff reads over them and approves them, but if you’re not done, you stay on it till you finish. If you’re on it for refusing boost, you have to drink the boost to get off.
Behavioral happens if you get put on phase contemplation for the third time in a week. It’s usually if you’re using behaviors a lot, like exercising or self-harming or refusing meals repeatedly. It’s like phase contemplation in that you sit at a table, you’re not allowed to talk/interact with anyone, you can’t watch TV or sit on the couches or do anything for leisure, but it lasts longer (minimum of either 24 or 48 hours), and there are different assignments. Your therapist has to approve your behavioral assignments before you can come off.
[*admin note: as of 2021 CFC no longer has caution protocol*] Caution is only in really extreme cases, usually like if someone is actively, repeatedly self-harming, trying to AWOL, or actively suicidal. If you’re on caution for any of those reasons, you have to wear scrubs. If you’re a flight risk, they take your shoes away. You eat separate from all the other units (in the dining room unless you’re on AWOL caution, then it’s in the basement) with a Caution Tech, you go to the inpatient groups that are in the basement (but not things like art or music), and then during all the rest of the day, you sit at the table in the basement and do assignments. You’re not really supposed to talk to the tech. You don’t get leisure books or coloring books or anything but caution stuff. You sleep in a room with a tech, so they watch you all night. It’s not fun. Your therapist decides when you come off. Usually has to do with completing assignments and behavioral stability, but it depends on the individual and what got you on there in the first place.
What sort of groups do they have? Inpatient groups include: CBT, DBT, relationship skills, experiential, unit choose/tech group, nutrition, open process, relapse prevention (or relapse “awareness”), stretching, physiology, body image, and maybe a couple others that I’m forgetting. The groups can be kind of dull because people on IP tend to be sickest, and so most patients are semi-comatose and there’s not a ton of audience participation. CBT and DBT get super repetitive if you’re there after a few weeks (or if you’ve been in treatment before). Experiential usually involves some sort of art. Relapse prevention typically is a discussion of coping skills (everyone’s favorite topic in treatment!). Nutrition goes over some really elementary concepts, like, “don’t eat or it’ll mess up your body.” Body image is awesome — it’s with the director, and she brings in a lot of interesting stuff to discuss. Physiology is cool too. It’s with the head of experiential therapies, who is also an exercise physiologist, and so she teaches you how the body works, but in a fascinating way, not like boring 8th-grade biology. Process can be good if you have a talkative group of patients, or it can be a solid hour of everyone staring at their knees. It really depends.
What was your favorite group? I liked body image and physiology because they tended to be the most varied week-to-week and the most stimulating/thought-provoking.
What did you like the most? I thought this was a really solid program in most ways. The staff was great. There were a couple nurses I kind of hated, but that’s true pretty much everywhere. They’re super thorough and well-organized. There are a lot of rules, but there’s a reason behind every rule, and I found that structure really helpful in containing my urges and stamping out ED behaviors. I thought 90% of the clinicians were very knowledgeable and compassionate. They did a great job of managing my medications. All in all, a great experience.
What did you like the least? The issues I had were very specific to me, so much so that I’m almost reluctant to share them on this forum. I had a handful of highly unusual psych symptoms that CFC (and several other treatment programs) didn’t know what to do with, so that was the main source of difficulty, but if those hadn’t come up, I don’t think I would have had any complaints.
Would you recommend this program? Yes. Highly.
Exercise? You start out on no exercise (shocker). You can technically get on low and full on inpatient, but that really only happens for people who don’t go to the residential unit because of insurance (which doesn’t happen all that much anyway). So yeah, exercise mostly gets worked in on RTC.
What did people do on weekends? Watch movies, read, color, sleep, go to free art. Free art is life.
Do you get to know your weight? Nope. Maybe sometimes they tell people, like I think I knew one girl who got to know her target range, but for the vast majority of patients they don’t.
How fast is the weight gain process? I’m not sure. I came in pretty close to weight-restored, and they increased my meal plan like a million times before I gained weight, and then they decreased. I think they take into account things like medical complications, expected length of stay, risk of refeeding syndrome, and so on.
What was the average length of stay? Most people are on inpatient about two or three weeks before going to adolescent or adult RTC. Sometimes it’s just a few days. I was there a month, which was on the longer end. It all depends on medical/psychological stability. I met two or three people whose insurance wouldn’t cover RTC (I think that’s the case with Tricare and maybe others), so they stayed on inpatient for 2+ months.
What was the average age range? Inpatient is 13+. The oldest woman I met there was in her 60s. I’d say most are teens to mid-30s, but then there are a good handful that are mid-to-late 40s. And of course that changes all the time.
How do visits/phone calls work? On phase 1, you get 4 20-minute phone calls a week. Adults can call whomever they want. Adolescents have to have staff dial for them. There are visiting hours on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, plus more on Family Week (once a month). You can get an order for extra visiting hours if your family’s coming from out of town.
What is the electronics policy? No cell phones, laptops, iPads. The only thing you can bring and use is an MP3 player with no internet connection (iPod shuffle, for example). They have TVs and computers you can use during designated times, plus iPads to turn on music and a ton of music on their system. No Netflix or Spotify or anything.
Are you able to go out on passes? Yeah, but only if you’re on phase 2, and you have to be on inpatient for a while to get to that. And you have to go with parents or family, you can’t go on your own.
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team? They recommend that people step down to RTC, then PHP, then IOP, then OP. There are apartments for people in PHP and IOP who are coming from out of town. They coordinate aftercare with your OP team.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country? Apartments for people from out of town. I came from out of state and they were able to do video calls for family therapy with my parents, so that was good.
Center for Change (Utah) — ADULT RESIDENTIAL unit (RTC)
When were you there? February-May 2019 (I went back and forth a couple times between inpatient and residential)
How many patients on average? They don’t cap the number of patients. The most I saw was 27.
Does it treat both males and females? Just females.
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, therapist, nutritionist, etc? Nurse practitioner once a week for medical stuff, psychiatrist/psych nurse practitioner once a week, therapist twice a week, dietitian twice a week.
What is the staff ratio to patients? Hard to say, as the number of patients was always changing. There were usually two or three care techs on the unit plus one milieu nurse and one med nurse.
What sort of therapies are used? DBT, CBT, ACT.
Describe the average day. Wake up around 7. Get ready for the day. Be out on the unit by 7:45. Everyone sets a goal for the day, you do a group goal, word, quote, then a cheer. Breakfast at 8:30. Sometimes there’s a group at 9:30, sometimes free time till snack at 10:15. Group from 10:45 to 12. Lunch at 12:30. Group from 1:30 to 2:30. Snack at 3:15. Group from 3:45 to 4:45. Most days you can go on a walk between that group and dinner (6:30). Then free time or sometimes a movement group if you’re on low/full exercise after dinner. Snack at 8:30. Then bed.
What were meals like? We ate in a dining hall. There were a total of five tables. Inpatient usually took up two tables, except when it got insanely crowded, and then it was three. If you’re plated, you get your tray from the rack. If you’re plating yourself, you go into the kitchen and do that. It’s sort of buffet-style, cafeteria-style, if that makes sense. You get your fork/spoon/straw/salt/pepper, and then sit down. You start out on plated water, meaning they pour 16-ish oz. water with each meal and snack and you have to drink precisely that amount, or else it’s a refusal. Most people get off plated water relatively quickly, unless they struggle with water-loading or restricting. So if you’re off plated water, you can pour your own, and you can put ice in it. They don’t have a clock during meals, and you’re not allowed watches, but they call “first fifteen” (after 15 minutes) and “last five” (after 25). For snacks, it’s “first five” and “last five.” So 30 minutes for meals, 15 for snacks. Most meals were okay. We played the usual treatment games, and they had a ton of conversation cards on each table. People got redirected for talking about food. The typical treatment experience.
