EDCare (EDC) of Denver, Kansas City and Omaha
EDCare is an eating disorder treatment center with locations in Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska. They offer residential treatment at their Denver location, PHP with supportive housing at both their Denver location and their Kansas City location. They also offer IOP, outpatient, and aftercare, and treat people of genders.
EDCare also has four specialized treatment tracks:
- Athlete EDGE™ at EDCare (only at the Denver location)
Any reviews? Please post in comments below. You can check out the FAQ and Guidelines for suggested questions. Thank you!
this is for Denver PHP
* When were you there? Spring 2025
* What level(s) of care did you do? PHP
* Is it wheelchair accessible? Yes
* How many patients are there on average? varies with AM/PM IOP, but 15-20ish and i think they go up to 30? with php and iop combined
* 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 each week? Doctor 1x, psychiatrist 1x virtually, therapist 2x, dietician 1x plus check-in, nurse often
* What is the staff-to-patient ratio? usually 2-3 milieu staff
* What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, ACT, art, somatic experiencing)? all listed
* What were meals like? there is 1 hour blocked out for meals. everything is served cold, so everyone comes in to microwave if needed and milieu leads a mindful moment. I found this process frustrating, as by the time everyone is done with the microwaves and the mindful moment ends, the food is cold again. meals are blind unless you have ARFID, and you prep your own breakfast on weekends. you get 30 mins for all meals
* What sorts of food were available or served? a lot of pasta, rice, and mexican dishes. food is meh and the vegetarian options were interesting
* Did they supplement? How did that system work? yes, boost for the percentage you do not complete. you get 5 minutes and a sheet to fill out for your team
* What is the policy of not complying with meals? Do most people complete their meals/snacks? most people complete snacks, but meals vary. your team will meet with you if completion is low
* Are you able to eat vegetarian? yes
* What privileges are allowed? outside time 2x a day, but only if staff is available. 30min break mon-thurs and no break fri-sun
* Does it work on a level system? yes but they don’t use it much
* Is the program trauma-informed? there is a trauma track
* What did you like the most and the least? i like the people i was there with and the milieu staff the most. i didn’t enjoy how staff and clinicians responded to many incidents while i was there and I did not love the meal set-up. Food was always cold, only 2 dislikes, and no sub meals
* Would you recommend this program? Personally no. I didn’t love the meals or the meal process, and i had some really disappointing experiences
* What level of activity or exercise was allowed? none upon admission, incorporate more with progress
* What did people do on weekends? there is program on weekends for most for around 4-6 weeks
* Do you get to know your weight? no
* What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)? no electronics during all of PHP unless you have a pass
* What support do they provide outside of programming hours? none
are there any sub meal options or menu planning involved? i’m picky so i’m scared. I’ve been vegetarian, hate eggs and lactose intolerant so if I can get a doctor’s note I think I’ll be okay right?
Are there any recent reviews for Denver residential?
2025
Residential, PHP, IOP – this review is for residential
Not really, there are steps going up to the house
6ish
All
Yes
MD/psychiatrist: 1x/week, Therapist 2x/week, dietitian 1x/week plus usually a check in, nurse daily
Very good ratio, about 2:1 during the day, 3:1 overnight
DBT/CBT/ACT
Describe the average day:6 am: wake up, vitals, shower
7:45 am: drive to treatment suite
8:15 am: breakfast
9:15 am: check in group
9:45 am: fresh air/meds/bathroom
10:15 am: snack
10:45 am: group
12:15 pm: lunch
1:15 pm: group
2.15 pm: free time/fresh air/bathroom
3:15 pm: snack
3:45 pm: group
5:15 pm: dinner
6:15 pm: check out pack night snack
6:30 pm: drive back to res house
8 pm: snack
10 pm: bed
Lots of games on res, some staff were better than others at normal conversation. You can have decaf coffee or tea if you finish your meal.
Breakfasts alternated between toast/bagels or cereal/oatmeal. Snacks were all your normal snack foods, you pick a week in advance. Lunches and dinners are blind and you don’t know what is being served until you walk in. Meals vary from sandwiches to pasta to stir fry. A lot of variety.
Yes, you are supplemented with Boost Plus for the portion of the meal or snack you did not finish.
Supplementation and you have to fill out a sheet that goes to your treatment team.
I think you can be vegetarian, not vegan.
Not much. You get your phones in the morning and at night. You can go outside twice a day but can spend as much time outside as you want at the residential house. Must be in staff eyesight at all times. Visitors allowed on Saturday mornings.
No
Honestly by moving down to PHP. No privileges at res
Lots of CBT/DBT/ACT, process group, nutrition, community
Process
Yes
Some of the staff
No autonomy, you switch treatment teams when you move to PHP, blood sugar checks 6x daily
Yes
None
Visitation on Saturdays. Otherwise there are still some groups and watch lots of movies, read, etc
No
Varies, goal is 3-4 lb a week
Hard to say, it’s a new program
18-45
You have your phone every morning and evening. Visits are on Saturday mornings
See above
Outings every Wednesday, no passes
Yes, you are staying in a residential house
what kind of snacks did they have
They’re technically breaking a CO law by taking phones from you. One thing that upset me about there.
can you give more information on what kind of snacks and meals they had and what you did on outings and the policy with vaping
I was an athlete at EDcare Denver for 3.5 months and it was honestly one of the best things that could have happened to me- yes in the moment it was hard, but that’s the point. If you go into treatment at EDcare with recovery as your focus, you will do well. In order to have the best experience at EDcare and get the most out of it you have to fully emerge yourself and accept the process. EdCare does a good job at providing the tools to get there if needed with the amazing support and guidance of the milieu.These people put their heart and soul into helping patients and I would be very surprised if other treatment facilities have staff that provide the compassion, willingness, spirit and tenacity that the milieu do at EDcare (especially the front half crew). As for the edge team, ***, ***, Dr ***, *** and ***: All I can say is that I wish all athletes who struggle with eating disorders could have the opportunity to work with this team of providers. They provide a tough love environment that is perfect for stubborn and dedicated athletes who struggle with mental health problems. The love and effort they pour into their jobs is seamless and incomparable. For example, *** accompanying me to go grocery shopping, working with my needs as an individual even if it meant more work for her and from the start providing an open door to always talk no matter the time of day. *** going to the swimming pool with me to provide support as I integrate back into training as well as her compassion and ability to really truly understand and give space for the emotions that come up during treatment. *** for her ability to dive deep into our pasts with us and help us authentically see and discover how strong and capable we are to face challenges and the future challenges of our journey (and for playing soccer during joyful movement with us). *** for her unwavering amount of wisdom and the ability to provide a space to really be honest about struggles especially as a college student. Last but not least, *** for her honesty and tenacity to fight with us against our eating disorders. *** never let my eating disorder win no matter how hard it tried and I am so thankful for that. This group of providers never gave up on me and I know I can speak for many of my peer athletes at EDcare that they truly are a team. A team that not only works towards combatting your eating disorder but also works with you on other specific struggles within your sport and life. For example for me it included working on the root of my pressure around performance and fear of failure. Overall, my experience at EDcare gave me lessons I will take for life and I mean that with full honesty. As well as it being a treatment center for eating disorders it gave me treatment, relief, recovery, and happiness in so many other areas of my life and I couldn’t be more grateful for my time there.
***names redacted per site policy
This seems like a fishy review. Like created by the business itself
Not really. As the parent of a patient, I can say that ED Care is excellent and this review rings true, in our experience
Me too– I personally had a very similar experience at EDCare, specifically in their athlete program
This was not my young adult’s experience at all. For starters, their athlete’s edge program is small (maybe 5 people) and there are only a few athlete-focused groups a week. The rest of the time, they are grouped with the trauma and substance abuse track. Many of the staff members are young and very inexperienced and it shows. Some of the staff members are rude, even to the parents. They can treat people with empathy and kindness, but instead they act like the patients are criminals. There are team members who use threats and manipulation to get the patients to comply. The food my kid brings home is often horrible in taste and bland or flat out weird. Double-cheeseburger with smashed tater tots as buns.
does anyone have a recent review of residential
Has anyone got any experience with EDCare if so could they give a full review?
*admin note: moved from client general forum per site policy
Has anybody been to the Kansas City location?
FYI, all EDCare locations and levels of care take Medicaid plans. Their new residential treatment center in Denver takes Colorado Health First. EDCare is also in-network with Tricare West for residential, PHP, and IOP. It looks like at least some of their programs take Kaiser, but I’m not sure which.
Anyone have any recent reviews for their virtual IOP program (specifically the evening one?)
Did EDC support vegans or offer a boost alternative?
No. They made someone eat pork even though it is against her religion
EDC supports vegetarians but not vegans. you can boost with orgain or kate farms if you have an order for it from your dietician.
Does anyone have a full comprehensive review?
