https://www.emilyprogram.com/
The Emily Program has residential treatment centers for adolescents, young adults, and adults, in:
- Minnesota: Minneapolis (Anna Westin House West) & St. Paul (Anna Westin House for Adults & Anna Westin House for Adolescents)
- Ohio: Cleveland & Columbus
- Washington: Seattle
They also offer lodging for adults attending their PHP programming. PHP and IOP reviews can be found here.
In March of 2021 it was announced that the Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative were merging. As of July of 2021 they will each maintain their separate names, under a new parent company called Accanto Health: https://accanto.com/
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Please help, we need some updated reviews from the last couple years!
Any current reviews or information?? You can check out the FAQ and Guidelines for suggested questions, and post your review below. Thank you!
Anna Westin House West (Minneapolis)
• When were you there? I went 2 times, once in 2022 and in 2023.
• What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)? Residential
• If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible? Yes, there is a one-bed ADA accessible room on the first floor, however all the other client rooms and the lounge are on the second floor.
• How many patients are there on average? 16 max, beds never stayed empty for long.
• What genders does it treat? Any/All
• If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people? Yes, I am FtM transgender and felt very accepted by the staff and all the other clients as well. I was roomed with boys my second time there, the first time i got a single bed room as there weren’t any other boys until the end of my stay.
• How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc? Doctor once a week (or more if needed), psych once a week, therapy twice a week, dietitian twice a week, nurses throughout the day.
• What is the staff-to-patient ratio? I believe there were usually 4-5 techs during the day and 2-3 overnight. There is also always at least one nurse on site 24/7, usually 2.
• What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)? There were CBT + DBT groups, your therapist will work with you on exposure therapy and other more personalized things.
Describe the average day:
• What were meals like? Menu rotated based on the season. Food was cooked by a chef in the house kitchen and was very good in my opinion. You have no choice in meals which sucks, they used to allow you 3 dislikes but the second time I went I was not given that option no matter how much I begged for it.
• What sorts of food were available or served? Really anything you could think of for meals, they also do a takeout night once a week for dinner. PM and HS snack got a little repetitive, lots of goldfish, popcorn, granola bars etc. although you get to choose what you want for AM snack from a snack cart with a decent amount of options. If you’re on a restoration meal plan or they need to add more exchanges to your meal plan they may replace your PM snack with a homemade supplement shake that you’ll get everyday, but they can do a lot of different flavors so it doesn’t get repetitive and they actually taste really good.
• Did they supplement? How did that system work? They pour a specific amount of supplement for whatever is left on your plate and whatever you don’t drink carries over to the next meal/snack until the end of the day. They have ensure and kate farms. If you consistently have a ton of replacement you will have a care conference with your team to see what they can do to help, and if you keep having to have care conferences they may consider moving you to a higher level of care.
• What is the policy of not complying with meals? Do most people complete their meals/snacks? Your dietitian will set a goal with you, usually it will be 85-90% compliance. I don’t really like the question “do most people complete?”, people have good days and bad days, and I try not to pay to much attention to what other patients are eating or not eating.
• Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan? I was vegetarian both times I went to AWHW, and I believe they also allow veganism. However expect your team to challenge you on that and dig into the reason why you are veggie/vegan. My parents had to vouch that I never enjoyed or ate much meat growing up for them to ease up on me.
• Does it work on a level system? Not really a level system. There are 3 “spheres”, bathroom sphere, movement sphere, and safety sphere. In bathroom sphere you cannot use the bathroom or shower without a tech, when taken out of bathroom sphere you can be in the bathroom unattended an hour after eating (however two clients cant be in the bathroom at once unattended). In movement sphere you wont be allowed to go on walks with your therapist or go on the weekly group outings, and in some cases they may not allow you to do yoga group. In safety sphere you must be in sight of a staff member at all times except when sleeping, you wont be allowed to go in your room during free time and you wont be allowed access to any sharps even under supervision except in certain cases.
• How do you earn privileges? meal plan compliance and showing improvement in your urges to do behaviors.
• What sort of groups do they have? Therapy groups, cooking group, nutrition education, psychology education, health education, goals group, process group, fun/group activity time, yoga
• What was your favorite group? Yoga, you are not forced to participate and can take a nap or read if you want however my body always felt so much better after doing it so I would recommend at least trying it once or twice.
• What did you like the most? I felt very at home and comfortable there and met so many amazing people. AWHW doesn’t have that “hospitality” feel to it.
• What did you like the least? I felt like I really had to fight to make myself heard to my team at times.
• Would you recommend this program? If you are mostly medically stable and willing/able to commit to full oral intake absolutely yes.
• What level of activity or exercise was allowed? Just yoga group and some walks, towards your discharge they may allow you to go on a short walk around the neighborhood without a staff member.
• What did people do on weekends? There is an outing every weekend (one group goes saturday the other goes sunday, and you must be cleared to be allowed on outings) but otherwise weekends were a bit boring.
• Do you get to know your weight? In most cases no, they will tell you generally whats going on with your weight but not numbers.
• If applicable: How fast is the weight gain process? 2-4lbs a week (estimated)
• What was the average length of stay? it varied a lot and there definitely were some people who were there longer term but i would say between 4 weeks – 2 months on average. I was there for three months the first time.
• What was the average age range? The first time I went the house accepted people between 16-26, the second time they had switched to 18+ with the majority between 19-30.
• How do visits/phone calls work? there are visits for an hour every day after dinner, you can have two visits per week with two people allowed per visit. people who have been a client at AWHW in the past are not allowed to visit current clients.
• What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)? You are allowed to bring any electronics, i brought my phone, laptop, and nintendo switch. electronics arent allowed at meals/snacks and during groups but otherwise are unrestricted.
• For adolescents: Did they provide time to do schoolwork or offer academic support? They used to provide school time before they switched to adults only, however there is still plenty of free time throughout the day to work on things if you need it.
• What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team? They will most likely recommend you do their Intensive day program or Intensive outpatient program after discharge.
• Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country? Your team can work with you to provide resources, I am from out of state but ended up moving to minnesota to continue outpatient treatment with TEP.
This information is really helpful!, reading this makes me feel less anxious since I’m going to go there in a few weeks!
CLEVELAND RESIDENTIAL/PHP
When were you there?
Nov 2024-Dec 2024 res and Dec 2024-Jan 2025 php
What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?Res and PHP (Cleveland for both).
If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible?Yes! I believe so. We had a client in a wheelchair and there weren’t too many problems. The elevator is very very slow though.
How many patients are there on average?
I know that the maximum capacity is 16. We may have hit that once or twice for a couple of days, but for the most part, it wavered around 13-14 clients.
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined?Yes! So at one point, we had two guys, and they ended up sharing a room. But, at another point when we just had one, he was in the single room. All of the bathroom breaks together with both the boys and girls.
If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people?
I’d say yes. I personally have no experience, but, there were a couple of clients there who went by different names/pronouns and the staff and clients respected it. (:
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc?
Therapy is twice a week, the dietitian I think is twice too, the psychiatrist is once a week and it is virtual. Nursing is once a day for vitals, and then if you have any meds. The doctor you see once a week too.