What sorts of food were available or served? I should start by explaining how the whole food thing works. They don’t do exchanges or any of that. You probably won’t know your meal plan at the beginning — they tell you only when you start plating — but they go by main and number of sides at meals. Everyone starts out on plated, meaning you get no say in what they give you and if you don’t eat 100%, you have to boost. Family style is when you get to serve yourself at meals, but you have to have the first of the two options for the main (and then you choose the sides). Advanced family style is the same, but you can choose which main you want. Then on intuitive, you don’t get boosted if you don’t finish, but very few people get to that, and of course if you do and you start losing weight, they’ll take you off. I think on intuitive you get to choose what you want for snack? On all the others, you don’t.
They had a wide variety of food. Four-week rotating menu. Stuff like bagels, cereal, French toast, scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy, muffin, yogurt parfait, toast, fruit, juice, sausage, etc., for breakfast. Lunches I remember: chicken noodle soup, turkey sandwich, chicken wrap, sweet pork salad, pizza…I’m trying to think what else. Dinner stuff would be like macaroni and cheese, turkey and mashed potatoes, fish and rice, quesadillas, burritos, a huge range. They don’t do nuts at all.
Did they supplement? How did that system work? Yep. Boost plus, chocolate or vanilla, you DON’T get to choose the flavor. They boost calorie-for-calorie, minimum of 1 ounce. They will boost you if you don’t scrape your plate well enough. They do it once the meals over — everyone else leaves, and those who are boosting stay while the techs calculate and pour it, and then they give it to you and you have 5-10 minutes to drink it, otherwise it’s a refusal.
What is the policy of not complying with meals? The official policy is after one refusal, you go on phase contemplation (described below), second refusal is behavioral (described below), and third, you get an NG tube. It wasn’t exactly like that for everyone, though. If people came in super medically compromised, they sometimes tubed immediately, and some people seemed to get away with a lot of refusals before it came to that. You always have to make up what you refused — so like, if you refused dinner and got put on behavioral and you wanted to get off behavioral the next day or the day after that, you’d have to drink the boost from dinner, and whatever else you’ve refused. Sometimes if you’re on behavioral for a while and you’ve refused a ton of stuff, your dietitian will give you a shake instead (same calories, smaller volume). And if you end up getting tubed, it’ll all just go down the tube.
Are you able to be a vegetarian? I’m actually not sure. If so, it wasn’t that common.
Phase system. This will cover all the stuff about privileges. There are four phases. Everyone starts on phase 1. To advance to phase 2, you have to be there for at least two weeks, be at least 50% weight restored (if applicable), complete a bunch of assignments, get approved by a vote on your unit, and then get approval from all your treatment team members. It’s pretty thorough. On phase 1, you get very basic privileges. So on inpatient, that looks like: four 20-minute phone calls a week, four 20-minute email sessions on the computer, no iPod, no leaving the center (so no passes or outings), normal bedtime, no musical instruments. On phase 2, you get to leave the center, so you go on outings and passes, plus you can go on walks around the neighborhood if you’re cleared for exercise. You get your iPod for 30 minutes on weekdays and 1 hour on weekends. If you’re still IP on phase 2, I think you get unlimited computer time and phone calls. Don’t quote me on that. There’s an 8-strikes-you’re-out rule for boost, meaning that the 8th time you boost, you get phase-dropped, so you’re back to phase 1 for 24 hours. You can get phase-dropped for a whole host of other reasons, too. I can’t remember a ton about Phase 3 and 4 privileges because honestly, most people don’t get to those. I think you can be in your room a little bit in the evening, more iPod time, going outside on your own, stuff like that.
Then there are also the consequences. There is a HUGE book of rules that you can read through and there’s a very specific consequence for everything, but generally, if you break a rule, you get Phase Contemplation. Do it multiple times, you get on Behavioral. And then if you really cause trouble, you go on Caution, but most people never have to do that. [*admin note: as of 2021 CFC no longer has caution protocol*] Phase Contemplation is for things like refusing one meal/snack, mild self-harm, being caught exercising, wheeling your own wheelchair (not all staff, but some staff will definitely put you on phase contemplation for that), skipping a group, etc. You have to sit at a designated table in the milieu for four hours (except groups) and work on a packet of assignments that they give you. When you’re done with that, you can do other assignments or read a “therapeutic book.” Phase Contemplation is up after four hours, if you’re done with the assignments and staff reads over them and approves them, but if you’re not done, you stay on it till you finish. If you’re on it for refusing boost, you have to drink the boost to get off.
Behavioral happens if you get put on phase contemplation for the third time in a week. It’s usually if you’re using behaviors a lot, like exercising or self-harming or refusing meals repeatedly. It’s like phase contemplation in that you sit at a table, you’re not allowed to talk/interact with anyone, you can’t watch TV or sit on the couches or do anything for leisure, but it lasts longer (minimum of either 24 or 48 hours), and there are different assignments. Your therapist has to approve your behavioral assignments before you can come off.
[*admin note: as of 2021 CFC no longer has caution protocol*] Caution is only in really extreme cases, usually like if someone is actively, repeatedly self-harming, trying to AWOL, or actively suicidal. If you’re on caution for any of those reasons, you have to wear scrubs. If you’re a flight risk, they take your shoes away. You eat separate from all the other units (in the dining room unless you’re on AWOL caution, then it’s in the basement) with a Caution Tech, you go to the inpatient groups that are in the basement (but not things like art or music), and then during all the rest of the day, you sit at the table in the basement and do assignments. You’re not really supposed to talk to the tech. You don’t get leisure books or coloring books or anything but caution stuff. You sleep in a room with a tech, so they watch you all night. It’s not fun. Your therapist decides when you come off. Usually has to do with completing assignments and behavioral stability, but it depends on the individual and what got you on there in the first place.
What sort of groups do they have? Open process, same as most places. Can be good or bad depending on the group of patients. CBT and ACT kinda sucked when I was there, but I think they were working on getting different therapists for those. There’s a cooking group that happens on a three-week rotation. I never did that, but you make lunch and then eat it. Music group once a week, you do stuff like listening to music, singalong, playing drums, meditations. Experiential art, that was usually good. Nutrition with a dietitian. I thought the DBT group was great. The therapist who led it was awesome. Body image with the director, that was always super interesting and educational. Relapse prevention. They had binge eating, exercise addiction, and drugs and alcohol groups, too, but you had to get a referral from your therapist for those ones. Oh, and there was relationship skills, where you’re basically encouraged to confront other people about issues your having on the unit. I loved it because I love treatment drama. Lol.
What was your favorite group? Body image and relationship skills. See above.
What did you like the most? I thought this was a really solid program in most ways. The staff was great. There were a couple nurses I kind of hated, but that’s true pretty much everywhere. They’re super thorough and well-organized. There are a lot of rules, but there’s a reason behind every rule, and I found that structure really helpful in containing my urges and stamping out ED behaviors. I thought 90% of the clinicians were very knowledgeable and compassionate. They did a great job of managing my medications. I didn’t get to do the full step-down program, but if you can, I think it’s really valuable to stay at the same place with the same structure and programming as you gradually ease back into the real world. All in all, a great experience.
What did you like the least? The issues I had were very specific to me, so much so that I’m almost reluctant to share them on this forum. I had a handful of highly unusual psych symptoms that CFC (and several other treatment programs) didn’t know what to do with, so that was the main source of difficulty, but if those hadn’t come up, I don’t think I would have had any complaints.
Would you recommend this program? Yes. Highly.
Exercise? You start out on no exercise (shocker). Then you can go to low, when you have dietary and medical approval, and then full (also with approvals). Low = yoga once a week, plus walks 4-6 times a week, but you have to be on phase 2 for those, cause phase 1 you can’t leave the center. Full = all the low stuff plus RIMBA (kinda like a zumba-dance-thingy) and strength training, both once a week. And on full you can kick a soccer ball around outside. They have outings, too, and some of them are only for certain exercise levels, like if there’s a lot of walking or they’re swimming or playing volleyball.
What did people do on weekends? Watch movies, read, color, sleep, go to free art. Free art is life. People went on passes if they could and had visitors.
Do you get to know your weight? Nope. Maybe sometimes they tell people, like I think I knew one girl who got to know her target, but for the vast majority of patients they don’t.