Anyone have a recent review?
Any recent updates on the center in Kansas City?
Hi all, looking into residential in Denver. Curious of recent experiences. What is the facility like? Is it a hospital center? Actual food or cafeteria junk? What are groups like? Is it strict?
This is not a trustworthy facility. They gaslight and lie to their patients. They are only in it for the money and could not care less about their patients.
You gotta elaborate if you make claims like this. What makes you say this?
Thanks kshay! Yep ANR, unlike on other review sites, we ask reviewers to include details about what the program is like, the whys and hows behind whether or not they recommend the program, as well as a general rundown of how the program is structured – reviews that make all or nothing statements without elaboration (whether positive or negative) unfortunately aren’t very helpful.
Here are some ideas of things to answer:
When were you there?
What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?
If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible?
How many patients are there on average?
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined?
If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people?
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc?
What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)?
Describe the average day:
What were meals like?
What sorts of food were available or served?
Did they supplement? How did that system work?
What is the policy of not complying with meals?
Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan?
What privileges are allowed?
Does it work on a level system?
How do you earn privileges?
What sort of groups do they have?
What was your favorite group?
If applicable: Is the program trauma-informed?
What did you like the most?
What did you like the least?
Would you recommend this program?
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
What did people do on weekends?
Do you get to know your weight?
If applicable: How fast is the weight gain process?
What was the average length of stay?
What was the average age range?
How do visits/phone calls work?
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)?
For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go on outings/passes?
For PHP/IOP: What support do they provide outside of programming hours?
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team?
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?
If applicable: How is the program responding to COVID? (Less patients, virtual programming, no visitors, masks, social distancing, etc)
Other?
Does anyone have recent reviews of Denver php w/ housing. I am a collegiate runner and am planning on admitting soon to athlete edge program. My psychologist help founded the program so our goal is to go to help with some weight gain and then hopefully return to campus second semester (~8 weeks) and continue outpatient. I was wondering if anyone had any recent review about what the day looks like, what types of food are offered for snacks and meals, and what privileges and outings look like. Any info is greatly appreciated.
This is the last place I would go if I were you. They only care about the money and will gaslight you about your own feelings. The food is ok. They say they are an “empowerment” program, which just basically means they don’t care what you do. They don’t care if you eat or not, boost or not, it makes no difference to them. There’s no accountability.
Hi! I went to this program (fellow college runner here :), and found it so so helpful. Allie O went here actually! Honesty and self-determination (as most athletes do), really helps for this program. But they’re really intentional with everything they do, and see you as a whole. Transitioning back to sport and college was supported well.
I’ll lay out a day and such tomorrow if that would be helpful! So so proud of you.
That would be amazing!
Hi! I strongly recommend the athlete program at EDCare. It is one of the most supportive environments I have ever been in and the team of therapists and other athletes here have really become like my family. Privileges and outings are definitely given and you get more and more as you go through the process. There are many options for snacks and the meals are very gourmet and delicious. You work with a dietician, our athlete dietican is amazing and works with you to figure out what will be best for your recovery. I strongly recommend going to EDCare .
When were you there? Would you possibly be willing to write a review? Can you be in the athlete edge program as a former athlete even if you aren’t currently on a competitive team but sports are still a big part of your life and recovery? Thanks so much!
Yes you can be in the edge program and be a former athlete or former sports player that is very common in the program. We have athlete groups everyday and the team is very good at integrating training at a reasonable pace when you/they think you are ready.
Is that a recent change? When I spoke with admissions previously they said you had to be a competing athlete and on the website it also says you need to be an athlete at the professional/semi-pro, collegiate, or Olympic level, with the intent of returning to your sport.
I can’t speak to its quality as I haven’t been, but Walden also has an athlete virtual IOP that says it does include former athletes.
Once you are accepted, you can probably qualify to stay at the Ronald McDonald House. We stayed there while at ED Care. It was fine. ED Care is an excellent recovery program — they focus on recovery through dignity. This is different from other programs. Yes it’s hard work, but ED Care will support you.
my complaint is you have a professional athlete to attend the edge program umm disability doesn’t always make that happen
Any recent info/review on adolescent programming in Denver? PHP/IOP
?Recent Full Review – Denver?
I went to the Denver program last year around June [2022]. I was told originally it would be 4 weeks. I ended up staying until November. In my experience, the classes were long and boring, the treatment team was kind but not helpful at all, and the only good thing I got out of my treatment was the friends I made. This place does foster community but there were petty fights and drama of course. As someone who stayed at the house we did have fun outings and got to enjoy ourselves when not in program hours but very strict rules. Felt a bit like a prison. Really only felt like they cared when I was underweight and the second I gained weight I was a lower priority. Also, they “made” me gain much higher than I have ever been in my entire life. The nutrition advice is half-hearted and not accessible unless you have a degree in nutrition, otherwise it is “eat what you want when you want!” Once I was weight restored they did NOT lower my meal plan and I always completed everything out of fear of messing up my insurance and getting in trouble. When I got out of treatment I was shocked by the weight I was and not prepared to deal with being WAY over my non-disordered weight at my highest weight ever, and quickly and easily relapsed. It hurts to write this review because 1. it is hard to admit I wasted half a year of my life here and 2. the providers are genuinely kind people, but I have to be honest about what I went through. The main thing is pushing weight gain too high which leads to relapse. Minor grievances include patient favoritism, not allowing us to use blankets or baggy clothes in the FREEZING treatment center (they said the AC of the building was messed up), NOT BEING HONEST ABOUT LENGTH IN TREATMENT, not allowing basic privileges of missing a singular day of treatment to attend important life events, not allowing patients to have dietary restrictions (I cannot handle spicy food but that is considered “avoiding a whole food group” and is not allowed), CENSORSHIP. I just remembered this, they would not allow any discussion around weight, eating, body image, calories, “behaviors”, yet forced us to share any “behaviors” we did during meals to our whole table after meals. Also – don’t know if they still do this but they had awkward plastic dividers in the meal areas because “COVID” that did nothing but make meals feel strange and discouraged connection. Also very [difficult] food options for snacks, BUT the meals were excellent and delicious except for Wednesdays where they would force us to eat fast food.
Looking for current reviews and info on Kansas City res!
Anyone have experience with their Binge Eating Track at the Denver location?
Thank you!
Do NOT go here for binge eating disorder! They do not know how to handle this. Our daughter gained [number redacted] lbs while in their care and was only taught that no food is off limits and to ‘listen to your body’. When it was brought to their attention that she had gained weight and was binging again, their answer was to just release her from the program. Stay FAR away from this place! We are now stuck with paying for a service that did not help and made things worse!
Just received an email saying that EDCare Kansas City has immediate openings for their Adolescent Eating Disorder Treatment (PHP and EIOP)
*post moved here from general Q&A forum by admin
I want to warn people considering this place for treatment that it does not run off of an empowerment based program. I found them very judgmental, unprofessional, and unfair. I left feeling incapable of recovery. Some examples:
I requested leave to go see my dog who was being put down and they wouldn’t let me go unless I completed 100% of my meal plan the day prior. It is so messed up to hold something like this over a patients head as a way to get them comply.
Their art therapist forced information(yelled at me, wouldn’t allow me to leave the room until I told her) involving trauma out of me even though I repeatedly stated I was not ready to share. I had panic attacks for days after. Also yelled at me another time when I tried to leave the room (when I was allowed to leave) while another patient was triggering every other patient in the room.
Multiple times, other patients had medical events and the staff would not inform us if the patient was even alive or not and would not supply any safe place for us to go to while the event was going on.
Allowed patients to openly engage in behaviors in the hallways.
The staff had favorites and would let them get away with far more than other people.
I was forced to leave by insurance for not showing enough progress. Usually, when a patient left, they would allows us to have a going away conversation and say our goodbyes during our small group time. On the day I was leaving, I was expecting to be able to say goodbye. Instead, they did not allow me to speak AT ALL and focused on another patient the entire time. This was purposeful and when I asked why they did it, my therapist basically said it was because I didn’t do enough work to recover while I was there. Which I disagree heavily with.
Also on the day I left, my main therapist diagnosed me with a personality disorder which I later got multiple second opinions on and found to be not true. Secondly, the CEO of the company told me-to met face- that I would likely never recover.
Horrible treatment of POC’s and I watched people get kicked out for “being rude” to staff. Also allowed people struggling with addiction to live with people actively engaging with drugs. DO NOT GO HERE.
which location were you at?
Any recent reviews of Denver php w/housing?
If someone could do a full review that would be amazing!