What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
The mornings were always really understaffed. We would have either 1 or 2 bht including in meal monitoring, for 14 clients. But the rest of the day there’s usually 3 or 4 of them on staff. At the tables, it’s supposed to be 4 clients: 1 bht ratio.
• What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)?
DBT, CBT, and ACT were the only ones I knew of.
Describe the average day:
What were meals like?
The meals were okay. Some were a lot better than others though. I know they are working on adding in variety and they have the menu (most days) ready upfront for you to view the 3 meals/1 preselected snack for the day. They are a little picky on what condiments you can use and if. it “makes sense” for the meal. It heavily depends on the diet tech in the kitchen though.
What sorts of food were available or served?
They had pizza, Mexican food (walking taco bar, quesadillas) Chinese food, lots of chicken meals, and lots of grits. I really liked the pasta bars and doing breakfast for dinner. We did sloppy joes once, and also chili. Also, bagels, cereal, fruit, toast, etc are big in the morning.
Did they supplement? How did that system work?
I believe it was 2 boosts if it’s more than 50% of the meal left, and 1 boost if it’s less. They also have Kate Farms for those with allergens.
What is the policy of not complying with meals?
At some point, I think it is under a week, if you are not complying, they’ll make you sign like a compliance contract saying you will complete. I think you get kicked out or sent to higher-level care. You also will not level up if you do not comply.
Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan?
I believe they only accommodate if you are a vegetarian, not vegan.
What privileges are allowed?
I will explain the different levels below and how to get each of these. But you can get stairs (which is usually the first thing you’ll get) and that’s exciting because i swear they house the oldest and slowest elevator in Ohio. When you level further up you can get independent meals and snacks throughout the house. You’re also allowed to go in your room for WRAP (a time you usually have to be in a common area). And you get to leave the house!
Does it work on a level system?
Yes. Level 1 is stairs. Level 2 can be a collection of things based on your progress. When I got level 2, I had 1 independent snack which I used for my nighttime snack, and 2 independent snack outings. Those were usually taken from 1-5 and you can pretty much go wherever as long as you get a snack that meets your meal plan during it. There are a ton of amazing cafes in Cleveland Heights and a Starbucks in safe walking distance (they actually allow clients to walk to it.) I had my car, but a lot of people ubered or carpooled together. You are technically not allowed to go anywhere with other clients though. Oh and the IS are on the weekend. Level 3 is independent meals inside the building, so you can take them wherever. You get longer passes too outside of the house for dinner. A lot of people just seemed to order in and then take it independently. In terms of group outings, they started to bring them back in late December. Last I heard they could only fit like 4-5 people and you HAVE to be level 2. Not sure if it’s changed since then.
How do you earn privileges?
Being active in groups, completing your meals, getting along with staff/clients, vital stabilization/weight restoration (if applicable).
What sort of groups do they have?
Crafts, BCA (behavioral chain analysis), Nutrition education, Self-monitoring, WRAP/Outing, Yoga, ACT skills, DBT skills, CBT skills, Cooking group, Recovery groups, and community feedback.
What was your favorite group?
I loved the skills groups. I thought they were very useful. I also LOVED yoga, the instructor is incredible.
If applicable: Is the program trauma-informed?
This is a hard one. Therapists, some of the nurses, and a few of the BHTS were. But not a lot. I was yelled at twice by two different BHTs and had a severe panic attack both times due to a trauma response from the yelling and both BHTS just walked away. But in both of those cases, I was assisted by another BHT who WAS trauma-informed. I really do wish this program would do a better job of trauma informing their staff.
What did you like the most?
The people hands down. My therapist and dietitian were amazing too. I thought the house was beautiful and being able to have our phones was nice. Some of the bhts are fantastic and so supportive/kind.
What did you like the least?
Some of the bhts were not very nice and did not appear qualified AT ALL. We had one bht who was shoving her food in a napkin during meals, and we did bring this up in the community. Nothing happened up to the point of me leaving, maybe it has now though. ALSO BIG WARNING. They have a dryer where they heat treat all of your stuff that comes in. DO NOT BRING ANYTHING VALUABLE/IMPORTANT TO YOU. They burnt MULTIPLE client’s stuff and it was really sad. You will not get reimbursed either btw.
Would you recommend this program?
I would. It definitely saved my life. You just have to stick it through and trust the process. But it is very hard and for anybody reading, you’ve got this! (:
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
None lol. Maybe like meditative yoga or the stairs? Idk we were not exercising in treatment.
What did people do on weekends?
We had some groups, but it was honestly very chill. The cooking group is on the weekend and people who have passes go on theirs. You get a ton more rest time on the weekends.
Do you get to know your weight?
I asked and got to know mine the day before I was discharged. I am not sure if they always do that.
If applicable: How fast is the weight gain process?
I don’t think this is particularly helpful to share and can be triggering to some so I am going to refrain from answering. Everyone and their bodies are different!
What was the average length of stay?
I knew some people who were in there for around 4 months. But I believe the average stay is anywhere between 1.5-3mos.
What was the average age range?
Like anywhere from 18-50’s.
How do visits/phone calls work?
Phone calls you can take during your free time. Visitation is also super relaxed, can’t remember the exact hours but you can book out a room (dining, craft, nook) and they can come twice in that day. I think they just have to leave during dinner and then they can come back. Visitation is also like ALL day on the weekend, it’s awesome.
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)?
You can have them on you at all times. No smartwatches, but everything else. They make you put it away in your locker for a lot of the groups, and then in meals/snacks. But that is it. Definitely the most relaxed phone policy I’ve ever experienced in treatment.
For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go on outings/passes?
Already answered!
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?
No clue about IOP. But res team helps you with the PHP transition. You are in PHP from 8am-3pm and have a new treatment team. They also offer weekend programming if that’s what you mean by outside of hours.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?
Not sure for out of the country. But, I was told they can help pay for flights, that’s about it.
If applicable: How is the program responding to COVID? (Less patients, virtual programming, no visitors, masks, social distancing, etc)
No one had COVID-19 when I was there, but if you are feeling sick, they make you wear a mask. You do not get extra rest though when you are sick.
Did you see at all how they treated clients with ARFID?
Yes and no. I won’t speak about it because I do not have a personal experience. The one patient I knew who was there for ARFID though wasn’t too pleased with the program. I will say though that I have heard the Columbus location is WAY more specialized in ARFID than Cleveland.
How much bodily autonomy/privacy do you have? I know it’s ED treatment, but due to my trauma history, I’m sensitive about having control over my body/what others do to/with my body so this is key for me when I’m deciding where to go (or not go) for treatment.
This is a super fair question! You do have to wear a backless gown during weights, which I always covered up with my robe and then took it off for .3 seconds for the weigh-in. It’s just you and the kind nurse for under 30 seconds. There is a private shower on the third floor too that always made me feel way more comfortable.
I want to include this too for those considering Columbus PHP: https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/columbus/supervisor-at-north-columbus-eating-disorder-treatment-center-arrested-for-sexual-battery-of-patient/
Other?