How fast is the weight gain process? I’m not sure. I came in pretty close to weight-restored, and they increased my meal plan like a million times before I gained weight, and then they decreased. I think they take into account things like medical complications, expected length of stay, risk of refeeding syndrome, and so on.
What was the average length of stay? 1-2 months. Some people are there longer, like I knew a girl who was on RTC for 4 months, but usually insurance cuts before that (stupid insurance!). As with most treatment places, they try to keep you till you’re ready to leave, and they will fight your insurance as hard as they can, but most people end up getting cut or limited by insurance.
What was the average age range? About half are 18-30, I would say, and then like 35% are 30-mid-40s, then the rest are older. But that changes often, and sometimes dramatically.
How do visits/phone calls work? There are specific visiting hours that I think are on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. You can get them extended if you’re from out of town. Phone calls are unlimited on RTC. Well, in theory, that is — in practice, they’re limited by the fact that there are 20-something people fighting for three phones.
What is the electronics policy? No cell phones, laptops, iPads. The only thing you can bring and use is an MP3 player with no internet connection (iPod shuffle, for example). They have TVs and computers you can use during designated times, plus iPads to turn on music and a ton of music on their system. No Netflix or Spotify or anything.
Are you able to go out on passes? Yeah, but only if you’re on phase 2. And you have to go with parents or family, you can’t go on your own. I think phase 3 or 4 you can go on your own?
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team? They recommend that people step down to PHP, then IOP, then OP. There are apartments for people in PHP and IOP who are coming from out of town. They coordinate aftercare with your OP team.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country? Apartments for people from out of town. I came from out of state and they were able to do videocalls for family therapy with my parents, so that was good.
NOTES ON OTHER REVIEWS…
-Someone wrote that they don’t normally have a waiting list…this is no longer the case. When I admitted in February 2019, the wait was 2-3 weeks, and I think that’s still true now (June 2019).
-Desserts aren’t just for weight gain. They try to “normalize” your eating, and I think just having desserts for gain sends a weird message.
-They still do the thing where your first 5 days, you don’t get visits, phone calls, email. It’s harder to enforce on RTC, though, because the phones are out all day (whereas on inpatient, you have to ask for a phone if you want to make a call). The policy is so you get adjusted before contacting people outside, and I think it’s pretty reasonable. They make exceptions if you have kids.
-No NIA anymore. Got replaced by RIMBA.
-I wouldn’t say tubes are rare there. There were four or five people with tubes on IP at one point. It really depends on the group of patients, because as with all places, some are much more pro-recovery than others.
-That thing about being on IP for 60 days is not the case anymore. You stay till you’re stable enough for RTC. And most people aren’t there for more than 2 months. Like I said, insurance really limits this.
-I think they determine target weights based on medical history, genetics, growth chart, etc. It’s based on the latest research about where each individual’s set point is, NOT just what a BMI chart tells you. Much more individualized. I think this reflects the changing research in the field in general, because there’s a significant body of evidence suggesting that you have to get fully weight-restored for YOUR body before your brain can work at 100% capacity again.
-They call Q-15s “safety checks” now.
-Adolescents and adults are mixed on inpatient, separated on residential.
-Rules about razors haven’t changed, and it’s still common practice to shave in parents’ hotel rooms on pass 🙂
-you can’t have spiral notebooks anymore
-I don’t think they do outings to the local gym
-the thing about sweatpants and sweatshirts is really about drawstrings. nothing with drawstrings. if you go there, they’ll send you a super long list of contraband, and read it, because they’re serious and if you bring anything that’s on there, they’ll take it away. so might as well just not bring it.
I was at Center for Change from February 2024 through May 2024
Inpatient and residential
Yes. People on the inpatient unit are often in wheelchairs for one reason or another.
Inpatient I believe around 16 and residential 25ish. Always at capacity.
Females, assigned at birth or female identifying/transgender individuals.
They do their best, and we always said pronouns at the beginning of groups.
Inpatient you see the NP’s almost everyday, therapist 4x a week, dietitian 2x a week, nurses everyday. Residential NP’s as needed, therapist 2x a week, dietitian 2x a week.
I don’t know the exact ratio but it was always adequate.
DBT, CBT, ACT, music therapy, rec therapy, IFS.
Describe the average day:
30 minutes for meals, 15 for snacks. You get what you get, no menu selecting or dislikes. Lots of table games. Care techs eat with us. Meal support wasn’t CFC’s strong suit in my experience.
So many different kinds of things. I believe everything is on a 4 week rotation. Breakfast was things like muffins, yogurt, fruit, eggs, cream of wheat, pastries, waffles, cinnamon rolls, cereal, baked blueberry oatmeal, juice.
Lunch and dinner were things like sandwiches, burgers, Hawaiian haystacks, salads, pizza, pasta dishes, Chinese food, wraps, stir fry’s, quesadillas, grilled cheese with soup…so much variety I can’t remember everything.
There was always a dessert. Their cookie bars and brownie pudding were sooo good. Those recipes are in the CFC cookbook they provide, along with plenty of other CFC favorites.
Snacks could be anything. Some off the top of my head: chocolate milk, bananas with chocolate sauce, homemade sweet/sticky snack mix, candy, pita chips and hummus, apples with spread, Oreos, yogurt, chips and dip, Poptarts, rice krispy treats, veggies with dip, cookies, crackers, chips, juice, smoothies.
Every Thursday is challenge day where you have the same thing (in different iterations or flavors) for all three snacks. I remember having Poptarts, and rice krispy treats for a couple of those.
Friday night is Friday night snack (FNS) where every unit votes on a movie to watch and the units take turns picking what snacks they want the kitchen to make us. There’s always a sweet, a salty/snacky, and a drink. One week we requested candy salad, root beer floats and goldfish. It’s intuitive, and you won’t be boosted for not completing…you discuss with your dietitian.
Supped with Boost plus, care techs poured it.
They will discuss placing a tube or other supports. That conversation is on a case by case basis; there is no three strikes and you’re tubed rule or anything.
Yes they do. I believe they even have an ARFID specific group, but it didn’t apply to me.
vegetarian yes, vegan no.
Phone time, movement, outings, self playing – all earned by advancing in the phases.
Yes, phases 1-4. Everyone starts on 1, I believe you have to be in each phase for 2 weeks before you can advance to the next.
completing meals and snacks, phase assignments.
So many. All the therapy groups, process group, community, rec therapy, RIMBA, yoga, nutrition, music, art, assignment time.
body image with Nicole and rec therapy.
I’ve certainly been places that were worse in this regard if that means anything.
body image group, my team was great, the care techs were all amazing, the beautiful mountains, the lasting relationships I made with my peers, and the peaceful environment that made it a great place to heal and focus on myself.
Meal support was lacking, one of the inpatient NPs was kinda abrasive. Self reflection was a drag. The beds were terrible.
I would wholeheartedly recommend it with zero hesitation.
nothing at first, but you can earn yoga and RIMBA and walks.
We had a few groups, spent time outside, watched movies, art, reading, napped on the couches, the Saturday outing, and sundays we typically did something special or fun as a group. We did real life among us once.
no
unsure
It really varied. I was there 10 weeks, which I’d say was somewhere in the middle. Some left at 6 weeks, others had been there months. One person I was with was there for 11 months…
adolescents as young as 12 to adults in their 50’s when I was there. Adults and adolescents are combined on inpatient, but separate for res.
you start out with 3 FaceTimes a week and earn more as you advance in the phases. There are also unit phones you can use on inpatient and res.
phones only 30 minutes a day, no kindles, laptops or anything. You can have an mp3 player without WiFi capabilities on residential.
they have an onsite high school for the adolescents.
not on inpatient, but yes on res.
I can’t say, I did PHP/IOP back home.
yes, they make sure you’re set up with a team and step down plan.
yes, I was with a girl from Canada while I was there.
CFC is a great program overall. I’m fortunate to have been treated there.
I had no idea there was a CFC cookbook! If you still have a copy I would love to get one for myself (as a former client as well)!
I might be admitting to CFC soon. I was there in 2012 and there was a rule that we couldn’t wear any sweats on weekdays or oversized clothing ever. Is that rule still in place?