I learned a lot about my ED while I was there. I also learned a lot about how to manage my ED going forward. Much of my success was self-driven coupled with input and guidance from the excellent therapist, great dietician, psychiatrist and family therapist I was assigned to. If I had not been assigned to those specific people I don’t believe I would have had the same success I did (based on some of the negative feedback I heard about other therapists from other patients while I was there). I truly believe it is really difficult to get what you need if you aren’t with the right therapists, and unfortunately, you don’t really recognize what you might be missing during your stay. It is also frowned upon to request to change therapists (I suspect this is the case at most PHP treatment centers). I am personally so glad I went there. I was fortunate, and lucky, that I had the right team of therapists during the right time of my life. Having said all that, there are many administrative and staffing problems that exist there. These problems, in my opinion, are preventing this place from being as successful in treating patients as it could be. If you go, I encourage you to be self-motivated and self-driven to get everything you can from the experience. Don’t let any of the nonsense distract you. Hit the ground running and don’t stop until your last day. I hope you find the path to your recovery like I did.
I spent six months at EDCare Denver and am forever grateful for the care I received there. From the moment I first spoke with admissions (thanks, ***!) to the day-to-day groups and sessions, I was treated with kindness. As part of the Athlete Edge track, I experienced athlete-specific groups four times a week. These were some of my favorite groups! Within these groups and in my private sessions with my treatment team, I felt cared for as a person–not just a “patient.” While treatment team communication is something I know EDCare is striving to continually improve, there was a constant and heartfelt message from all my providers that I matter.
I came to EDCare wanting the info and the strict rules. I LOVE rules, and self-empowerment seemed like a pretty stupid idea to me. Turns out, the unique approach at EDCare allowed me to get outside of the paradigm of endless rules in favor of living and trusting myself.
Thanks to those who have stood alongside me at EDCare (***, ***, ***, ***, Dr. ***, ***, Dr. ***, Dr. ***, ***, ***, ***, ***, ***, and so many others), I have the tools I need to keep pursuing recovery, and so does my support system.
If you are highly motivated and desire to truly break free from your eating disorder, I cannot recommend EDCare highly enough. My time there saved my life.
***names redacted by admin per site policy
I hope they have changed. They were not at all how you describe when I was there. Six months is a long time for them to do some psychological input on your feelings for the place.
it would be lovely if you would answer some of the questions about how the program operates so people better understood the specifics of your experience and why it was so great. It is so nice of you to give feedback and it is also really great if you can give concrete information. Thank you so much!
Certainly happy to give concrete info. So, regarding the first comment above: I can only speak to my experience. I was at the Denver location and was in the Athlete EDGE program, which is partially why my stay was longer. The other part is because I wanted to truly take what time was needed. I’ve battled the ED for over ten years, so a lot of time was/is needed to fully heal.
In terms of “how the program operates,” I struggle to share specifics because the approach truly is tailored to each individual’s needs. That was a wonderful thing that I appreciated. On the whole though, most people are there for somewhere around 8-12* weeks. That includes the step down from PHP (10 hours a day, seven days a week), to modified-PHP (usually* 2-3 weeks of having one meal off each day), to IOP (varying depending on the person and their insurance). The groups cover a variety of topics. Some of my favorites were Art Therapy, Cooking Group, CBT, and ACT. I also really loved the specialized athlete track groups (Return to Spot, Athlete Body Image, Athlete Nutrition, and Athlete Mental Skills). For those who are in a track, their groups meet at the same time as the normal groups. That can be hard because you may miss a group you like. However, I found the staff more than accommodating. One of my peers was able to get materials to learn some stuff from a group she wasn’t able to attend because it conflicted with a track group.
There were anywhere from 20-30 people there during my stay and I got quite close with them, especially during my time living at the Connections House. That was a difficult thing for me to stay in the house, AND it was exactly what I needed to break from some maladaptive behaviors. It was hard, and I remember a lot of fun game nights and house outings.
I was not informed how long my stay would be. That really frustrates some people. It frustrated me too. However, if I had set that 5 1/2 month timeline on my recovery, I don’t think I would’ve endured the hard process. Or, if someone had told me “it’ll prob be X weeks,” I would have felt the pressure to “do” recovery in that span of time. Healing is not linear, as treatment teams often say. It’s also not predictable. Recovery progress is gauged at EDCare and while that measuring stick was not always clear (I do think that’s an area for growth among the medical teams there), there were tangible markers of progress that determined larger decisions in my care.
I hope that answers your questions. More so, though, I hope you have the ability and courage to do what you need for your recovery, whatever that may be. I was terrified going to EDCare–cried my entire flight there and for the entire first week (haha!). It was also the best decision I have ever made.
*There’s a reason that treatment places rarely give estimates on the duration of stay. It’s unique to everyone and they can’t really tell what your behaviors or needs are until you’re in the thick of the process. So please note that these are merely broad estimates.
Do you know how old you have to be for the athlete program? Thank you!
Do NOT go here for binge eating disorder! They do not know how to handle this. Our daughter gained [number redacted] lbs while in their care and was only taught that no food is off limits and to ‘listen to your body’. When it was brought to their attention that she had gained weight and was binging again, their answer was to just release her from the program. Stay FAR away from this place! We are now stuck with paying for a service that did not help and made things worse!
Do they start you off with php or can you request for iop. My ed therapist dropped me due to a liability problem so i don’t have anyone to talk to. i know i saw a comment saying if you don’t eat or do your supplement they’ll discharge you for not getting better idk i forgot what it specifically said. Is that true? I’m scared i’m gonna go for a week and not eat or do supplements and then be kicked out. I have medicaid so i couldn’t even go inpatient if i wanted to.
There wasn’t enough structure for me at the time, they said they hoped I would be a good success story for them which was weird
Also would love any recent reviews of their PHP program in Denver, specifically around their flexibility with weight goal targets/weight gain (obviously not looking for numbers or to engage in triggering/harmful conversations!) I’m stepping down here in a few weeks and would love to hear other people’s experiences.
Any recent reviews of PHP with supported living in Denver or Kansas City?
Looking for review of EDCare KC. My daughter is 18 and would be staying there alone from out of state. Staff over the phone seem more like high pressure sales pitch than medical care givers. No interest in continum of care for ADHD and anxiety. Interested to learn what about the program is helpful verses what doesn’t work.
Glad you came here! I hope someone can give you their experience. You’re right, you can’t figure it out from admissions staff, because they either come across like sales people or like they don’t care. It’s that way at almost every treatment center. And, they either never answer the phone, or never stop calling you. It’s weird!
By the way though, don’t worry too much about admissions staff not sounding like medical care providers. Unless they tell you they will be involved in providing your daughter’s care, usually at treatment centers the people who answer the phones for admissions have absolutely no role in providing the actual treatment, are never even “on the floor” and generally once you admit somewhere you’ll never see your admissions person again. One thing I’ve done in the past with admissions staff is ask if I can leave a voicemail for a clinical director or head therapist, and because then someone who actually does therapy can call you back and you can ask them questions yourself! If admissions says they can answer any question you have, and that the treatment staff is not available, just say something to the effect of: “Oh I know! It’s during the day, I know they are probably doing groups. I don’t need to talk to them immediately, but before [fill in the blank: committing to the program / paying the deductible / scheduling admissions / arriving / etc ] I do have a couple things I need to speak directly with them about. If you can transfer me to their voicemail that would be great! I’ll leave them a message and they can call back at their convenience.” If admissions says that they can take a message for you, or say something like they can take the message for you and pass it on, say “I appreciate that, but I’d rather just leave them a voicemail.” If for some reason they give you a problem past this (treatment centers vary, some admissions staff love to let you leave a message for the actual clinical people, but some get confused about their role and think they have to answer all the questions and be a gatekeeper, even though that’s not what the actual therapists want), be firm and say it’s a HIPAA issue and your daughter’s doctor has said you need to talk to someone directly. Alternatively, you can look up the names of a couple people on their website you think could help to talk to, and just ask whoever answers the phone to transfer you to one of their voicemails.
It depends on your daughter and her learning style. My daughter was at ERC in Chicago and they were very rigid in their approach and heavy on meds. This may work for some, but my daughter needs a bit of flexibility. My daughter became extremely demotivated and clinically depressed and rather than adjust the recovery plan, they increased medication. When we asked her team to change their approach we were branded as trouble-makers and overly anxious parents. My daughter is in a new facility that has adjusted the recovery approach and decreased meds to suit her personality and learning style. She is doing much better.
Has anyone done this program recently and could give a review?
Has anyone been to the new location EDC/EDCares location in Kansas City?
I am going in soon and was wondering about the tyes of food offered. can I get some pretty extensive snack examples as well as meal examples? if you have to have more food will the dietician work with youto choose what kinds?
also are they pretty accommodating on the grocery list except for obvious ED stuff?
You are required nightly snacks. You will have access to them in housing
Sorry for TR typos.
*milks
*daiya non-dairy yogurt
Does anyone have any further reviews of the Eating Disorder Center of Kansas City?