I know they’ve had problems in the past with allergens and accidentally given people them. One of the girls during my time there was GF, and they fed her gluten which made her really sick. It only happened that one time when I was there, but just make sure you’re vocal about things. OH and also, you get to have 3 foods on your dislike list. Same at PHP. Use it wisely.
Do you think Columbus would be pretty comparable?
Hey! Did you ever end up going to/reaching out to Columbus? Trying to find some recent res feedback/insight. (:
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota (Residential)
This review is specific to AWHW!
• How many patients are there on average? Up to 16
• Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined? Yes, combined.
• If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people? Yes! Very supportive!
• How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc?medical doctor 1-2x per week; psychologist 2x per week, RD 2x per week; psychiatrist 1-2x per week
• What is the staff-to-patient ratio? Usually 1:4 or 1:5 for BHTs (techs) and there are usually 1-2 nurses in addition to all the other providers in the building
• What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)? DBT, CBT, art therapy, goals group, process group, embracing recovery, health group, nutrition group, yoga, and cooking group
• Describe the average day:
Wake up and Vitals: 6-7:15
Bfast 7:30-8:30
Groups/Leisure time
AM snack 10:15-10:45
Groups/Leisure time
Lunch 12:30-1:30
Quiet Hour/Extended Rep 1:30-2:30
PM snack 2:45-3:15
Group and Yoga
Dinner 5:15-6:15
Leisure/Visiting
HS Snack 8:00-8:30
• What were meals like? Meals you sit at a table with 3 other patients and a support staff. The staff facilitates games/conversations and also prompts you to work on food and helps you with skills if you’re struggling.
• What sorts of food were available or served? There is a large variety. They are cooked on sight for the most part except for take out meals on Saturday dinner. They include pasta dishes, sandwiches/wraps, rice bowls, salads, chicken and veggies, etc. Snacks include pretzels, PB/Nutella/Hummus, yogurt, pudding, various crackers, granola bars, chips, fruit snacks, apples, bananas, cheese sticks, juice, etc
• Did they supplement? How did that system work? Yes. You are poured replacement (Boost/Ensure but can be Boost Breeze or Kate Farms if needed) based on what exchanges you did not complete. You are given 15 minutes to work on replacement at the end of each meal and snack but all clients have to sit there. If you don’t finish you generally move on to the next part of programming except for after lunch you have to stay in the dining room for extended replacement time until 2:30 or you finish.
• What is the policy of not complying with meals? You will not be able to advance in the level system and you will have a care conference (where you meet with everyone on your treatment team to set goals). You may be sent to Veritas for tube feeding or put on a 5 day review to determine if you’re motivated for recovery at the moment.
• Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan? Yes to both.
• What privileges are allowed? You are allowed to go on the weekly outing if you are 100% compliant the 24hr before your group goes. You can also go on passes and get supported or alone walks and alone meals.
• Does it work on a level system? Yes. Everyone is level 1 for the first week then level 2 for most of the rest of your time there and then level 3 at the very end but not everyone gets level 3.
• How do you earn privileges? Compliant with meal plan, participating in groups, using skills, abstaining from compensatory behaviors
• What sort of groups do they have? CBT, DBT, embracing recovery, health group, nutrition group, cooking group, goals group, art therapy, process group, yoga
• If applicable: Is the program trauma-informed? Yes but they don’t do any trauma therapy there. You can meet with an outside trauma therapist if approved by your team.
• What did you like the most? The meal support was very extensive which was nice.
• What did you like the least? If you have to restore weight you’re generally there for a long time and things get pretty boring
• Would you recommend this program? Yes but you have to be motivated for recovery.
• What level of activity or exercise was allowed? Yoga group and then when medically stable and compliant enough you can do supported walks and also very limited movement when on passes. On level 3 you can do alone walks.
• What did people do on weekends? There is an outing one day and then usually people did passes on the weekends. There are a few groups in the morning but not too much in the afternoons.
• Do you get to know your weight? You can do weight exposure if your treatment team thinks it would be helpful but generally no.
• If applicable: How fast is the weight gain process? 2-3 lbs per week
• What was the average length of stay? It varies anywhere from 6 weeks for nutrition stabilization to 12 weeks if you have to restore a decent bit of weight.
• What was the average age range? 18-25 for most clients but they take any age!
• How do visits/phone calls work? You are allowed 2 visits per week from 6:30-7:30PM.
• What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)? You have full access to phones and electronics except during groups and meals. If they become an issue in treatment tho they can be taken away.
• For inpatient/residential:Are you able to go on outings/passes? Yes
REVIEW OF ANNA WESTIN HOUSE (CLEVELAND AVE) IN ST. PAUL, MN
I was a patient for 2 months in the summer of 2024. First, I want to say that I have worked in residential facilities as a behavioral tech and clinical counselor. I have NEVER witnessed such disregard for clients. Inconsistent care, favored clients to to the point of techs giving sharps and opening bathroom at night. Which resulted in multiple clients to use symptoms.
my personal treatment experience at AWH (1449 Cleveland Ave, St Paul MN) was very distressing. **TW for trauma** I am a 23yo female who had a recent sexual assault just weeks before admitting, staff was aware of this. J**, an older male tech, yelled at me while I was in bed after I asked him to leave so I could get up. A few minutes later in passing, I told home “if you are going to speak to me like that, you don’t need to be coming into my room anymore”, his response was “I will go into whatever room I want, whenever I want.” That is exactly what he did, I reported to staff 5 more times that he kept going into my room. Instead of support and action, my care declined significantly. I was told by several staff (including leadership) that he is “such a nice dude” and “means well” when I would express my discomfort. **END TW** My last night there, a staff member confirmed that the techs and most nurses had taken sides between me and J**. This confirmed that my care did decline when trying to advocate for myself. Even though I was very distressed, I overheard J** saying I was preventing him from doing his job and he can’t wait for me to discharge. I didn’t report this due to a fear of further retaliation.
A client admitted (originally my roommate) when I had less than 2 weeks left of my stay. This client would seek me out to instigate conflict. I told the techs 3 separate times, nothing happened. I was standing in front of two techs when this client shoved a clipboard into my upper back because I asked to use nail polish that this client was not using. I was standing in front of a tech with my hands in the air when it happened. The result of this, was to isolate me during meals, snacks, certain community spaces and groups. The day after the clipboard incident, this client stood in front of the bathroom stall I was in and refused to move. I proceeded to have a panic attack in the bathroom stall. A nurse came in and snapped at both of us with some unkind works. This was before breakfast, I went into my room and wasn’t checked on for almost 8 hours. I left my room and went into a community space because **TW: SH/SI** I was experiencing an active safety concern. A tech saw me and told me I couldnt be in the space. I started crying and said “please don’t have me go back into my room. All I am doing is self-harming and having suicidal ideation. The tech told me that I was making their job harder and asked me “what am I supposed to do with that, you’re making my job harder. **END TW**
Since leaving 6 months ago, I have not been able to cope or recovery from my stay. I’[m now] close to losing care for being too much of a liability.* I lost my therapist of 3 years and stopped PHP after 2 weeks because I couldn’t take going to the Emily Program without having panic attacks daily. I’m doing A.R.T trauma therapy specifically regarding my stay, TMS, and a few other things that have been directly impacted by this.