In a few minutes, I am doing an assessment for CFC. I was there for a very short stay in 2020 but wasn’t ready to commit. I have heard it has changed a lot since then. Can anyone provide some very recent information? I have done every program in the book, it seems…and I am so tired.
The pinned post at the top of the page is still accurate.
Can anyone who’s been in IP recently share a general snack list? Do they have berries? Did you feel like the meals were fairly balanced and high quality? I’m sorry if these questions aren’t allowed, meal quality is important to me
Do the residential and inpatient units interact?
No, not at all
Does anyone have a very recent review for CFC? Thank you so much.
IF YOU DO NOT NEED MEDICAL
STABILIZATION [I DON’T RECOMMEND CFC]*
Hi Everyone!! Sorry for my aggressive opening, but I feel very strongly about the message I conveyed. CFC is fantastic if you are medically unstable (need a heart monitor, daily doctor visits or a feeding tube) but if you do not fall in this category, choose a home residential treatment. CFC is brutal. The punishment here is unlike any other treatment facility. If you do not complete a meal/supplement, you loose basic gums rights. You are unable to go outside or communicate with your support team/loved ones. I was once unable to go outside for 3 days and unable to call my family because I stepped foot (for 15 seconds) into another patients room. They woke me up at 1am to tell me this and when i was upset and asked to call my family, the care tech told me that it was as my fault and I was careless and should’ve know the rules. The care techs treat you like a patient rather than a person. They abide by the policy “guilty until proven innocent” instead of the widely accepted policy “innocent until proven guilty.” I cannot express how many times I felt like less than a person at CFC. They always assume you are doing something wrong and are quick to punish you harshly. The impatient program helps me become medically stable and was able to administer a feeding tube when most treatment centers can’t, however the rest of my experience was simply awful. I believe the owner of center for change ([name redacted]) is more concerned with making money (and sharing her own story of ED, in a twisted triggering way) than the well being of the patients. This is truly an awful treatment center and I would not recommend it to anyone.
*opening sentence rephrased per site policy against bias/over generalization -admin
I’ve been searching and can only find a couple of mentions of this, but does anyone understand CFC’s “7-day intent to discharge” policy?
The admissions packet explains it as: “Should the client decide to leave against treatment team advice we do require 7 business days to prepare for this discharge and to ensure we have a secure aftercare plan in place with appointments in place for the outpatient providers. The client or family will be charged for those days if the client remains in treatment or demands to discharge prematurely.”
I’ve gotten mixed explanations from the admissions director on it, but when I asked, “If a patient decides to discharge AMA, they have to put in a 7-day notice and then stay those 7 days in order to not be charged out of pocket for them?” she said “that is correct.”
I know lots of places have a 72-hour notice, but I’ve never heard of anything close to 7 days.
I’m taking a break from answering questions here. I’m not my best self right now and not in the right headspace to be answering posts.
im hoping to be admitted to center for change. Can anyone do a recent review? I’ve been to so many places and want to make this one last. I feel my headspace is different from other times but am really struggling right now. Thx!
I posted a current review pinned at the top of the page. Please read the full reviews people have already posted — we spend a lot of time and thought and energy writing them.
Seconding this – thank you AE for all you’ve contributed to the CFC page! It has been extremely helpful for me and I’m sure so many others!!
This made my day (and it’s been a tough day, so that is much appreciated). I really appreciate these kind words <3
Has anyone done the short term medical stabilization/harm reduction approach here? I saw this linked on the general forum and would like to learn more/get some insight on experiences. https://centerforchange.com/a-compassionate-approach-how-center-for-change-uses-harm-reduction-to-treat-complex-and-enduring-anorexia-nervosa/
Has anyone reached out to you about this? I’m curious as well and can’t find much information on it
Do they have good support for people who struggle with binge eating and emotional eating? Lot of treatment centers I’ve tried only really supported people with anorexia and restriction, but didn’t offer much support with the other types of eating disorders.
They do have good support for BED! I had a friend who struggled with BED during my time there and they adapted her treatment plan accordingly. They had her on intuitive plating/eating and she was learning how to listen to hunger cues, honor her body, eat to fullness, etc. while working through the emotional side of her ED at meals as well. She could often ask staff for specific support at a meal, could ask for direction on appropriate portions, etc. They’re very inclusive and not at all discriminatory when it comes to various EDs. I would know going into it that the majority of patients struggle with a restrictive ED, but everyone is kind and welcoming and accepting, and no one would ever judge your treatment plan.
that sounds wonderful. I know it’s not going to be easy but from what I’ve heard I think center for change is the best. I think the intuitive eating plan is the best for long-term recovery. Thank you for your comment!!
Hi. I know a few other comments have briefly touched on ARFID but I didn’t see all that much information. Can anyone talk about autism and whether they are neurodivergent affirming? Or the overlap of autism and ARFID? I am worried about a punishment based system for ARFID and autism not being a good fit. Thanks!
Does anyone know if the PHP in Salt Lake City has housing?
The admissions department should be able to provide this information.
Does anyone know if their PHP in Cottonwood Heights has housing available for out of town clients?
there is no housing for cottonwood heights! only orem
***
Hi there!! Is Center for Change good for trauma? I have had my eating disorder a long time and that is basically the only thing that’s holding me back. Do they have EMDR and IFS?
They’re good at handling PTSD and trauma triggers, but they don’t place an emphasis on trauma recovery because inpatient/residential is not the right setting for that (you’re still stabilizing, day to day is hard enough, etc.). They do have a few therapists that will make exceptions and do EMDR or IFS, you would just have to request that at your intake.
And you’ve been here recently?
Yes, I was there October – January.
Would you be able to connect with me via email if we are allowed. I’m just really scared. [email redacted]
It is SO scary! I always think, if you are scared, it probably means you need treatment, and badly. Just to give you a heads up, AE doesn’t usually do emails, but I will let them speak for themselves. <3 <3 <3
Oh okay are you okay with emails?
I’m just really having a hard time determining on what treatment center to go to if at all and there are so many factors financially, my job, etc. not to say that others aren’t in the same situation I’m just trying to get all the facts, all sides and information to do what’s best. I rushed last summer and right back to where I was.
I would prefer to keep questions on the site. If you really feel like you can’t ask them here, I can have Rachel connect us. But I’d prefer to answer here.
Sounds good!! Are you able to answer a couple of questions?
Thank you so much for taking the time AE and doing this. Right now it’s bw Center for Change and laureate so I’m really unsure. It’s kind of who has a bed first. I’m scared either way bc I don’t know much about either program. I did tour Laureate a long time ago but of course things change. My therapist and dietitian don’t know much about Center for Change and was hesitant bc she had heard about behavioral health being different in Utah i.e licensing, abuse. She mentioned other places like where Paris Hilton went or something but I have no idea about this. She wasn’t certain and she also said it could be her being judgmental so lol that didn’t help. So that’s where I’m at…ultimately I know it won’t be perfect I just don’t want to go somewhere *TW* gain all this weight *end TW* and then be sent home back in the same situation I’ve been in for 38 years. Btw is the milieu pretty mixed age wise? Are they supportive?
*TW*
I have a PEG mic- key button for severe Gastroparesis, as well as CPTSD and Anorexia nervosa, would they accept me with my tube and help me work on meeting tube rate/goals and snack goals? Currently XX%+ tube fed, also willing to work towards weaning off the tube but I legit have had AN since I was 9 and I’m 35 so my stomach is absolutely wrecked my GES had over XX% left after 4 hours so like I need some understanding on that one.
i was wondering if someone who was there recently could answer a few questions for me!
1. what’s the vibe here in terms of religion and politics? i’m a very politically involved lesbian from the northeast and idk what to expect, but it’s really important to me that a program is accepting of my identity and there’s no risk of my therapist like dropping that she doesn’t believe in trans people or god being pushed on me in groups. people are super welcome to believe what they’d like but i’m just not comfortable with that being a part of my treatment!
2. how are they with trauma?
3. is it common for people to come in medically unstable and start on inpatient or do people start on rtc fairly often? i’m super self conscious about being in a bigger body and not having medical complications.