Does anyone have any further reviews of the Eating Disorder Center of Kansas City?
kshay, will they do slow weight stabilization? or do they push fast? also, if you aren’t able to drink the supplements/complete the food orally will the tube you? Im looking into coming to their program but i have been eating any solid food and have relied heavily on ng tubes in past tx centers for weight gain and I’m scared i will not be able to gain without it but i can’t find anything on their websites about feeding tubes and edcd.
If you need to gain weight, they will work with you. I don’t know what you would consider “fast” but I don’t think it was too bad. They will push you but I think the weight gain is reasonable. I think the important thing is if your gain is just consistent week to week. If you start to lose crazy amounts of weight they will obviously adjust your meal plan and it may be more agressive depending on if you need to gain a lot of weight.
As for ng tubes, I’ve been there when girls with tubes were in treatment but it’s not a common thing at all. They certainly don’t push ng tubes by any means and always encourage oral if possible, however if you HAVE to have a tube, they don’t do them there–I think you have to go somewhere else to get it done. But again, tubing is really a last resort.
Did they only allow tubes for severely underweight or did they take into account circumstances? How did they manage the tubes for those patients? Do you know where they sent them to have it done? If there was a complication with the tube what happened/how did they handle them? I just have a lot of food aversions and need help with them and haven’t been eating any solids. I am 39 years old and scared of being one of the oldest and fattest with a tube as well. And I’m nervous that others will hate me if I do have to rely on an ng tube at first. My intake is scheduled for tuesday 2/23.
Sorry I’m a little late in my response and I assume you had your intake by now so a majority of your questions have been answered. Honestly, I don’t know a lot about the whole NG tube or the processes around it because I’ve never had one and its not common there at all. All I know is that they did not do it there–patients went somewhere else to have it done. EDCD isn’t really equipped to handle patients who can’t eat solid food. The highest level of care they offer is PHP (although if you live at the house they provide for PHP patients, its probably closer to being like residential). There was only one patient I saw in six months that had a tube placed because she absolutely couldn’t eat and she was a special case. I think if you’re at that level of severity they would recommend you go elsewhere until you are more ready to handle solid food.
But again I could be wrong. I hope your assessment went well and you get the help you need!
hey saw this review and I’m thinking of going to edcare i think its now called. i am concerned about the foods offered and weight gain supplements etc. every other center I’ve been to has used tubes until maintenance weight so you only ever ate your maintenance meal plan. i know you said they don’t push tubes, but is it a likely possibly after a team discussion? the admission person said it was doctors call and couldnt promise anything. What do you mean she absolutely COULDNT EAT? like she refused to eat and they decided a tube was best bc they couldnt get her to eat willingly? did they work with her on that prior to tubing? I’m scared ill get there and freak out and not want to eat and i don’t know how they will handle it. I’m 18 in a few weeks and remuda was so different so I’m nervous.
I’m actually here now. No, they don’t tube anyone really, even if you’re severely underweight. If you can’t eat, they will just refer you to a higher level of care.
I’m on a weight restoration plan now and the way you supplement is somewhat up to you. First off, there are two meal basic meal plans–level one and level 2. Level one is your standard maintanince plan. Level 2 is given for weight gain or if to some males. It’s only like an extra starch or a protein so it’s not too much larger than a level one. In addition to your meal plan, your meal is tailored based your rate of weight gain. If you aren’t gaining weight, they will add additional supplements until you are. You can do boost, Luna bars, probars, yogurt, protein shakes, ice cream, etc. Some people on a weight gain plan prefer to do a level one mealplan and just do a bunch of supplements. It’s pretty individualized. If you have trouble eating, they WILL work you up slowly…they don’t throw you Immediatly into a huge meal plan. I know several people who even started off on half portions for a little while and worked themselves up to full meals. If you can’t eat your meal, they simply ask you to boost the percentage you didn’t finish.
But to give you an idea of what a level 2 plan with additions looks like. here is my current mealplan with a few notes.
Breakfast:
Cereal, 1 c milk, 3 veggie sausages, Apple, 2 tbsp PB (I have an extra 1/2 serving of cereal and 1 extra protein above the “normal” meal plan
AM SNACK: 1/2 c nuts (level 2 snack)
LUNCH: chicken Thai curry, 1.5 cups of rice, Apple, PB, 1/2 c ice cream (I have an extra starch which is a half cup of rice–level 2–but the PB and ice cream are considered additions
Afternoon snack: 1 Apple, 1 tbsp PB, 1 graham cracker (this is a typical level 2 snack)
Dinner 1.5 cups chicken pesto pasta, Apple, PB, 1/2 cup ice cream
Night snack: 1 Apple, 2 tbsp PB, 1 packet of oatmeal (the Apple and PB is a level 2 snack, the oatmeal is an addition)
Not true. I ended up with am obstruction because they forced me to eat when I have Crohn’s Disease. They do make patients suffer and they do not care. They will tell you to STFU.
You will get extra ensures not a tube.
I would only recommend this program to those suffering only from the eating disorder and not and other medical complications. I have Crohn’s disease and several other medical complications, and my concerns were not addressed properly. I ended up in hospital 3 times and was admitted once, getting steroids for a Crohn’s flare. All the while EDCD never checked up on me while I was away from their program while they were legally responsible for me if I had died! And still to this day after leaving never called to see if I was okay. I’m grateful to their amazing staff. They are a great program if you have no other medical problems no matter what lie they tell you. Just not willing to work with you even though they say they will. My family member, who is a social worker, came and was shocked and sickened at their caviler addittue towards how ill I was. The fact that they shoved me into a box and refused to believe me, or anything else (from medical staff I’ve seen for years) was what really makes me tell you NO if you have ANY medical condition besides an eating disorder.
I can go into detail about schedules and such, but that’s all I really wanted to say. .
When were you there:
Twice–Oct 2013-Jan 2014 and again 1/2015-2/2015
How many patients on average?:
It varies from week to week with new admissions and discharges all the time and also depends on the time of the year. On average, there are 10-15 PHP patients and 6-10 IOP patients
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined?:
They treat both males and females and all groups are combined. The population leans overwhelmingly female but usually there is at least one or two guys in program.
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc? When you admit, you are assigned a primary therapist, a family therapist, a psychiatrist and a dietitian. These people become “your teamâ€. You meet with your primary therapist 2x week for individual 50 minute sessions. You meet with your family therapist 1x week also for 50 min. Psychiatrist 1x week / 30 min (unless you are assigned Dr. R, he spends way more time talking to his patients than others), dietician 1x week / 30 min. Any of the people on your team are able to talk to you between sessions if you need to—just a leave a note on their door. Each week, you also have what’s called “staffing†where you review your treatment goals with your entire treatment team together and they chart your progress. During this time, you can also ask questions, make requests, get level promotions, and get feedback from your whole team. It’s very helpful.
What is the staff ratio to patients?
There are usually 3-4 milieu therapists available during the weekdays, and 2 on the weekends.
What sort of therapies are used? (DBT, CBT, EMDR) etc?
A lot of CBT. There is also a weekly DBT & ACT class. Depending on your issues they will do lightweight exposure therapy if they can—(for example: you can go grocery shopping with your dietician) While there are EMDR-certified therapists on staff, I’ve never seen them actually do any EMDR. Therapy focus is generally on behavior-interruption and immediate stabilization.
Describe the average day:
8am: Arrive to the suite
8:45-9:30: Breakfast & Meal processing afterwards
9:30-10:15: Group
10:15-10:30: Morning Snack
10:45-11:45: Group or Processing Group
12-12:45: Lunch & meal processing
1:00-3:00: Groups
3-3:30: Afternoon snack
3:30-4:30: Group
4:30-5: Break
5-6: Dinner & meal processing
6:00-6:20ish: Evening check-out and leave
Weekends are different but the snack and meal times are the same (except on Saturday, lunch is served at 12:15.
What were meals like?
Meals are pretty structured and except for breakfast, everyone eats the same thing. Everyone has a name tag and you sit in different places and with different people for each meal. Lunches and dinners are “blind†in that you don’t know what’s on the menu beforehand until you walk into the dining room for that meal. Meals are pre-plated. You have 6-7 people per table with a milieu therapist at each table. Millieu eat the same level 1 meal as patients. If you are on a level 2 or individualized weight gain, you’ll just have extra portions / supplements. Millieu are there to facilitate conversation, engage people, check-in with thaw struggling, redirect, and observe behavior. Meals were usually pretty chill and even fun, unless the food served is something super stressful such as a common fear food such as fried chicken. There are games at each table if nobody really wants to talk. You get 30 minutes to eat breakfast and 45 minutes for lunch and dinner. Afterwards, you spend 15-20 minutes going around the table and processing telling everyone how you felt, if you engaged in any behaviors, if you tried any new positive behaviors.
What sorts of food were available or served?
They work off the dietary exchange system.