DO NOT SEND ANYONE WHO HAS A HISTORY OF TRAUMA HERE.
*small portion of sentence with weight/number redacted by admin per site policy
Can anyone share a review on the adult residential in Cleveland? Thanks in advance!
Hey! If you are still looking for a more recent full review I would love to do one, I couldn’t find the prompts to answer but if you find them & copy & paste them, I can answer them all and any additional questions you may have about other aspects of their residential. I was a patient in the Cleveland Res location from Feb 9- Mar 28 of this year (2023). I will say that it was the absolute most comfortable, and home like enviroment I have ever had in any level of treatment, (I have been through all levels of care a few different times, at different places) and Emily Program in Cleveland truly was the best facility itself. It had downsides, (they do not use any ng feeding tubes, have removed patients ng or nj tube regardless of hospital rec to keep it in, they will remove them if you walk in with one because they don’t carry that equipment stuff there). There were wayy more helpful and knowledgeable staff than not, they have been extremely short-staffed- even currently- so sometimes a seemilgly unknowledgeable TA will be on shift, but its not the worst. They are definately very dedicated to help people there. Overall is a way better than other ed residential I have been to.
https://edtreatmentreview.com/how-to-write-a-review/
Here’s the link 🙂
Thank you so much, Jenna! I’ve been checking daily since I posted this hoping that someone who’d been there recently would respond. I know this program used to be great under the old clinical team when it was the Cleveland Center for Eating Disorders, but now that it’s the Emily Program, I’m less confident in their abilities/model/programming. I pasted the review template below, so if you could answer whichever you feel comfortable with, that would be great! I added a few extra questions that I’m particularly wondering about. Thanks again 🙂
Describe the average day:
Location: Cleveland, Ohio (Adult Residential)
Hi! So sorry for taking so long to get back to you – I have been in the process of going back through admissions with the emily program in Cleveland myself to go back to res. I will answer all the questions as best as I can, and I hope it helps! Feel free to reply with any additional questions and I’ll do my best to get back to you promptly! 🙂
• When were you there?
I was there from Feb 9 2023 – March 28 2023
• What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?
Residential at the Adult Cleveland Heights, Ohio location
• If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible?For the most part, yes. There are wheelchairs available in the house if needed, and there is an evelator inside and a ramp in the front & back of the house. It is an older style house, so there are some bumpy parts of the hardwood that can be tricky to manuever in a wheelchair but the other patients always helped people out with getting around.
• How many patients are there on average?
I would say anywhere from 11-16. 16 is the max capacity for that site.
• Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined?
They do treat both males and females! Everything like groups & meals is combined except for lodging, males could only room with other males & same thing with females.
• If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people?
They are really supportive of transgender and nonbinary identifying individuals as far as I’ve witnessed and heard of. I had a trans roommate (f to m) who shared a room with me and another female patient, so you’d have to room with the same sex you were assigned at birth, or there is one single bedroom you could ask your team to stay in. The bathrooms are also gender neutral! They will do introductions regularly and ask for pronouns often.
• How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc?
Medical doctor 1-2x a week, psychiatrist usually 1x a week unless you need them you can try to arrange for more, therapist 1-2x a week, nutritionist 1x a week, you will see a nurse daily for weight & vitals in the morning & vitals again at a designated time in the afternoon according to your number you’re given, and for meds and things like that. There is always some kind of nursing staff there at all times.
• What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
Not counting the dietitians, group leaders and therapists that may be there as well; usually about 4:1. When I was there they were going through staffing issues and would have less staff members available on some days, but this is common at a lot of places. They have a larger turnover rate for the BHT’s, some of them come to gain feild experience and will leave after a certain period of time.
• What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)?
They used CBT & DBT mainly; you could do a lot more individualized types of therapy with your therapist during your therapy sessions as well though too. There is an art group (WRAP) where we would sometimes do art-therapy like projects and crafts.
Describe the average day:
• What were meals like?
They were actually good for the most part, honestly. There were some meals or dishes that weren’t amazing, but the food was a lot better in comparison to Veritas’s residential that I’d been to before, and any other hospital-like food. They had a good amount of variety for all 3 meals. They also have a binder by the front desk with the menu for the upcoming day that you can choose to look at if you’d like to know or be prepared which was nice. Sometimes they’d get behind and not update the binder super promptly.
• What sorts of food were available or served?
A lot of different kinds. Mexican, chinese, sandwiches, soups, salads, pizza, rice, stew, fish, chicken, pork, spaghetti, pasta, overnight oats (we would prepare the night before & customize in the morning), lasagna, tacos, mixed vegetables and fruits, and we would order out usually once a week. In the past we had local restaurants, bibibop, chipotle, papa johns, and things similar to that, and we are given a menu for whatever the place is the day before to fill out what we want.
• Did they supplement? How did that system work?
They do supplement. It’s pretty consistent with most places system; you have 30 minutes to complete for meals, unless it is a meal + a dessert, then we are given 45 minutes, and 15 minutes to complete for snacks. If you don’t complete, the BHT or staff member at your table will log and calculate how much of your meal was completed, and then calculate how much supplement you’ll be getting. It is pretty fair calculations in my opinion, and most staff members will check with you and work with you. You will be given 15 minutes to complete the supplement (it was either boost or ensure, they had chocolate, vanilla & strawberry you could choose from). If you don’t complete the supplement in the 15 minutes, sometimes they’ll give you extra time if you really want to work to complete it, if not you will be excused to go join everyone else back in the group room. They do not use any ng/nj tubes at the facility, so you can’t get tubed there.
• What is the policy of not complying with meals?
I believe if you go on over 48hrs of refusing meals and supplements, you will likely be talked to and discharged for non-compliance. It is a very recovery focused community and they want you to be trying & participating as much as possible. If you are more so not blatantly refusing meals but more so struggling to complete, they are good with working with you to make specific goals to work towards with completion. If you become medically unstable you could also be sent to the Cleveland Clinic inpatient for a higher level of care until you are stable enough to come back to the house. That happened with multipe patients while I was there, some just needing IV fluids or tube feedings for a few days and then would come back.
• Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan?
You are aloud to be vegetarian, but vegan I don’t believe so. They had a good variety of options for vegetarian meals & meat substitutes.
• What privileges are allowed?
We can go outside multiple times a day no matter what level you’re on, you can have your smartphone with you (will be asked to put it in a locker during some groups, most of the time you can keep it on you as long as it’s not a distraction from programming), smoking is aloud (for 21+ patients) there is a smoker’s schedule that is usually timed after each meal & snack so it’s about 5 times a day, and if a staff member is available to take you outside you can always ask them to. There were patients in the past who had medical marijuana cards who brought their med carts with them and could use them during those times as well. When you level up you can earn passes, which are usually about 4hrs long and you can go to a lot of local places and restuarants or go shopping, which a lot of people enjoyed. The set curfew, or ‘lights out’ time was around 11 pm, but they weren’t very strict with makimg you actually go to bed then, and you could usually hang out later at night on the 3rd floor common area.