I’m also a politically-involved queer woman from the northeast and found that patients and staff alike are very supportive of queer identities. There is no talk of religion or politics allowed.
They’re decent with trauma, but typically an inpatient/RTC stay isn’t long enough to work through trauma so they probably won’t address it directly (but to be fair, I’ve been other places that also wouldn’t address trauma while inpatient).
Most people do start on inpatient, but I saw more direct admits to RTC this past stay in October – January this time around. CFC inpatient is a high acuity unit, so I would just be warned about that.
*Cross posting* Hi everyone! I am currently torn between Haven of Hope and Center for Change. I have heard so many good things about Center for Change but I am scared. I am desperate to get better and desperate for this to be my last time in treatment. This will cause significant interruption in my life as I will have to go on leave from work, school, and shirk my volunteer commitments so I want to make sure I make the most effective choice. Could anyone please post a recent full review?
I posted a full review in January, it’s pinned.
So I went when it was Fairhaven its a no tube/medical issues kinda place, not great nurses and med passing/errors/ issues, therapists were nice but looks like the one I had isn’t there anymore, they HEAVILY lean into IFS/trauma processing, up to 3 ppl in a room.. No choice in meals at all, more choice in snacks and no real consequences other than staying longer for not supplementing.. the food sucked like it was gross at times
So I hope its changed for the better cause the core program was great but the day to day wasn’t well run and honestly kinda dangerous re: med errors and very bad staffing issues.
There’s no level system or anything punitive if Haven of Hope kept the same basic program as Fairhaven.
I live 20 mins from there (Haven) so I too am trying to decide if I need a stricter environment or back to IFS/gentler approach of Fairhaven/Haven of Hope
Hi!! I am looking for a treatment center right now and am in between CFC and Monte Nido Houston. I am leaning more towards CFC but I wanted to reach out and see if anyone has stories of hope here. I feel like I have been to every place (even here awhile ago) and am just so tired of going in and out. I really liked many ways CFC did things. I know what you put into treatment is what you get out and so no matter where you go, the balls in your court. I guess I am looking for some feedback/ assurance as I consider trying CFC again. I would love to hear all feedback and especially stories of hope ❤️
I’ve had two really positive admissions at CFC in the last 3 years! They’ve made a lot of programmatic changes to make the program more individualized and to increase accountability and access to privileges. I was in stable recovery for over 2 years before returning after an unexpected trigger. I can highly recommend the program. I posted a full review about a month ago, pinned at the top of this page. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask!
This is so encouraging!! I decided to give CFC another go 🙂
Thank you for sharing your experience as well as the detailed review of the program. It is much appreciated. I wish you the best in your recovery- you deserve freedom from this!!
Oh, I’m so glad to hear that! I hope you have a wonderful experience there. Sending you lots of good vibes xo
Is it super punitive? I think I need the strict style because I am out of control.. BUT I also was thrown into a “teen wilderness therapy Res (not for ED) ” program at 14-15 with a level system that set you up to fail and the staff was always gaslighting/emotionally abusive (look up Peninsula Village if you wanna understand how bad it was)
Im an adult now and the LAST thing I wanna do is go through a punitive program, *TW: trauma* especially because I grew up up in a very abusive household with a tyrant as a father *end TW* and giving ppl control of my life is hard enough.
**TW**
I hope this is an ok question to ask, but what BMI do they discharge you at typically?
CFC uses set-point theory, not BMI to determine healthy discharge weights, so there’s not a straightforward answer to this, unfortunately!
I am still currently in the residential level of care here at CFC, and will come back once I am discharged to write a full review, but for those who are athletes and are looking for inpatient or residential care, please do NOT come here. I have been here close to three months and all my treatment team has done is invalidate my experiences and told me to quite my sport and essentially change the entire trajectory of my life and career. Please do not waste your time and find somewhere else with sports and athlete dedicated programming.
hi, I’m interested in going to cfc but I cant seem to find much information from someone who has my particular issue. Is there anyone with ARFID who has experience here and were they able to help? It’s a lot different from most eating disorders and misunderstood by the vast majority of people so I worry that they won’t fully understand how to treat it. I’m also concerned about the possibility of cross contamination of gluten as I have celiac disease. ty
Hi there! I’m here currently and can confirm they have an ARFID-specific menu, approach, and weekly group with an ARFID specialist dietitian. They’re great about cross-contamination. It’s a nut-free facility and they take cross-contamination really seriously.
How are they at dealing with severe C- PTSD that involves daily flashbacks and rarely aggressive behaviors when trauma is triggered? Are they Autism friendly? How are they at dealing with severe, chronic SI and SH?
Hi, I have a similar set of issues and have been to CFC twice (and was declined admission a third time due to their concerns about my safety).
CFC will not admit folks who are dealing with any significant safety concerns (or even just a history of safety concerns in treatment without any current issues). If you did manage to convince them to admit you, I honestly would still really not recommend going, as CFC is a fantastic program for primary ED, but very lacking when it comes to treating other mental health issues beyond “just” anxiety/depression. There are some good care techs here and there, but most have no idea how to support folks dealing with PTSD/flashbacks. For SH, they just tell you to put on gloves (lol), revoke your access outside & to the art room, and may have you sleep in a camera room. Not really much “support” in either area, unfortunately.
Thanks!
Unfortunately, I feel like there aren’t really any programs that are truly good with severe PTSD, flashbacks, dissociation, chronic SI, and SH. Which is frustrating because so many people with ED’s struggle with those issues
Agreed. The people with severe PTSD and/or SH were typically sent out during crises and not always allowed to return.
I’m likely readmitting to cfc after a couple years. I’m really nervous and am wondering if anyone can provide any new or updated information. Thanks ?
Does this eating disorder program take people from Canada?
Yes they do!
Awesome! And this is a stretch, but is there any insurance for people from Canada??
I called to ask about CFC for a friend a year or so ago and at that time, it was private pay only for Canadian citizens, but they were willing to work on a sliding scale. It’s worth giving them a call to see what your options are! They’re really willing to work with you.
Ohh okay that’s great information thank you so much! I will definitely give them a call 🙂
After reading a majority of the comments, would someone be able to confirm if tubing is done after three meal/snack incompletions for both IP & RTC?
Thank you.
CFC only tubes on inpatient. You can’t step down to RTC with a tube. If you’re refusing meals, snacks, supplements, or fluids on RTC, they would talk about stepping you up to inpatient so they could place a tube.
It used to be based on a 3 strike system. It is not anymore. We do not get told a specific guideline, it’s fully up to your teams digression when a tube is required.
are mp3 players allowed during free time on inpatient and adult residential? I have PTSD nightmares and sleep issues so being able to listen to music while falling to sleep is really helpful, but I’m not sure if they allow it. there’s no wifi capability or anything on it.
This is something you could talk to your team about! Sometimes they can put in an order for something like this. Otherwise, music is allowed with wireless headphones after dinner on inpatient and RTC. Once you phase up to phase 2, you can have music during free time + after dinner, and on phase 3, you can have it during any and all down time.
Thank you so much for replying! I admit there next week and am very nervous so this was helpful info.
Of course! If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask and I’ll do my best to answer. Wishing you the best of luck!
No. I inquired about an exception and even went into treatment team to present my case.
Safety risk, they don’t care.
Is anyone there now? Or know if there is a waitlist for IP?
How is the overall vibe at this place? Is it fairly recovery focused or is there a lot of competitiveness among EDs?
I found CFC to be very recovery-focused, more so than any other center I’d been to. Patients and staff alike discourage talking about the specifics of ED behaviors both on the unit and in groups (you can process things in group, just not in detail to deter competition). The only competitive behaviors/conversations I recall were among the adolescents. IP is mixed adults + adolescents, but once you’re on RTC, the units are separated.
If I’m at a healthy weight but struggling to incorporate the plate method after being on exchange, would this be a good place for me?
Reviews say they practice intuitive eating but how does that work exactly? Do they teach the plate Method?
Center for Change doesn’t do the plate method exactly, they do main + sides. The number of sides you have depends on if you’re weight restoring.