Breakfast: You prepare yourself every morning using pre-selected options. Options change depending on the day of the week. Generally, days vary between “bread†days and “cereal†days. Bread days your options may be frozen waffles, bagels, toast, english muffins, etc. Cereal days are always cold cereal or oatmeal. In addition to these carbs, you also choose a fruit, a dairy, 2 proteins, 2 fats. Dairy options include 2% milk or soy milk, yogurt, string cheese. Protein options are: turkey or veggie sausage, eggs, or cottage cheese. Fats are butter, peanut / almond butter, flax seed, cream cheese. Fruits are apples, oranges, bananas. Sometimes there are pears or grapes or kiwis depending on the season.
Lunch / Dinner: The rest of the meals are less up to you. Unless you have an allergy or are a vegetarian, everyone is served the same thing for lunch and dinner. Because of this, you are allowed 2 dislikes. You won’t be served these items or if necessary, an equivalent exchange substitute. You will eat a lot of quinoa, rice and chicken. Surprisingly, you will also see a moderate amount of goat cheese and spring mix. You will be served salad at least one if not twice a week. Lots of wraps, sandwiches, stirfrys. The weekends are usually a little more exciting…the chef cooks for the Denver Broncos and he is a little more creative. We’ve had everything from chicken and waffles to short ribs and mashed potatoes or baked salmon and buttered vegetables.
Snacks: You are either on a level 1 or level 2 snack. All snacks, except for evening snacks are eaten in the dining room. Morning snacks are usually just trail mix because its supposed to be something easy / quick because there is less time. Afternoon are different everyday. You have a list of 3 or 4 options per level to choose from and you choose one of these. Examples include: Yogurt pretzels, oreos & milk, PB & fruit, ice cream, cereal & milk, fun-sized candy bars, carrots & hummus, granola & fig newtons, yogurt & granola, etc. Snacks are pretty laid back and once you’re done, you show a milleiu your empty container so they verify you finished and then you can leave the dining room. If you need an evening snack, you can choose anything from your assigned level 1 or level 2 snack list.
Did they supplement? How did that system work?
They supplement using the Boost equivalent for whatever food you don’t finish. It’s pretty fair, for the most part.
What is the policy of not complying with meals?
You are asked to boost and fill out a mindfulness sheet. You aren’t forced to drink the supplement, but if you refuse repeatedly, your therapist will discuss it with you and you run the risk of being discharged by your insurance for noncompliance.
Are you able to be a vegetarian? Yep
I’ll fill out the rest later!
Do they allow you to add any items to a grocery list? I am discharging from denver ACUTE and prefer PHP w/ housing opposed to IP.
I have sensory integration dysregulation / ARFID based anorexia. I don’t like the taste of soy milk and I’ve never liked the taste, smell, texture of cow’s milk either. I can tolerate chocolate non-dairy mills (not soy). I love almond milk, coconut milk, and daisy yogurts. Any possibility they make accommodations based on legit diagnoses?
There is a marker board in the kitchen and you can request different fruits, cereal or ice cream flavors or even request certain meals be made (everyone gets the same meal for the most part, unless you are vegetarian or have some sort of allergy. Even then, your meal is pretty close to what everyone else is eating only slightly modified). If your request isn’t too outlandish or blatantly eating disordered, they will probably buy it and stock it in the kitchen for snacks. If it’s a personal fear food, you would work with your dietican and they might serve it to just you during a snack or meal as a challenge.
If you can’t drink soy or cows milk that’s something you would talk to your dietican about and the two of your would discuss how to handle it. The only meal you’re required to have a dairy is at breakfast (at least that’s how it was when I was there 2 years ago). I dunno, maybe coconut or almond milk would be fine but I imagine you’re going to get pushback because it’s typically so closely tied to EDs and its lower cal than soy and regular 2% milk. Yogurt is always an option but it’s typically yoplait or yoplait Greek if I remember correctly.
Is everyone required to have 3 snacks per day or would you be allowed to have 2 snacks per day if you ate more food elsewhere (for example – no AM snack) as long as they are getting there daily requirements for the day? I was curious because AM snack seems very close to breakfast and I’d rather have a larger snack in the evening so it wasn’t so close together (and no AM snack).
No, not everyone is required to have 3 snacks a day. Depending on your willingness and weight stability, You could negotiate with your dietician on morning snack. Some people had night snack instead of morning snack or just added a supplement to main meal instead.
My 17 year old daughter is currently at ERC Denver. She is stepping down to PHP tomorrow and she is still struggling terribly. She has weight restored and says her clothes don’t fit. She went shopping today with her therapist and that was a complete disaster. She says she is only doing what she has to do to get out and then relapse so she can shrink before school starts next fall. I know she doesn’t want to be miserable her whole life fighting and ED and potentially dying because of it. Twice she has had severe bradycardia as a complication of malnutrition. I don’t know how to help her want to help herself. Do you who have been there have any great words of wisdom for me. Please .
EDCare of Kansas
I had a very strange experience with admissions. I met in person with an admissions counselor (not a doctor) to do my intake assessment and she suggested I take a medication called antabuse to prevent drinking while I was in the program, even though I was currently sober. It was unusual because she was a therapist not a doctor, and I don’t feel like it was really her place to suggest medications, but I kept an open mind and went home and researched the medicine. I was told that they would call me with the decision on whether or not to admit me, but my family member and I both agreed that the admissions counselor was much less friendly at the end than she was at the beginning, so we were worried I wouldn’t be admitted.
I went home and research antabuse. What it does is make you extremely ill AFTER you drink, which is supposed to help you choose not to drink because you are worried about the consequences. It does NOT in any way reduce urges to drink. The problem with this is that, if I thought about the consequences of my actions ahead of time, I definitely would never drink again and I would have recovered from bulimia long ago. I have borderline personality disorder, I am an extremely impulsive and risk taking person. Therefore, there was a high risk that I would drink anyway even with this medicine.
If you consume alcohol while using antabuse. you will have a reaction that can include: throbbing pain in the head and neck, trouble breathing, nausea and vomiting, sweating, flushing, thirst, chest pain, a fast or pounding heartbeat, lightheadedness or fainting, weakness, blurred vision, confusion, or dizziness. This reaction can last for 30 minutes to several hours. The more alcohol you consume, the worse a reaction will be. A SEVERE REACTION CAN RESULT IN DEATH.
Additionally, this medication shouldn’t be taken if you have epilepsy or thyroid problems, and I have both. I recently had a severe seizure, where I turned blue and stopped breathing, and my father had to perform CPR to save my life. There is no way I could safely take a medication that increased my risk of seizures.
It took over a week before I finally heard back from the Eating Disorder Center of Kansas City, but eventually the admissions counselor did call back. She said I could be admitted to the program, however I would have to agree in advance to take antabuse while in the program, or they would not take me. I had never met with a doctor, this was a therapist telling me which medications I would be REQUIRED to take. At this point, my family told me not to take the medicine and not to go to this program, and I completely agreed.
This treatment center has some very bizarre and probably illegal practices and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.
Location: Kansas City
I had a very strange experience with admissions. I met in person with an admissions counselor (not a doctor) to do my intake assessment and she suggested I take a medication called antabuse to prevent drinking while I was in the program, even though I was currently sober. It was unusual because she was a therapist not a doctor, and I don’t feel like it was really her place to suggest medications, but I kept an open mind and went home and researched the medicine. I was told that they would call me with the decision on whether or not to admit me, but my family member and I both agreed that the admissions counselor was much less friendly at the end than she was at the beginning, so we were worried I wouldn’t be admitted.
I went home and research antabuse. What it does is make you extremely ill AFTER you drink, which is supposed to help you choose not to drink because you are worried about the consequences. It does NOT in any way reduce urges to drink. The problem with this is that, if I thought about the consequences of my actions ahead of time, I definitely would never drink again and I would have recovered from bulimia long ago. I have borderline personality disorder, I am an extremely impulsive and risk taking person. Therefore, there was a high risk that I would drink anyway even with this medicine.
If you consume alcohol while using antabuse. you will have a reaction that can include: throbbing pain in the head and neck, trouble breathing, nausea and vomiting, sweating, flushing, thirst, chest pain, a fast or pounding heartbeat, lightheadedness or fainting, weakness, blurred vision, confusion, or dizziness. This reaction can last for 30 minutes to several hours. The more alcohol you consume, the worse a reaction will be. A SEVERE REACTION CAN RESULT IN DEATH.
Additionally, this medication shouldn’t be taken if you have epilepsy or thyroid problems, and I have both. I recently had a severe seizure, where I turned blue and stopped breathing, and my father had to perform CPR to save my life. There is no way I could safely take a medication that increased my risk of seizures.