• Does it work on a level system?
Yes, it does. I don’t remember it to a T, but you start out on Level 1 when you come in and have to use the elevator instead of the stairs, which some people found annoying but it’s really not bad. Getting stairs privledges is usually one of the first you’ll get once you start completing / your vital signs improve. You will also gain independent meals + snacks as you level up, where you can eat on your own in your room or somewhere in the house. You start off with one independent, then you earn more. When you get to even higher levels is when you will start to earn passes outside the house.
• How do you earn privileges?
By participating, making progress according to your own goals with your team, completing meals + snacks consistently, being respectful with your phone or devices during groups, being respectful of patients and staff in general too.
• What sort of groups do they have?
I’m going to copy down one of the days from the sample schedule they emailed me from when I went below (includes some more examples of groups at bottom)
Monday
5:30-5:45 or 6:30-6:45 : weights & vitals
7:00-7:15 : getting ready for the day & morning meds
7:30 : breakfast
8:00 : boost / break
8:30 : Guided skills (a group that changes a lot but is very chill usually)
8:45 : bathroom break
9:00 : Nutrition Ed ( a group led by a dietician )
10:00 : bathroom break
10:15 : snack
10:30 : boost/break
10:45 : Psychotherapy group ( group led by a therapist, topics vary a lot )
11:45 : bathroom break
12:00 : lunch
12:45 : boost/break (an example of 45 min meal time bc of dessert)
1:00 : Guided Skills ( this group can also be independent time sometimes)
1:15 : CBT Skills (therapist-led and usually a lot of handouts for these groups)
2:15 : bathroom break
2:30 : Quiet time (we can go back to our rooms & sleep or just decompress)
3:00 : bathroom break
3:15 : snack
3:30 : boost/break
3:45 : Yoga (#1-8) & Self-monitoring (#9-16) (yoga groups are on the third floor common area, and there is not enough room for everyone at once so they split the group in half if the house is at a full enough capacity, and then it switches)
4:35 : bathroom break
4:45 : Yoga (#9-16) & Self-monitoring (basically quiet/independent time in the group room) (#1-8)
5:35 : bathroom break
5:45 : dinner
6:30 : boost/break
6:45 : Guided Skills
7:00 : visiting / leisure time
8:30 : HS snack (night time snack = HS)
8:45 : boost/break
9:30 : hygiene / leisure (I believe this is when the showers would open)
11:00 : Quiet hours
Some more groups they had at the time was Nutrition Experiental where we could cook or bake in the kitchen, DBT Skills, Embracing Recovery, Boundaries & Interpersonal skills, WRAP: which stood for writing, reading, art and projects, and Med Ed -Nursing group that is a medical group led by one of the nurses.
• What was your favorite group?
My personal favorites were Yoga and WRAP. The Yoga instructor there is super sweet & chill, if you want to just sleep during yoga the whole time she never had a problem with it. It’s a good time to catch your breath and destress with each other. Sometimes she’d be out, so we would do Yoga with a Zoom instructor which was a little less fun.
• If applicable: Is the program trauma-informed?
I would say Yes. Many, if not all patients there have some level of trauma usually. They do seem to have a lot of experience and have seen a lot of different patients that struggle in different ways. For myself personally, my therapist was very well trauma-informed and was very helpful during sessions, and a majority of staff and patients were well informed and respecful with everyones triggers as well.
• What did you like the most?
Honestly, the other patients that I was there with definetly made it a lot better of an experience for me, I met some really amazing people and made new friends there. The house itself has a very homey environment thats very cozy, and the beds are actual beds and the pillows are actually pretty comfortable as well, not like those typical squishy hospital pillows. Being aloud outside a lot and having visitors was also a really nice part.
• What did you like the least?
The Psychiatrist there was always a hit or miss with people, more often a miss. I only had some issiues with them because of a med change that didn’t go well & affected my participation in treatment, but if you don’t want to change any of your meds you definitely don’t have to. They will likely recommend to try new med combos but its your choice ultimately. Some BHT’s were hit or miss as well, but its like that anywhere, here I would say there were much more helpful BHT’s than not.
• Would you recommend this program?
Overall, Yes. There were things I didn’t love here and there, but overall it is a really good program compared to a lot of other residentials and treatment programs. They are really willing to work individually with you based off of what your needs are.
• What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
Not a ton really, you could get approved to go on walks with someone from your team if your vitals were all good, and yoga was not very intense movement either.
• What did people do on weekends?
Weekends were a lot slower and had a lot more downtime because there aren’t all of the staff that there is on weekdays, and theres a lot less groups. We would watch movies or youtube on the TV, do nails, makeup, make bracelets, rest/nap a lot, visitations, doing hair tinsel became popular while I was there, you could do a lot on the weekends with all the downtime. It’s also a good idea to get your laundry done on the weekends. There is a laundry room on the 2nd floor that the house shares and takes turns using. You’ll have your own lanudry hamper with wheels in your room too.
• Do you get to know your weight?
Definately not at the beginning, no. During the end of my time there my therapist and dietician did discuss talking about my weight & being able to process and handle it. I think it’s very individualized based on your mindset and such.
• If applicable: How fast is the weight gain process?
Not entirely sure. It is different for eveyones body I’d say.
• What was the average length of stay?
It can vary a lot. It says like 6-8 weeks on average, some people who didn’t click with the program would leave AMA a lot earlier, and some patients have stayed around 13-15 weeks. My stay was just about 8 weeks. At least a few patients had done residential with them multiple times while I was there.
• What was the average age range?
18-55 was the average age range. There was usually a fair variation of ages. I had just turned 18 when I went so I was nervous about there not being any people close to my age, but there was one other 18 yr old and a few 19-21 yr olds who were usually roomed together. Your rooomate is not always in your age range though
• How do visits/phone calls work?
There are visitation hours everyday. To reserve a location and time slot for a visit, you have to ask one of the BHT’s about it and ask them what spots are available and they’ll put your name down on a sheet in the BHT office. The visitation times themselves can change slightly sometimes, usually there was an option of an earlier visitation time (3:15-5:30) and another one after dinner (6:30-8:15). You could do phone calls or facetime during any leisure or downtime, but it can’t technically be in the group room around the other patients, you have to go to a more private area in the hall or nook area. You can call freely in your room in the evenings too.
• What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)?
Honestly, it’s the most lenient place in terms of their technology policy. You are allowed to bring your smart phone, on top of that you can bring an iPad or tablet, macbook or laptop
• For inpatient/residential:Are you able to go on outings/passes?
For residential yes, you can go on passes, as stated above before ^^
• For PHP/IOP: What support do they provide outside of programming hours?
*Unsure, I did not go on to do PHP or IOP with them*
• What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team?
I have heard for a majority of patients that they do. My discharge personally was abrupt and shortly planned, I did not have any prior discharge planning and was not set up with an outpatient team since I already had one. I was discharged because I was experiencing some chronic GI complications that they wanted me to go back home and see GI doctors to figure it out and then come back.
• Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?
I honestly am not too sure on this one. Mostly everyone I was there with was from some part of Ohio, and if they were from out of the state they didn’t mention much about what recources they had. I believe they are able to sometimes help with transportation for out of state patients.
• If applicable: How is the program responding to COVID? (Less patients, virtual programming, no visitors, masks, social distancing, etc)Not very applicable: by the time I was there in Feb 23′, none of the patients were required to wear masks but the staff and BHT’s still had to. They were talking about lifting the mask requirements for staff around the time I left, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they no longer require them being much later on in the year. If any patients were showing symptoms, they’d have to wear a mask and sometimes quarantine until cleared.
• Did you see at all how they treated clients with ARFID?
Yes, quite a few patients were dealing with ARFID and I know that some of them did exposure therapies, and would challenge certain things at meal times with a provider. From what I know they are very well educated with ARFID and work with patients struggling with it well.
• How much bodily autonomy/privacy do you have? I know it’s ED treatment, but due to my trauma history, I’m sensitive about having control over my body/what others do to/with my body so this is key for me when I’m deciding where to go (or not go) for treatment.
I 100% understand where you are coming from here for sure. I have had the same struggles in the past before with going into treatment and had my own bodily privacy concerns. They are really good with giving you privacy. If you have a past or present history of SH/SI they will probably do one body check during your admission. They give you a gown to change into ( I believe you can keep your undergarments on ) and they have a curtain in the room that they close so you can change. When they do a body check, its not really a full-on body check, as I have heard it be described more invasively at other some places. They will peek down your gown to check your back, they will check your arms, legs, stomach area and bottom of feet i believe too. They are very understanding with these types of struggles, and I think are definitely caring enough to change some things around for you, ex. having a female nurse or doctor over a male. If there is anything they can do to make you more comfortable, they will do it.
• Other?
The site director / leader *** is really amazing, I think she is what makes the place as good as it is right now. She often comes and will talk with us one on one during leisure time wanting to hear our concerns, she would lead groups, and participate in groups with us. She is a really caring individual. She is strict but hey, she is the site director so she does have to make some rules! She always showed up nearly everyday of the week with a smile peeking above her mask. I really do hope this review helped give you some insight! Please feel free to reply or email me with any more additional questions you may have, and I will try my best to get back to you promptly! Take care friend, I’m sending you support and good vibes from Cbus! 😀
Water bottles allowed or free access to water? I have had horrible experiences where programs restrict water when not medically necessary… And how much coffee was allowed? Lastly – individual bathrooms or stalls?
I was wondering that too
Hi there! I have kind of a weird question. In Cleveland, are the bathrooms attached to your room or is it a big shared bathroom? Also how does laundry work?
Anna Westin House (St. Paul) Residential Review
I was at the Anna Westin House in Saint Paul in Winter 2022. My experience was unique in the sense that I moved up the levels of care through The Emily Program (TEP) rather than going down as most people do (I.e. I started in outpatient and moved up to residential rather than vice versa). I was thus at a very different place in my recovery than most people there and found that a difficult environment to move forward in. I will write out some general information below and also provide my insights on who would benefit from such care and who would find such care detrimental to recovery.
There are many rules and regulations at The Anna Westin House, but it is also an environment for adults and so each client has say in what they choose to do. The team is very accommodating with any reasonable requests and will meet you where you are at. The schedule includes the typical three meals, three snacks, and daily dessert with the opportunity for pre-breakfast and HHS snack for clients needing additional tallies.
The meal schedule was as follows:
6:15 am – Pre-Breakfast (not required for everyone)
7:30 am – Breakfast
10 am – AM Snack
12:30 pm – Lunch
3 pm – PM Snack
5:30 pm – Dinner
8:30 pm – HS Snack
9:45 pm – HHS Snack (not required for everyone)
Everyone had an individualized meal plan. Breakfasts and all snacks were choose your own to meet your tallies. This was overwhelming at first but nice to have a say in. Lunch and dinner were prepared and plated for you by the chefs. The week day food was very good, but the weekend food when there was not enough staff was often sub-par cold meals. Meals did not have a lot of variety but were decent.
Mealtime consisted of sitting down at your assigned table and playing way too many games. It was always distract, distract, distract. Each table had four clients and an EDT. Because of Covid, the EDT never ate with us but only sat there to offer support. You had 15 minutes for snacks, 30 minutes for meals, and 45 minutes for a meal that included a dessert. If you did not finish, you were offered a replacement but this was optional. They only ever played table games (e.g. would you rather, fun facts, riddles, etc.) and rarely engaged in conversation. It was hard to request a table change.
During the weekdays, there were ample groups in the morning and afternoon. These included things like CBT/DBT, body image, perfectionism, food skills, nutrition group, life application skills, process, art, guided discussion, yoga, cultivating joy, and various other topics. From dinner on, though, there was nothing on the schedule. Weekends were so much lighter and basically only consisted of free time. In my opinion, there was way too much downtime. I would suggest bringing lots of things to do. People can bring phones and computers for this very reason. The groups were also hit or miss. Some facilitators I jived with, and others I did not. Group attendance was also very low and I found this frustrating because group therapy only works if there is a group. There were many times when I was the only person who attended a group, and I never attended a group that has more than four clients show up. There was never any consequence for missing group or meal or snack, which I found shocking.
Beyond groups, you also had individual meetings each week. You met with your therapist for two 50 minute session, your dietician for one 30 minute session, your medical doctor for one brief visit, and the psychiatrist for one 30 minute session. The therapist and dietician were also available for quick check ins on other days. I loved my treatment team. Vitals were also taken every morning by staff.
Some of the rules were things involving the level system. Until you moved up, all bathroom use had to be supportive. It was annoying to have to wait for someone to be available, but this makes sense. You had to be in public spaces too.
While there were many positives, I found that there were also many costs. I found from my time there that The Anna Westin House was a milieu made up of people whose lives had been ravaged by their EDs. As someone who had come having done a lot of work, it was hard to be around people who were struggling that badly. Many people actively used symptoms and the conversations that happened when staff was not right around were very triggering. People would refuse to eat meals or full on not show up to the table, which was also hard. The thing I found most frustrating, though, was that people did not attend groups and so there were many times when I would go to a group and be the only person. It was hard to be so motivated yet surrounded by people who were only striving to keep their EDs alive. It was also frustrating that because I had spent so much time at TEP, the materials in groups were not new. The conversation was because the people were new, but not the materials and worksheets. It helped me overall to have some symptom interruption, but it came at the cost of feeling set back because everyone around me was striving to keep secrets.
*Cleveland Residential Review*
I was at this residential in the summer of 2021– and for a long time I have had it on my mind to write a review.