Everyone starts being fully plated by the kitchen. Once a week, you do a guided plating for lunch in the kitchen with staff/a dietitian present. You have to choose the first of the two options they offer, but your sides are up to you. After that, you move to family style, which is where you plate all of your meals but have to choose the first main option + sides. Next is advanced family style where you can choose either of the two main options + sides. Last is Intuitive Eating where you can plate your meals independently and eat to fullness. You aren’t required to finish your meals on IE. I never saw anyone make it to IE during my stay, but I know it’s possible.
Hope this helps!
Very helpful, thank you!
Do you think their method helped you?
Absolutely. I’ve maintained my recovery for 2 years since leaving CFC.
I was wondering if anyone could give me some guidance, I was recommended starting at CFC inpatient and am also considering a few different places. I have been in treatment multiple times at different facilities and am struggling making a decision as to what the best course of action is. I know I need medical oversight for some ED related health concerns, on top of just general support at an inpatient or residential LOC.
Does anyone have any experience at CFC, Center for Discovery, and Laureate that could recommend a clear best choice? I have been to Laureate and although my experience wasn’t the best I still trust their advice and their expertise so I would feel safe there in terms of the treatment I would be receiving however if either CFD or CFC would be equally as knowledgeable and competent I would also not mind going somewhere else… I’m in my mid-30s with young children too so if the milieu in either CFD or CFC skews a little older than it did when I was at Laureate (2021) that would also be awesome,
Thank you to whoever can help in advance, and thank you Rachel for such a great resource (I always recommend it to people seeking treatment related questions!)
Proud of you for reaching out for help! I was at Center for Change 2 years ago and was medically unstable when I admitted. I had a few ED-related health concerns and CFC was by far the best equipped program to handle my case. They’re knowledgeable, kind, compassionate, and firm. The nursing staff was able to handle some medical complications that other units often refer out for.
The milieu at CFC can skew older once you’re off inpatient (which is combined adolescents and adults). There were several adults in their 30s or older on inpatient, RTC, and PHP with me when I was there.
CFC will most definitely be able to offer the medical oversight you need. I’ve also heard wonderful things about Laureate, so I don’t think you can make a bad choice. The only option I wouldn’t choose from the list is CFD, because if CFC is recommending inpatient, you likely need that level of care, which CFD doesn’t offer. And, as far as I know, CFD isn’t equipped for more complex medical cases where CFC and Laureate are.
Oh my gosh thank you SO much for such a thoughtful reply! I definitely feel a lot better knowing that you had a good/competent experience at CFC. it seems like a really good place, and all the intake/admissions people have been really helpful so I’m getting good vibes I just really want this to be the last time and so I think I’m being a little neurotic with trying to weigh the options. Thank you again for your insight!
You’re very welcome! My time at Center for Change was a life-changing experience. I’d never had stable time in recovery before my time there, and I’ve now been in stable recovery for 2 years. So much of the healing that took place for me was due to the kindness and compassion everyone in the program demonstrated and I’m glad that’s been your experience thus far. They’re truly so wonderful. You’ll be in good hands. If you have any other questions or concerns, I’m happy to help!
Does anyone have a recent review? Also can anyone speak to how they handle type 1 diabetes? Thanks!
The review I posted that’s pinned is still relevant as far as I know! I don’t have T1D but I had 3 friends who did while I was at CFC and they all had wonderful things to say about the T1D program. I believe you gradually earn more privileges in your diabetic care as you move through the program. They have a specific group for diabetic patients and a specialized nurse with T1D herself who handles the diabetic patients’ medical care. I heard nothing but good things about the care my friends received!
Hi friends!!
I might be admitting inpatient sometime soon and I just had a few questions.
1) what is the policy for phones at CFC?
2) what is the roommate situation like? has anybody had any trouble with that?
3) what is the bathroom policy? are they locked 24/7 or just after meals and snacks?
thank you guys xx
Hi!
1) no phones for the first 72 hours, after that you are allowed to face-time 3-4 times a week. as you phase up you get more face-time days.
2) you can’t pick your roommates. on INPT you will likely have 1-2, and on RTC you will only have 1. I liked my roommates except one had severe OCD which was a little hard for me because she had a lot of rules for me to follow.
3) bathrooms are locked 24/7 on INPT and RTC. they will periodically open them during the day but never without staff supervision. there are also flush checks. on PHP you just can’t use them during the half (30 mins after meals and snacks)
*possible TW*
Will my phone privileges be withheld if I’m struggling to complete meal plan? I read in a Google review that a client was not completing their meal plan and so they were not allowed to contact their family at all until they complied 100%. They said this went on for weeks. Are the allowed FaceTime calls contingent on meal plan compliance? I can’t imagine struggling and then not being allowed to speak to my husband on top of it.
FaceTime privileges are not at all connected to compliance. I’m not sure what the circumstances were for the individual who posted that in their review, but I can assure you that’s not the case for most patients (I certainly don’t want to discount their experience, but also want to emphasize that this was not a practice when I was there).
Completing supplement counts as completion. If you’re really struggling, they would talk to you about placing a tube before they would ever restrict your phone privileges.
This is not accurate at all (was there end of 2024). Not completing a meal/snack resulted in loss of FaceTime/phone privileges.
They will place a tube but they absolutely take away phone privileges if you don’t complete.
And to add on a little, Center for Change is a really compassionate and individualized program. You’ll have input in your treatment plan and that will be taken into account when they set goals for you. Advocating for yourself is encouraged, and if there’s something that isn’t working, you are allowed and encouraged to talk to your team about it. They really want the program to work with you. This is not by any means a punitive program — strict, yes, but not punitive. I hope that imparts a little hope.
Thank you so much for your response. I’m so relieved to hear this. I’m very hopeful about CFC. I admit in 1-3 weeks. I’m absolutely terrified, but I’ve read so many good things about them here that I’m also hopeful.
this is going to sound like a really weird question… but does center for change allow things like hugging your friends/other patients? I have been to a few different inpatient and residential facilities and when I was at erc and a psych ward we weren’t allowed to touch each other at all, and I am a big physical touch person and sometimes a hug is really really really needed for me. I also will be 8 hours away by plane from Utah so I will likely not see any family or friends until I come home, I just don’t want to feel as isolated as I did at erc. I have been to other residentials and hospitals where I could hug people though and it helped so much. Even my dietician and other staff who felt comfortable doing so would sometimes give hugs when we needed it, and sometimes it made the world of difference
No hugging or touching anyone or else they will file a no-contact order unfortunately. you may high five though
does anyone know of the ip criteria like should i expect to be res or ip (i mean obviously it depends on the person and to know for sure i will have to do an assessment) but i am just wondering if there is like anything specific. I am worried to call about res/ip as I am not an acute case and I am worried I will be triggered there if im the only one who isn’t an acute case and i dont need to medically stabilize. the ed is telling me i’m going to look different than others and be not valid enough and it is really discouraging 🙁
how is the community and attitude there, is it normally pretty recovery focused or competitive.
also the whole after meal refusal focus time thing is really scaring me.
also does anyone know if adult ip/res has a current wait list? thanks.
i am just scared. i’ve been to res and ip before but never voluntarily.
Hey there! I wanted to start by saying I’m so proud of you for seeking treatment voluntarily. That’s a scary and brave thing to do.
At Center for Change, it’s fairly common for most patients to admit to inpatient for 1-2 days before stepping down to RTC, even if they’re medically stable. It’s a little strange, but it’s just how their program typically works. Medically unstable patients will spend longer on inpatient before moving to RTC. It’s an individualized recommendation, so I can’t say with any certainty what their rec would be regarding level of care for admission.
You will most definitely not be the only person there who does not need to medically stabilize. The majority of patients are medically stable and will spend most of their time on RTC. That’s not to say there won’t be acute cases, but they won’t make up the majority of the patients there.
I found the community at CFC to be the most recovery-oriented community I’ve been in. Patients encourage each other to complete meals and snacks. When I was there, the environment wasn’t competitive. Discussing behaviors/symptoms/acuity is discouraged both by staff and the community. The patients there want to get better, and that is reflected in how the community supports one another.