It took over a week before I finally heard back from the Eating Disorder Center of Kansas City, but eventually the admissions counselor did call back. She said I could be admitted to the program, however I would have to agree in advance to take antabuse while in the program, or they would not take me. I had never met with a doctor, this was a therapist telling me which medications I would be REQUIRED to take. At this point, my family told me not to take the medicine and not to go to this program, and I completely agreed.
This treatment center has some very bizarre and probably illegal practices and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.
Technically, they don’t have IP, just PHP, IOP/EIOP, and outpatient. But their php program is practically like IP in that they offer “supportive housing”. EDCD purchased a large house a couple miles away from the center that patients can live in when not in program and they have staff at the house at all times (even at night). The house can hold up to 13 females (shared rooms) and it really is quite nice. They will bus you to and from the center everyday or to get prescriptions or make Walmart runs so you don’t need to worry about having a car.
Of course being php, you don’t HAVE to live in the house and some don’t–If you live in Denver or make other living arrangement, you can go home every night. But oftentimes even people that live in Denver chose to stay in the house at least initially to help interrupt behaviors and stay on track when they first start recovery.
I was in PHP from October 2013 to January 2014. I went to their Colorado springs EIOP from August 2014-Jan 2015 and was in php again for 2 weeks in feb 2015.
Yes, I’ve spent a lot of time with the EDCD staff over the last year and a half… *sigh* but then again, I’ve had an eating disorder for over a decade. Before I came to edcd in 2013, I’d never had any other type of treatment (including therapy), so I don’t really have anything else to compare it to, but I’ve had a great experience here. No, these people didn’t “save” my life–it’s been me doing all the hard work to get my life back–but they’ve been a tremendous support and my biggest cheerleaders. While the program isn’t perfect (frankly, no program is), I am so so grateful for these people and the impact they’ve had on my life. For the first time ever, I’ve started to live a life outside of my eating disorder. And lemme tell you, its pretty dang sweet.
How long ago were you in treatment there? Were you in IP or PHP
I was there in 2013 for 4 months and again for 2 weeks this past February. They don’t have IP just php but the php program is sorta like IP–they have a house that people can live in when not in program. It’s a couple of miles away from the center and it’s pretty nice–well furnished and cozy. It can hold up to 13 residents–rooms hold up to two and 1 larger room holds 3 people. The chance of having a roommate just depends on how many people ae living in the house at any given time. The house is always staffed with therapists so there is always support if you need it. They even have a therapist stay overnight. They will drive you to and from treatment everyday so if you’re from out of state, you don’t need car. Staff will also make runs to the pharmacy if you have a perscription and designated days they will take you to Walmart, target etc or even bowling, Barnes and noble or whatever. It’s actually kinda fun. It costs $30 day to live In the house. You can’t really find a lower rate in denver from a hotel so this is really a good choice.
Being a php program, you aren’t required to live in th house–and some don’t if they are from denver. You are free to go home at night if you have other living arrangements. However it is strongly encouraged to stay in the house and even people who live in Denver oftentimes at least start treatment by living in the house if only to interrupt behaviors.
can someone tell me what their goal weights are like/how they are determined? do they discharge you once you hit a certain percentage of ideal weight?
Goal weights are determined using your ideal body weight. Ideally they want you to hit at least 90% IBW but any number of reasons this might not happen. Some very chronic patients with histories that show they are unable to maintain at this level may only get to 80% or insurance may cut you before you hit your goal percentile. But they never just discharge you the moment you hit your target weight. They prefer patients practice maintanence for a while and gradually step you down as they feel you’re ready.
I know an individual who has been at her target weight for months but she is still in program because she has extreme anxiety and they have been very sensitive in helping her deal with change.
thanks for your awwesome post.. it is very helpfulll. the information is very helpful.
When were you there: Now (started on tuesday the 21st of January, 2014)
How many patients on average? I don’t know about average, but I’d say there are about 40 – 50 right now. Hard to say because there’s two tracks and I don’t see much of the second track.
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined. Yes both males and females (I am male). It is combined though the other day we just “started” a “men’s group” (actual name tbd).
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc? Well that depends on if you’re IP or Resi. They’re in the same space but that changes how often you see drs and stuff. I’m in Resi and I see a medical dr 2x per week (approx – like I said, I haven’t even been here a week yet!), psychiatrist 2x a week, therapist 2x a week, dietition 1x a week (though on fridays we fill out our menu choices and I believe a dietician was in the room with us — at least, she was able to answer my questions so I’m guessing so).
What is the staff ratio to patients? It depends on the time and the day. Night, obviously less so there’s maybe 4 PCA’s and 2 nurses. During the day it’s hard to say because shifts start and end at different times (plus there are some PCA’s I never see because they’re assigned to 1:1 patients in IP who are bedbound, wheelchair bound, etc). But I’d hazard a guess at maybe 8 PCA’s and 5 nurses (there are two pharmacies and you’re assigned to one depending on your “village” (there are three) and there is usually one day nurse and one night nurse assigned to each. Some are better than others, for sure).
What sort of therapies are used? (DBT, CBT, EMDR) etc? ACT is a big one, and DBT occasionally. But they really rely heavily on The Happiness Trap by Ross Harris (you even get a copy when you admit!) which is not a book I care for too much (I thought it was boring) but useful in certain situations.
Describe the average day: OK I’m going to c/p this from my LJ but this is the schedule for one weekday for track ONE (aka early track meaning we get up an hour earlier than track two and go to bed one hour earlier. Schedules are arranged by track. At the moment village 1 and village 2 are in track 1 and village 3 is track 2).
6:20-7:25 Spa/Vitals (spa is the term they use for the women’s restroom/showers – there are only five showers which sucks for the ladies. Most of the other bathrooms have showers and for some reason they HAVE to use that one so there’s always a line. The guys can use any bathroom really other than the spa though obviously it must be unlocked). Vitals consists of lying down BP/standing up BP, temp, blind weight (gals have to wear these see-through yellow gowns with no underwear, guys go down the hall and can wear boxers and have to do a jumping jack to make sure you’re not collecting change in your boxers or something, bloodwork (have to do it every day for the first week, then my “village” once a week depending on your village – mine is monday joy. I’m so dehydrated by the time morning rolls around that I’m a terrible stick (they restrict water intake to avoid water loading). Oh yeah and you have to pee in a cup so they can check your hydration. Every. Single. Day. You have to be careful not to go to the bathroom too late at night/early in the morning or you’ll have an empty chamber. It’s not the end of the world if that happens though; you just have to come back and do it later when you CAN pee (preferably before 11) and it has to be during a bathroom break.
7:00-7:25 Meds (your dr here will have to re-prescribe all your meds even though you have to bring all your actual meds with you in their original containers. Even then they may still question them. Their website says you can take over the counter stuff as long as it’s in a new container but this is not so. Not even if your dr outside the TC “prescribed” it (if such things can be prescribed),
7:30-8:00 Breakfast *Every meal is 30 minutes and most snacks are 15. You have to finish and clean your plate (literally) or you get Boosted.
8:15-9:15 “Homeroom” done by village that’s the psychiatrist that each “village” revolves around. Daily goals/intentions. Fill out paper about how you’re feeling, what your goals are, etc then go around the room and read off whatever you feel comfortable reading.
9:15-9:40 Bathrooms/meds YES they will check your toilet, you cannot flush until it has been checked by a staff member even if you are not on purge protocol or have never purged in your life.
9:45-10:00 Snack
10:15-10:30 Fresh Air at this point smokers go up to the roof to smoke and non-smokers go downstairs to the pavilion outside. It snowed today and was in the teens I didn’t take advantage. The weather here is bloody weird. It’s supposed to be in the high fifties tomorrow. >.> If it’s below 16F you can’t go out, then there are some time restrictions depending on the temp if it’s above. I don’t remember them all but it can be 5-10 minutes if it’s cold out.
10:30-11:15 Morning group of some sort; varies by day what the subject matter is.
11:15-11:40 Meds
11:30-11:40 Bathroom
11:45-12:15 Lunch
12:30-1:30 Community Meeting (which actually turned out to be a processing group due to family group stuff — once a month for three days – I think – families can come for family therapy and such and meet with their family members, sometimes with a therapist sometimes without, sometimes going out on pass if they’re level 2). Processing group is the group from two therapists’ patients put together in a room and discuss stuff and…processing lol. I have yet to actually go to a community meeting).
1:30-1:40 Bathroom
1:40-2:00 Fresh Air
2:15-2:30 Snack
2:30-3:30 Free time / electronics check-out
3:30-4:30 Afternoon group
4:40-5:00 Fresh Air
5:00-5:25 Bathroom
5:30-6:00 Dinner
6:15-6:45 Wrap-up This is where we complete the back of that check-in sheet from the AM about how we did on our goals etc.