I’ll start off by saying that this program was not supportive or helpful in anyway. I know that for a lot of people, the phone access is appealing as many other treatment centers do not allow it, but it’s honestly just because there is SO much free time. I would even say that the entire day is basically free time, as even when we did groups there were still people on their phones and listening to music. I wish I could say that the groups were beneficial, but in almost every single “educational” group we were given handouts, and the person in charge would just ask us to read from them. The entire vibe of the place was so off, because nothing was truly being asked of anyone. Most of our day consisted of watching movies- I think we got through whole series of movies in just a few days, or people would just be on their phones texting or on social media. The behaviors allowed there were honestly concerning, and if someone lashed out during the day, it would be like a show for all the other clients to watch. We had a lot of time outside on “breaks” (basically never-ending), and people would display all types of triggering behaviors that weren’t seen or redirected. The meals were quite frankly the worst that I have ever had, and I am not saying that with any ed judgement. Typically, we would be served things in the package, or something that they found deep inside their freezer- and they admitted this too. We didn’t have a chef the time that I was there, so the EDTs/diet techs would be making most of the meals and they didn’t know what they were doing at all. I think one night we didn’t have dinner til around 7:30, and when it was served, it was lasagna still in the microwavable package. Some of the EDT’s were great to talk to, but overall, they weren’t trained to support anyone with an eating disorder. Most of them had no previous experience in any mental health, and the usual response to asking for help was, “I’m sorry you feel that way”, “Do you want a frozen orange?”, or everyone’s favorite- just sitting in silence staring at you while you cried. The conversations had were a nice distraction every once in a while, but honestly it just felt like I was talking to friends from school who were ill informed. The dieticians and therapists mostly were not there on the weekends, and this is when we would have more challenging meals- so there was basically no support. Even when they were there, they were very judgmental, and overall, not helpful for many of the fellow clients I spoke to while there. There system implements that you have to earn stairs to be able to use them, otherwise you are using the elevator– but this wasn’t enforced well at all. People would be using the stairs regardless, and sometimes people’s breakdowns would involve them running on them- which again was not properly redirected. This was my first time in a residential, but I think that the behaviors they allowed were so out of line, and often triggering for other clients. The amount of downtime was absurd from what I have read on here about other facilities, and it makes me upset that I wasted my time here. The most concerning thing overall is that I believe they expect you to come back. There were a few girls there during my stay that admitted they had been to this location 3+ times, which at that point I don’t even understand. I stayed in contact with a lot of people who I was there with after the fact, and all of them had a similar experience here. Nobody got the proper help that they needed, and almost everyone was discharged, after weeks of no progress. It’s really sad to think that this was how it was operating, and I hope that maybe somethings have changed.
I was made to have a very aggressive roommate. 3 times deployed in army and just lost her son. Nobody did anything about her threatening behavior to staff and other patients. **TW** I ended up getting attacked and choked for a very long time, lost consciousness, but she kept going. **END TW** A fellow patient tried to help me come to NOT any staff. Staff avoided the commotion in favor of supporting someone with bathroom to make sure they did not [use symptoms] or whatever. No common sense here! Not even an apology! Now I’m set back further in recovering and have a trial to add to things. I will be pursuing this further and hoping the ex roommate gets some real help. I have been so down now I’m numb
Hi everyone, here is my review of the Anna Westin House West Residential in Minneapolis (the newest Minnesota Res serving young adults ages 16-25)
When were you there?April-May 2021
What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?At AWHW residential but I then continued on and completed PHP, IOP and am currently in outpatient throught TEP
If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible?yes
How many patients are there on average?16 beds- usually max capacity with a decently long waiting list
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined?yes- they accept all gender identities and groups are not separate by gender identity
If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people?yes- very welcoming to all!
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc?Medical doctor 1-2xs a week, psychiatrist 1-2xs a week, therapist 2xs a week, family therapist 1x a week if you choose to do family therapy, dietican 2xs a week
What is the staff-to-patient ratio?not including therapists,dieticans, physicians, nurses, the ratio of EDTs or “Eating Disorder Technicians” is about 4:1
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, etc.)?CBT, DBT
Describe the average day:typical 3 meals, 3 snacks, about 3 different groups a day, yoga 6 days a week, a quiet hour or “nap time” daily during shift change, vitals and weights in morning, down time at night- you get taken throughout the day for your individual appointments
What were meals like?Because of COVID when I was there, their are 2 groups with 8 clients in each group (an older and a younger group). The younger group ate in the “kitchen meal area” at 2 large tables to socially distance (4 clients at each table and one EDT at each) the older group ate in their group room at small tables spread out in a big circle around the room with 1 edt to 4 patients. Dieticans and therapists usually came in for support sometimes. Lots of table games were played for distraction, my group was awesome and very supportive so I found that most helpful. If you needed to step out and process you could take a quick breather outside during a meal and they were very good about allowing you to have essential oils/ ice and heat packs for self soothing during meals.
What sorts of food were available or served?One chef cooked the meals and they were really good! You did not get a choice but rather got 3 dislikes which they would not serve you. All meals are based on the tally system and so some people had extra supplements/ fruit etc. As for snacks you got to pick your snack using a exchange system and they had lots of options.
Did they supplement? How did that system work?yes- ensure/ boost, you supplemented the % that was not completed
What is the policy of not complying with meals?supplement- if you did not finish the supplement it carried over to the next meal and snack but you got a fresh start each day. If you constantly did not finish your supplement during the supplement times they would talk to you about giving you extended supplement time during quiet hour or your free times to finish. I know eventually they can Ng tube but its very rare and they avoid having to do it. If you are consistently not complying and are there voluntarily they will discuss early discharge until you are ready for recovery.
Are you able to eat vegetarian?yes- if not because of your ed
What privileges are allowed?you can have your phone and electronics all day but just have to be off them during groups and meals.
Does it work on a level system?No they have a system called “Spheres”. Depending on compliance, if you are medically stable and safe. The spheres are movment (can you move around on your own safely), bathroom (can you use a bathroom unmonitored), and safety (are you a risk at eloping, harming yourself or if 18 and older if you have freedom to be in your room alone and not be watched by staff 24/7). Everyone starts in all spheres for 24hrs and your treatment team decides when you can move out of each sphere.
How do you earn privileges?everybody has equal privledges and they do not punish you in taking them away. You can earn walks and passes though later in your stay.
What sort of groups do they have?DBT skills, process groups, yoga, mindfullness, CBT skills
What was your favorite group?process group- I had a great group of people who were very open and we really related and helped each other
What did you like the most?The staff was awesome, so kind and understanding
What did you like the least?The program Director is awful as well as the previous EDT manager. I got kicked out 3 weeks early with no warning becuase the site director and edt manager falsly accused me of not following the rules. I was really having a bad time and they just kicked me out without any proof and my therapist and the rest of the team arguing for me to stay and not agreeing with the site director who I had never really interacted with prior to kicking me out. I was told I could come back when I was “more mature” in a few months and my therapist had to beg the TEP PHP program directors to give me a chance as I was no where near ready for discharge. It was so messed up and extremly traumatizing.
Would you reccomend this program?Overall, despite being kicked out I reccomend this program. Yes it has its flaws but it is a really well rounded program with great staff.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?none except for seated light yoga, if you were really medically unstable you could be put on stair restriction and not be allowed seated yoga. Towards the end of your stay you could earn short walks with staff and eventually on your own.