Self-reflection is intended to be dedicated time in which you can focus on a behavior you’re struggling with, break it down, and then return to the community. It’s not punitive, it’s meant to be motivation to complete your meal plan and refrain from behaviors. I knew plenty of people who did SR and it was no big deal.
I don’t know about the current waitlist, but if I recall correctly, they occasionally admit based on acuity, so it can fluctuate a little. It’s best to get on the list now so that you’re ready when a spot opens up.
Finally, your eating disorder is valid. You don’t have anything to prove. I know you can do this! Take that first step and make the call. I think you’ll be glad you did.
Has anyone done short-term medical stabilization here recently? Is there a ballpark for the level of acuity they accept?
As far as I’m aware, the short-term program doesn’t really exist anymore in the way it sounds like it might have a few years back. When I was there just shy of 2 years ago, everyone on inpatient stepped down to RTC. It’s possible you could negotiate with the admissions team and arrange for a short-term admission, but I think it’s more likely that you’d have to sign a 7-day notice to leave after stabilizing.
In terms of acuity, CFC can accept low body weight patients and they’re equipped to treat high-acuity cases. I was an acute case when I admitted and I found they were more equipped to handle medical instability than any other center I’d been to before. They monitor vitals and labs intensively and they can usually treat refeeding and other associated complications on the unit without sending you out to a local hospital.
This is super helpful— thank you so much! It’s too bad that the short term stabilization program doesn’t exist in the same way, but it’s encouraging that they can still handle high acuity.
Of course! I felt like Center for Change was really well-equipped to support medical stabilization. The level of monitoring is intense but without feeling like you’re in a medical unit. If you have any specific questions or concerns, I’m happy to answer as best I can.
Also, regarding your comment below about SH/SI, I would agree that Center for Change isn’t as equipped to handle active SI or intense SH. I know they can treat significant SH, but they did away with their caution protocol, which was typically reserved for patients experiencing SI. This is a good thing, from what I’ve heard. Caution was isolating and wasn’t as supportive as they’d hoped it could be, and they recognized this and did away with the protocol as a result. For acute SH/SI, I do know they can refer out to a local hospital, but as this wasn’t something I struggled with, I’m not sure how they handle transferring back to the center.
In short, CFC is wonderful at treating eating disorders, and especially for medical stabilization. They can absolutely support you there if that’s what you need. But you’re needing more support for SH/SI, they can support to a degree but they’re not as equipped as some other centers.
In my experiences, they do generally accept low BMIs and heart complications/lab abnormalities. I have been on their IP unit with other folks who were very very underweight and/or had very low HRs, and both were considered “fine” as long as they weren’t refusing to eat/refusing supplements (or refusing tube feeds, if oral intake was “not an option”).
But I have also been turned away from their program in recent years due to previous SI (meaning, not current/active SI, but the history of it was enough for them to deem me “too severe” to be accepted into their facility (worth mentioning that I had [*TW*] disclosed an attempt within a treatment facility >3 years ago, and [*END TW*] no recent SI...so their decision to reject me was purely based on an incident that happened >3 years ago…).
They also literally told my OP therapist that they were not willing to accept me due to the “possibility of negative press”.... meaning, they had lowkey been stalking my Google reviews of other treatment facilities, and were “scared” of what I would say about them.
Tbh, I still respect CFC overall… but if their main concern with accepting a patient is what they can potentially post about their program, then imo, that says A LOT about their ethics :’)
So, TL;DR: if you “just” have an ED, I honestly think CFC is a fantastic program. But if you are currently dealing with any other MH issues, especially ones that could potentially result in safety concerns, I would not recommend CFC. They are very good at addressing EDs, but that’s about it :’)
I’m so sorry you went through that. I’m kind of shocked that they’d stalk your Google reviews— how incredibly invasive.
I have a long history of SI and pretty intense SH, including while in treatment in the past, so it sounds like that might be a significant problem.
well if you write a review then I don’t see it as stalking or invasive if they read it. I have been reading reviews for days and there are so many horrible reviews for every treatment center
They don’t offer short term medical stabilization anymore.
They do accept pretty high acuity cases medically (low BMI, can manage most ED related medical complications, deal with tubes and place them, heart monitors, etc.) but they disconintued the short term medical stabilization program..
My experience was they were not willing to work with me on the goal of medical stabilization, despite me having a limited timeline (5 weeks) due to work that only really leant itself to….medical stabilization. CFC just refused to acknowledge my timeline and continued to plan my treatment as if I was staying 5-6 months to fully weight restore and complete treatment.
I ultimately just had to leave AMA, which they didn’t react kindly to and…it was a really bad experience.
I do think it’s a good program overall and I was really impressed with the staff, the medical care, groups, providers, etc. It’s extremely strict (like…everything is contraband) because they really care about safety and they just…run a really tight ship. I personally thought it was excessive and unnecessary at times but I did appreciate that they were very consistent in enforcing things.
They are really tough about nutrition and don’t let your ED get away with anything really. If you refuse, it follows you until you make it up. If you refuse multiple times, you will get tubed. There’s no negotiating or getting away with restricting.
I’m rambling ? Based on my experience, I would not recommend CFC for short term medical stabilization, as they are not willing to work with patients who are not committed to full weight restoration and recovery.
I know this post is from a year ago, but I just thought I’d update with what their admissions team told me yesterday regarding the short term stabilization they offer now. I don’t know any more than this but am hoping to do an assessment this week.
“We do offer a short 2–4-week stabilization program on our inpatient unit for those individuals who have a team in place that would be willing to receive them back upon discharge. We must have a treatment team in place to manage the admission and discharge process and would want to collaborate with them during your stay with us.”
Peaches- sorry to respond to this again, and I’m not sure if you’re still checking the thread, but like I said below, they told me a few days ago that they do offer short term medical stabilization. If you have continued to have contact with anyone from there, do you know when they re-started it? I would ask admissions, but no one is there on the weekend. Also I’m really sorry to hear about the experience you had and I hope you’re doing okay now <3
Can anyone give me a typical day schedule with times on the adult inpatient unit at Center for Change? For example 7am wakeup, 8 am breakfast, eat. Thanks!
I have a schedule from a couple years ago. I’m not sure if anything has changed but I’d imagine it’s similar.
6:15 wake up/vitals
7:15 breakfast
8:00 goals
9:30 snack
10:00 group
11:00 vitals
11:30 lunch
12:30 group
1:30 group/study hall for adolescents
2:15 snack
2:45 free time
3:30 group
4:30 vitals
4:45 dinner
5:30 optional group
6:00 facetime (30min)
7:30 snack
8:30 bedtime prep
9:30 bedtime
9:45 lights out
I know dinner seems really early but you get used to it. Most people are only on inpatient briefly and dinner on RTC is a more normal time. It’s doable!
Thank you so much for responding. And wow! Those meal times [redacted] are close together. [redacted] Also, how aggressive are the meal plans. Do they push food pretty hard to gain weight quickly or do they take it at a reasonable pace?
*admin note (2/27/24 @ 8pm): small portions of this post have been subsequently redacted by admin based on community feedback from multiple people that those parts were too triggering to people in recovery
The meals/snacks seem pretty standard for IP/Res, to me. I’ve been to CFC twice, plenty of other places as well. You get used to it.
If you’re on weight restoration, yes, you will be full most of the time. CFC is pretty aggressive on WR, and quick to tube if you’re refusing. The bonus is that you won’t be stuck on it/in Res forever, and you’ll hopefully have time to get used to a maintenance meal plan. (Obviously, this depends on insurance.)
CFC is very strict in general. This can be helpful in that there’s not much room for ED behaviors, at least in the Adult RTC (Res) unit. That said, I think if I needed that level of treatment again, I’d go elsewhere, not because of the food aspect but because it can feel a bit punitive.
Thank you for saying this. I felt similarly and that was just *my* experience – but I appreciate you validating it.
This comment made me a little sad. I found the structure of Center for Change to be really supportive and helpful, and the mealtimes and structure of meal plans were significant aspects of that for me.