6:45-7:00 Fresh Air / Electronics
7:00-8:00 Free time / electronics / yoga (you need permission from your team to do yoga)
8:00-8:10 Bathroom
8:15-8:35 Snack
8:35-9:00 Free time / electronics
9:00-9:25 Meds
9:15 turn in electronics
9:15-10:00 Quiet time / spa / bed prep (can take showers if not on purge protocol) I think I mentioned spa means girl’s bathrooms right? THey just call brushing teeth/cutting hair/whatever spa in general.
10:00 Lights out (they are not particularly strict about the actual lights out though if you have a room mate s/he might prefer you to have lights out at 10. I have a single and stay up a while waiting for my meds to kick in and just colour in bed. Oh yeah, you’ll want LOTS of stuff to entertain yourself, especially on weekends. Bring a laptop if you have one, cell phone that goes online if you have one, ipod if you have one (they have mp3 players on the unit that you can load music onto too if you don’t). I brought tons of colouring books and markers and tote those around everywhere I go.
What were meals like?
It depends (again) on if you’re needing to gain weight / how much etc. I don’t need to gain weight (in fact, I’m overweight) so I’m on one of the lower meal plans but it still feels like too much (obviously). They work on an exchange system and you’ll work it out with your dietician at first then in a group (well in a group you all sit together but individually work on your menus for the week). Your dietician gives you the exchanges you need then you pick from a menu, which (other than breakfast) has an entree then choices to select from veggies, fruits, grains, desserts, extras, dairies, boost flavours/oz etc. Oh and you get either 8 oz of water or 16. I chose 16 to go with my meals and 8 to go with my snacks (that just makes sense to me haha). THe food is pretty good though VERY filling.
What sorts of food were available or served?
Well I kinda went into that above but they can deal with gluten intolerance, dairy intolerance (they have soymilk but Boost has dairy and there’s no alternative if you don’t complete a meal unless of course you choose not to drink it and you sign a form saying you didn’t and you understand the consequences. Your team will get together and after a certain number you’ll get an NG tube, regardless of weight. And a lot of people with NG tubes still have to eat along with getting feeds so I’d suggest avoiding that but they’ll give you that laculose or whatever it’s called for people with dairy intolerances before meals), they can work with food allergies (make SURE your doctor and/or allergist writes/faxes a letter to ERC specifying your allergies or it’s unlikely they’ll believe you), and they’ll allow you to be vegetarian but not vegan.
Did they supplement? How did that system work? Boost. If you don’t complete 100% in the allotted time, you get “Boosted” and have to choose a flavour and they’ll decide how much you get based on the type of food you missed and how much. THough it seems to vary depending on who was at your table because I got almost a whole (small) cup of boost for two bites of a pb&honey yet the day before I didnt’ finish my pb & crackers (see a pattern here?) and got 2 oz. /shrug You have to finish it or you sign a sheet (like I said) understanding you were essentially breaking your contract and it would be brought up with your treatment team and if you did it too much you might/probably will be tubed. As for additional supplementing, yes, if you’re a very low weight you might get boost with a meal or snack, or some sort of protein shake.
What is the policy of not complying with meals?
^^
Are you able to be a vegetarian?
Yes
What privileges are allowed?
Electronics on the unit during electronics time / off time (like on weekends), rooms are unlocked at 7pm (for track 1/early track) and you get your electronics after wrap-up. We also got them from 2:30-3:30 probably because we get electronics so late that people wouldn’t be able to call the east coast and stuff. Um, we have smoke/outside breaks 4x a day depending on the weather (winter), passes if you’re on level 2 for going for a snack with your therapist or with your family or something, sometimes by yourself, you can also make appts for people outside the ERC like with a chiro. They also have a massage therapist for 30 min massage but sign up fast! They fill up like that! *snaps* Ummm weekends there’s an outing that anyone can go to so long as it isn’t your first week (grrr) but they aren’t to very exciting places (today was Michaels but they give you a coupon!).
Does it work on a level system?
Yes, there is level 1 and level 2. Level 2 isn’t all that different except for passes and you don’t need supervision at snacks so they all sit together.
How do you earn privileges?
Your treatment team decides, but you can bring it up with them.
What sort of groups do they have?
Nothing too exciting. The only one I really like is processing group where two therapists’ groups of therapees get together and we just discuss stuff going on in our lives and how we ended up where we are, and we can discuss how to avoid it again. We can talk about families, or if it’s family week discuss how you’re going to deal with your families coming. It’s pretty open ended. Some groups only a few people will show up to (it’s weird how sometimes they’re strict but sometimes they’re not; plus you’re being pulled out for appts and stuff all the time so ti’s hard to track people down) and we just play a game. We had some sort of group the other day (connections? something like that) and we ended up playing pictionary haha.
What was your favorite group?
Processing
What did you like the most?
A, the RN in charge of my pharmacy during the day. She tolerates all my PRN’s (I have a lot of chronic illnesses) and is never grouchy. Occasionally she’s in charge of a table at a meal and that’s always “fun” (or as fun as a meal can be). We play games at meals too, if everyone (or most everyone) is interested. There’s the Alphabet Game, Contact, and a couple others I’m not thinking of.
What did you like the least?
Most of the night nurses/PCA’s honestly; they’re pretty grouchy and not very um…elastic? They don’t like to hand out privileges like…and extra blanket or something without checking with your treatment team which is not really possible at 11PM.
Would you recommend this program?
It depends (I say this a lot). I know other people have said there have been a wide mixture of sizes and shapes but I’m the only overweight/normal weight person here in a unit full of extremely underweight (1/8 of which are on feeding tubes of some kind) both of which are extremely triggering to me. They don’t have a lot of support for people not underweight and seem to assume you don’t need as much assistance because you’re not (even if you have a lot of medical problems anyway; silly people. But they seem to assume we don’t have panic attacks over food or that you can’t be overweight and anorexic – I am – I mean, they don’t SAY those kinds of things but they don’t offer support as much as they do to the low-weight-ed people. In my opinion. So I’m eager to get out of here honestly. I feel like I’m being fed too much for my weight and want to get home to my comfort zone and into PHP as soon as possible. But for people that really need IP / Resi (I’m of the opinion that I don’t), YES. It’s great for them. I mean they’re strict, but it’s one of the few treatment centers that allows electronics which is HUGE because it gives you a link to the outside world without a calling card and such. Plus you can pay your bills online which is kinda important. There’s wifi here obviously.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
What did people do on weekends?
Do you get to know your weight?
How fast is the weight gain process?
What was the average length of stay?
What was the average age range?
How do visits/phone calls work?
Are you able to go out on passes?
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an OP treatment team?
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?
Other?
L, thank you so much for your thorough, updated review! When/if you learn the answers to the last few questions, I’d appreciate those answers! I know some things maybe unclear since you’re new to Resi. Good luck!
this is for eating recovery center, not eating disorder center of denver fyi so if the mods could fix that it would be great!
MOVED REVIEW FROM L TO ERC DENVER,
are you sure you posted this review in the right place?EDC Denver does not have separate “tracks” and the highest level of care they offer is PHP. They don’t have inpatient or residential. They can only accommodate 20-30 patients max. because the program occupies only on 1 floor of a commercial office building. Finally, I was at EDC Denver from 10/21/2013 – 1/31/2014 and we didn’t have a male admit on the 21st of Jan. What you describe sounds more like Eating Recovery Center of Denver (ERC)Hey Kshay ~ I think this review was meant for the ERC of Denver. It would be easy to mix those up. Maybe the moderator/admin could move this review to the right center???
can we please please please get a recent full review for the program? my outpatient team is really pushing for me to do PHP at EDC and I’ve been to ERC and disliked it and i just want to get some more detailed feedback? In general how is the staff? Are your team members involved? Do you see the psychiatrist often? what about your therapist? How are the groups? As much info as possible would be great. I just worry that EDC will be and because with a massive program like ERC just down the road a little bit, how could they possibly compete?
I’m currently in their PHP program now and it’s essentially the same as described above. I love that the program is built on empowerment — no one locks the bathrooms after meals or force feeds a defiant anorexic. They treat you like an adult. If you’re struggling, they are right there to help, but its up to you to ask. On the flipside, you have to WANT to recover. Of course, everyone is entitled to the occasional bad day (or week even) but overall, you have to want to recover. All the staff asks is that you be honest and that you try. The program is fairly small with 12-18 PHP patients and 7-10 IOP patients (varies week to week depending on new admissions and discharges). What makes this program special is the quality of its staff and the high level of personalization they provide. We regularly make special requests for specific snacks and meal additions and the chef and dieticians go out of their way to accommodate when possible. Also, the entire staff all seem to know your name – even if you don’t know them – so this just adds to the close-feeling dynamic. My treatment team is fantastic and I’m so glad I chose EDCD to help me reclaim my life.
Hi,
Could you please do a full review of the schedule including timings and types of meals/ snacks offered. I am interested in doing EDCD over winter break, but I also have to take an online class during that time. Do you think they would allow me to have my laptop during the day and miss a few groups for my class? Also, I am unable to digest vegetables and most fruits because of a digestive condition. Do you think that they would be able to accommodate that? Any additional information about the program would also be greatly appreciated.
They won’t give you time to work on your classes. My therapist pushed me to drop mine. The program is 10 hours a day 7 days a week (weekends are shortened by a couple hrs) so it’s overwhelming to try to do schoolwork in the little spare time you have. Groups were too big to be beneficial, there were about 25 people when I was here in October 2013 and we didn’t split up for group. The food was gross compared to other programs I’ve been to. I did love my therapist and psychiatrist though.
would everyone get a chance to participate in group? how did the girls handle patients who maybe had a harder time at meals and had special allowances? did they support one another or get pissy? when you had community would everyone be there, like the psychiatrist too? how was weight gain handled? did most people live in denver or stay at the apartment/house? how was the individual therapy done? if you felt you needed more then 2x a week could you do more? are there people who monitor the group, like recovery coaches who eat meals with us?
any recent reviews?
is it possible to please get an updated review of the PHP program? i think i am going to be admitted within the next 1-2 weeks and i would like some more recent information. Thanks!
Are there people here addicted to food but not bulimic? I am just wondering if I would fit in.
Julie, when I was at EDCD, there were people with a wide spectrum of different eating disorders, binge eating disorder included! While I was there, there were more patients struggling with anorexia or bulimia than with binge eating disorder, but there were definitely a few! I’m pretty sure they have a specific treatment plan for patients with binge eating, like a certain # of weeks of PHP and of IOP that’s used for binge eating disorder patients. You’d fit in 🙂
In addition to Nancy’s response, I am bulimic and have always related really well to people who have binge eating disorder but don’t purge. For me the addiction is more about the binging not the purging. So regardless you would fit in fine.
I was there July 2009-September 2009. Let me note that this was a partial program, from 8:30am-6:30pm.
-The average day varied a little bit. Typically, you came in around 8:30am, did a check-in with staff where they asked if you used any behaviors the night before, how much you slept, etc. Three times a week you got weighed. Then breakfast at 8:45am. There was a small break, then two groups. Lunch, then another group, then snack, then another group, then dinner at 6:00 (well, maybe closer to 5:45). You then did a check out (with likelihood you would do behaviors, what you were going to do that night, etc.). Leave after that. Some people had a snack at night, but not everyone.
-Meals varied. The set nametags out where everyone had to sit, but at breakfast you got to pick where you sat. With some staff, it was really quiet and awkward, but with other staff it was actually fun and the conversations were hilarious. We usually didn’t play many table games, just talked. And if it was a difficult meal, people were very encouraging to each other and helped each other make it through the meals.
-Foods were kind of different. There was a chef there- she worked every day except Saturdays. So she cooked sometimes gourmet type things. Like coconut rice soup. Most of the time it was edible, but I’ll admit, sometimes I questioned that because it was so obsure. Lunch was a lot of salad with chicken and a grain. Breakfast was a grain (bread or cereal days), dairy (yogurt or cottage cheese), and a fruit. Saturdays were normally ordered out from a deli or a sandwich bar. Thursday lunches alternated between going out to a resteraunt or ordering fast food.
-They did supplement with Boost Plus (vanilla only). If you didn’t finish your meal, you had to do a percentage of the bottle for the percentage of food you didn’t eat. They also did weight gain through either food (adding nuts, caloric drinks, probars, luna bars, etc) or Boost. Or both (fun times)
-Privileges… Privileges weren’t really an issue, since it was partial. Sometimes you were restricted from exercise, and you could gain that back. But since we went home (or to the EDC-D apartments) at night, you were pretty much accountable for yourself (though the apartments were searched on occasion and one girl was kicked out for repeatedly using behaviors at the apartments).
-There was a level system, but no one ever really applied for higher levels. The higher levels just made you able to go to the bathroom by yourself (at lower levels, you had to take a buddy) and able to have your cell phone during the day (though lower levels were supposed to turn them in during the day, lots of people didn’t and texted during breaks).
-Groups they had consisted of: cognitive restructuring, med lecture, cultural body image, sensing the self (about healthy exercise), body image, spirituality, mindfulness, multi-family, transitions, nutrition, art therapy, community meeting (with all staff), movement, sexuality, relapse prevention, psychodrama, ANAD (non EDC-D people can come to this), goals and skill-building, grief and loss (with darcy and her dogs), DBT, healthy relationships, and yoga. We also had POD 3x per week. This is with your individual therapist and the other people that had the same therapist as you. It was like a longer support group with only 4-5 people. We also went on an outing on Sunday afternoons. It alternated between paid (a movie, ceramics painting, etc) and unpaid (hanging out at a park, etc)
-my fav groups were cognitive restructuring, sexuality, pod and transitions.
-The things I liked the most were the girls I met, the fact that we were free during the evenings (I got to go up to Boulder a couple times, groom horses and Target LOTS), and Connor, Charm, and Summer. Those were the three therapy dogs that my individual therapist brought each day. I got pretty dang close to Connor; it helped so much to pet and groom him while I was in therapy. The staff was awesome too—Juli, Mariah, Jess (who is gone now), JD, etc….
-Least favorite was the supplements and weight gain. For obvious reasons.
-Exercise- Again, since it was a partial program, you could technically do whatever you wanted after 6:30pm. But they would recommend no exercise if need be. But for those out of town, it was difficult to not walk everywhere and get a ride everywhere you needed to go.
-Weekends were abbreviated days. Saturdays you have multifamily, then ANAD, and get out after snack at 3:30. You are responsible for dinner on your own and are asked about it on Sunday. Sundays you come in at 10:30, and have breakfast on your own. You basically eat lunch, go on an outing, and come back for spirituality. If you don’t have dinner or breakfast, you will be asked to supplement when you come in on Sunday, though. The meals off are a chance for you to practice your skills. A lot of the girls get together and eat together.
-All weights are blind. I was told if I was gaining weight (or not gaining), but no numbers whatsoever are given at any time (at least for me).
-I don’t remember exactly how much weight per week it was… I think 1-3lbs per week.
-I’m not exactly sure what the average stay was… I would say 4-8weeks. I was there 9, and there were some there longer than me, but also some there shorter than me.
-They typically don’t take people under 18, though I think there have been exceptions. The oldest when I was there was in her 40s, but most were in their 20s.
-They provide IOP there (it is 10:30-3:30, with the PHP people, 3-7 days a week). They also have an evening IOP where dinner is served and you have evening groups. The also provide outpatient care, but if you are from far away (like I was), they help make sure you have a team set up to return to.
-Patient census can range from 6 or 7 up to 16-18. IOP is usually less, 3-5 people.
-I would definitely recommend this program, if you are able to handle being alone in the evenings. It is very intensive, but having the evenings off gave me time to have some fun in CO. I liked that it was partial, but I ate all my meals at the center. That took some of the burden off me. It was a good alternative to IP care, as it was close to IP, but my insurance paid longer since it was considered partial.
As far as your other questions go, there are no restrictions on electronics, etc. Bring whatever clothes you’ll be comfortable wearing from 8 a.m.- 6:30 p.m. They didn’t like us wearing PJ’s and stuff like that because program is held in a high-rise office building, and you’ll have to ride the elevators/share the common entrance area with business people. Some of us would go out at night sometimes, so maybe bring a couple cute outfits if you think you would like to do that, but otherwise people dress casually.
I would say bring flip flops for sure…yay Rainbows! Tennis shoes aren’t necessary for program activities, and another good thing about not bringing them is that you won’t be as tempted to exercise, if that is an issue for you (it definitely was for me, and I struggled with it the whole time because I brought tennis shoes with me).
Ex. meal plan:
as i mentioned earler i am here now. the schedule depends….there are most groups ed facilities have. we are divided into two groups and you will be a ruby or sapphire.
another exampe of menus is todays:
breakfast-
grains banana raisin cream of wheat, honeynut cheerios, englih muffiin, half bagel
protein- hard boiled egg, turkey sausage link, cottage chhese, peanutbutter
fruit half banana, seasonal fruit. oj, apple juice
fats- butter. diced walnutes, cream chhese
slice cheese
milk- reg or soy, yogurt
lunch-
entree- chicken fajitas, vege soft tacos with lentils, greek spinach turnover
veges- grilled peppers onions
lettuce tomatoe
fruit- fruit cup, orange slices
fats- cheese, guacomole, sour cream
milk= reg or soy
other- granola bars a package. pita chips sun chiups
dinner-
entree chicken salad with ita balsamic chicken vege lasagne
grains mashed potatoes, roll
veges- vege blend, salad
fats dressing, butter
milk- reg or soy
desserts strawberry shortcake or fig newtons.