CFC just has a very strict schedule, which, honestly, is not realistic for most adult clients post-discharge, unless you’re lucky enough to have a job that allows you to take breaks whenever & for however long you want.
CFC’s structure was very comforting for me when I was in their IP & PHP programs. But it honestly did nothing to prepare me for the “real world” once I discharged.
CFC taught me how to stabilize within their (very rigid) environment — but I really did not feel supported in regards to stepping down to a lower level of care. Maybe this would have been different if I had been able to go through their PHP & IOP programs as well, but as an out of state person without unlimited financial resources, I was only able to do IP & RTC, then transition back to local PHP programs. So it just felt like “here’s how to manage within our levels of support… but anything less than that?? well, you’re on your own, lol!” Because they sure as hell won’t teach you any genuine skills within RTC to manage without 24/7 support :’)
Everyone has a different experience in treatment, and I want to validate that. My experience with Center for Change was very different. I found the structure of CFC to be exactly what I needed to challenge and interrupt behaviors. I found every level of care to be incredibly supportive, especially PHP. I had enough structure there to have support while also practicing skills I was learning in my time outside programming. The groups were engaging and taught skills I hadn’t learned yet (such as RO-DBT, deeper dives into ACT, groups that dove into the medical complications of EDs so we were armed with better knowledge of the impacts of our illness), skills I thought were practical for the real world. And for the structure of meals, I’ve found keeping a similar structure (meals/snacks every few hours) in my life as an outpatient has helped me maintain my recovery in the year and a half since my discharge. I’m fortunate enough to work from home, so maybe in part that’s why I’ve been able to maintain that structure, a privilege I want to acknowledge.
As I said, everyone has their own very valid experience. I wanted to offer a bit of a different perspective though, as I found CFC’s structure and support to be exactly what I needed to sustain lasting recovery.
Please be mindful of voicing personal negative judgment regarding food and mealtimes and using words like “terrible,” unless doing so in the context of writing a review of your own experience – this is a public recovery-positive site and it can be extremely triggering to others, deter people from treatment, and even put ED thoughts into others’ minds that weren’t there before.
edit to add: I hope I didn’t come across as harsh. ❤️ Picture me saying it in the most loving and gentle way possible. Because I can tell you are motivated for recovery, otherwise you wouldn’t have posted! And if your strength and my belief in your strength weren’t so clear to me, I wouldn’t have approved the comment and given feedback – you got this! Factually, treatment is hard – if it wasn’t, we wouldn’t need it! – but always remember that having an eating disorder is, by both definition and by reality, harder. Soul death is just as serious as physical death. And, no matter how hard it may be, treatment can’t kill us (and won’t) but eating disorders can kill us (and will).
Hey,
im going to center for change on Monday and I really need to ask some questions about the facilty. If anyone’s been there (adult) please reply to this.
it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
I’m happy to answer any questions you might have!
I’ve been there happy to answer questions
Hey there! I’m guessing you’re at CFC by now. If you have any questions or need any support as you start treatment, I’m still happy to be a resource!
Does CFC treat co-occurring disorders?
Like BPD and depression?
and how do they handle it?
CFC doesn’t specifically treat co-occurring disorders but most patients struggle with depression or anxiety and they’re well-equipped to treat those. You see the psych once a week and the psych NP at least every other day (if not every day) on inpatient, and then the psych once a week and psych NP 1-2 times a week on RTC to check in and make med adjustments.
How do they handle patients with BPD?
I do not know, as I do not have BPD.
I’m DX’d with MDD but not BPD, but if you do struggle with SH, CFC was not very well-equipped to handle that in my experiences. Most floor staff (care techs) were not familiar with how to support folks dealing with SH urges/behaviors, and typically I’d just be told to put on some gloves (which, obviously, doesn’t actually help anything). If you do SH while in treatment, they will also require weekly (or more frequent) full-body checks, which, as someone with a trauma history, was honestly the opposite of helpful.
CFC helped me a lot with my ED. But as for the co-occurring issues, I’d honestly not recommend them.
I was offered admission at center for change and Rogers inpatient. Does anyone have a recommendation?
**cross-posted here by admin from client general forum
Literally in this exact same position and would love some feedback and/or a very recent review of CFC!
I posted a review about a year ago that is pinned on the CFC page! As far as I know, things haven’t changed since I was there except for their policy on masking. Their program is well-established and is very consistent.
I’m trying to decide between Center for Change and Laureate as someone who has been to treatment multiple times and had some pretty negative experiences/struggled to truly commit and not just go through the motions. A place where there is a strong focus on reintegrating exercise in a healthy way (once medically appropriate) is also a huge factor for me, as I am currently really struggling with exercise addiction as a former athlete who (when not in my eating disorder) genuinely enjoys running and moving my body. Does anyone have any thoughts or insight? Thanks so much – very grateful for this community!
**cross-posted here by admin from client general forum
hey! i’ve never been to CFC but at Laureate they don’t really do a lot to reintegrate movement at all. you might be able to work with your therapist but when i moved from their version of IP to partial they would deny passes if they thought you would be walking too much ?♀️
Thank you for letting me know! That doesn’t sound like it would be super helpful so I appreciate knowing before making a decision!
what qualifies someone to go inpatient? is it based on weight/medical stability?
**TW TW TW**
I was just recommended inpatient. When I asked why, I was cited low intake, exercise compulsions, and some potential cardiac symptoms as reason.
Is CFC’s inpatient program only for individuals who are medically unstable? How do they determine if someone should admit into inpatient vs RTC?
CFC’s inpatient is generally reserved for medically unstable patients. Patients who are stable typically spend 1-2 days on inpatient before stepping down to RTC (it’s just how the program transitions people when they admit). If you’re stable, you’ll likely be moved to RTC within the first couple days.
Does that mean you have to admit to a different physical space and then transition to a different one for RTC, or are they combined? And are there different rules for what you can pick/bring and do if you’re planning to admit to RTC but have to go to inpatient first? This is throwing me off a bit since I didn’t know this!
Yes, inpatient and RTC are separate units with different schedules. There’s a chance you could admit directly to RTC if you’re medically stable and think it would be too difficult to transition between units, though this is up to the admissions team. Please don’t stress about it! They transition people from inpatient to RTC smoothly all the time. Most people only spend a few days on inpatient and then move so you won’t be alone in the transition. The packing lists for the different units are the same as far as I know.
Any recent reviews from 2023?
I was just about to write one – give me a few hours 🙂
Thank you!!!
If you’re able to, in the review would you be able to speak to how they treat exercise addiction/compulsion? Also maybe how they work with patients to reintegrate exercise/movement in a healthy way and what those experiences look like? Thank you so much – possibly looking to admit as someone who was a former athlete and sports are still a big part of my life.
Hi Anonymous, just wanting to briefly follow up to see if you were still willing to write a recent review? I’d be very grateful!
Can anyone who has been to Center for Change recently speak to how they treat exercise addiction/compulsion? How do they work with patients to reintegrate exercise/movement in a healthy way and what do those experiences look like? Is there individualization for specific sports?
Current wait list? Thanks
TW:
How does Center for Change handle getting an adolescent off of a tube feeding?
CFC has a gradual approach to reducing and coming off tube feeds. Typically, snacks are reintroduced first. Those with tubes are given the option to attempt the snack. If they complete it, they will continue to have that snack orally. If they aren’t able to complete it, the nutrition in the snack will be added back into the tube feed.
If attempts at oral intake are successful, the dietitian will slowly increase the patient’s oral intake to include additional snacks and/or sides at meals and eventually full meals. This process continues until the patient is reliant only on oral intake. Once on the full oral meal plan, the tube stays in for 24 hours to make sure the patient is able to complete everything without needing the tube feed to supplement. The tube is pulled the first day after a successful 24 hour period of full oral completion.
Hello!
i think i might be going from PHP to res soon and I’m wondering how long is the wait period?
my team hasn’t said so yet but their hinting it and I’m really struggling and I’m scared i wont have a residential lined up if i dont look now.
if you are doing an internal transfer it should be way faster. The waitlist for people trying to get into res from outside is 2-3 months.