What did people do on weekends?Weekends were slower, there were still a few groups but a lot more down time.
Do you get to know your weight?nope
How fast is the weight gain process?2-4lbs a week
What was the average length of stay?4-8 weeks
What was the average age range?19-20
How do visits/phone calls work?when I was there no visits or passes were allowed due to covid but you could call home in morning/ at night and between groups
thank you so much for doing such a thorough review! It’s incredibly valuable and I really appreciate you spending the time 🙂
Thank you for this very honest review, it was incredibly thorough and helpful 🙂
Can someone give reviews on the Emily program and how it was or what scheduling groups and meals and snacks were like or the types of foods and phone policy’s (like the typical run down of questions)
Can you clarify what program you want info on? I can speak to residential (Anna Westin House only – they have many sites and even in MN separate adults form adolescents) and IDP (in 2018) and IDP virtual (2020).
Bear, you are an angel. I’ve been trying for three years to get a review or description of TEP’s MN programs on here from someone who has been. We have so much interest in the program here on EDTR, particularly people looking for info about the adult Anna Westin House, and adult IDP (either in person or virtual). I would LOVE any information or experiences you can share.
TEP AWH Residential:
When were you there?
February – March 2018 & January – March 2020
How many patients are there on average?
They were always full, I think it is 16 people total. If there’s ever a gap it’s just for 1 day or so until another admits. Patients are split into Group A and Group B and each person is assigned a number – this is just for splitting groups and outings, it means nothing in terms of “rank” or level you are in treatment
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined?
Treats both – combined. *Note, they are LGBTQ+ friendly and you will be roomed based on gender identity
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc?
MD – at least weekly, more frequently when first admitting, PsychMD – at least weekly, Therapist – 2x/week, Dietician – 1 formal appointment weekly but they are very helpful and will have you drop in to ask questions, they will also pull you aside if they need to make adjustments to your meal plan and they will give you time to process whatever adjustments are being made and will sit with you and discuss your fears/anxiety (it never felt rushed)
What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
I can’t remember exactly because they also have EDTechs who sit with you at snacks/dinner, monitor the milieu areas, facilitate outings (pre-COVID for Target runs, Barnes & Noble, etc on the weekends). At least 4 patients to 1 staff because that was necessary at meals.
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, etc.)?
DBT and CBT
Describe the average day: **this is an example day schedule but each day varies a little with groups, the wake up and meal/snack times are consistent
5:30-7:10: wake up, weights by 7:10 (*it is your responsibility to wake up and get to the nurses station for weights, they will NOT wake you up)
7:30-8: Breakfast
8:00-10:00: Therapist, MD, RD, Psych visits assigned at various intervals based on your number (if you don’t have anything assigned then it’s downtime for you – if there’s an EDTech or other staff they will open the art room or yoga room, sit outside with you, etc)
10:00-10:15: AM snack
10:15-12:15: Therapist, MD, RD, Psych visits assigned at various intervals based on your number (if you don’t have anything assigned then it’s downtime for you – if there’s an EDTech or other staff they will open the art room or yoga room, sit outside with you, etc)
12:30-1:00: Lunch
1:30-2:00: Community meeting
2:00-3:00: Yoga
3:00-3:15: PM Snack
3:30-3:45: Therapist check-in (“drop in time” for your therapist if you need to chat)
3:30/3:45-5:30: Downtime/free time, see options above
6:00-8:30: Downtime/free time (pre-COVID this was visiting hours)
8:30: HS Snack
Weekend differences: once you have progressed you may qualify for “passes” to leave the site and practice skills that you discuss with your therapist/RD (e.g. going to Starbucks for a muffin), and during any downtime pre-COVID they would be able to coordinate outings for those who didn’t get passes, if you stay on site they will usually coordinate game time, art activities, movie times, etc (if you don’t have anything assigned then it’s downtime for you – if there’s an EDTech or other staff they will open the art room or yoga room, sit outside with you, etc)
What were meals like?
(Pre-COVID) you sit at a table of 4 clients with 1 EDTech or staff monitoring the table, there are 4 tables in the dining room. Breakfast & snacks are choose your own (based on your ‘tallies’ which are the same as exchanges, on your meal plan), and lunch/dinner are plated for you by the chef. For example for breakfast (**this is not an initial meal plan**) your tallies could look like 1 protein, 1 milk, 2 grains, 2 fruit, 1-2 fat, with 8 oz fluids. A snack example would be 1 milk, 1 grain, 1 fruit, 1 fat, with 8 oz fluid. The plated meals were generally good tasting. There were very few things I didn’t like out of taste, and I’m a picky eater in general with a lot of fear foods. Some days, usually weekends, there will be a “surprise” breakfast challenge – they work with you on how to fit this into your tallies. For example, if it’s muffins, they will tell you whether you should take a whole or half muffin, and what remainder of tallies you need to gather from the kitchen stock.
What sorts of food were available or served?
Breakfast: build your own based off your assigned tallies on your meal plan (see bottom for list of examples under each grouping)
Lunch/dinner: Sandwiches and soup, macaroni and cheese, wraps, noodles with bolognese sauce, chicken or salmon with rice pilaf, stir fry, tacos, etc. They usually give you choices of dipping sauces to choose from, for example if it’s a wrap you can choose a variety of “fats” to make that tally – ranch dressing, Cesar dressing, mayo, hummus, etc. (*usually on Fridays it’s some kind of order-in option such as Chipotle, pizza, etc and some lunches pre-COVID were outings to fast-casual places as challenges to the clients medically cleared to leave, RDs would supervise these trips and make sure what you order is meeting your meal plan and you’re allowed to over order and then they’ll tell you what fraction you should eat – 1/2, 2/3 etc)
Did they supplement? How did that system work?
Yes, boost/ensure – whatever you didn’t complete it was some sort of standard system (they don’t tell you). For example if you eat approx 1/2 your grain, you boost for 1/2 your grain (whatever their equivalent amount of boost for that is). They go by food groups and not total meal.
What is the policy of not complying with meals?
You are encouraged to supplement if you don’t complete a meal or snack. They have a goal % compliance (I think 85 or 90% cause that’s when I was “talked to” but not sure), and if you don’t meet it they try to figure out why – smaller portions needed, etc, spread out snacks more (they can make smaller snacks but add a “pre-breakfast” snack or a “post HS snack” called HHS snack). They can also add smoothies to meals or things like that. Feeding tubes are rare and only as a last resort, and they will tell you it’s temporary to get over the hump and start increasing on the meal plan.
Are you able to eat vegetarian? Yes, I mostly saw all the vegetarians get tofu as a protein in exchange for whatever else we were having. The chef explains each meal at the beginning (what we’re having, if you need to select any tallies – toppings, etc) and will also explain the vegetarian/vegan options for those.
What privileges are allowed?
Not sure what this means really, whether you can take the stairs depends on your medical stability when you arrive. Then when you progress you can take the stairs and do yoga or anything like the whole group. Eventually (pre-COVID) you’d get passes on the weekends to try skills. Things are never taken away from you in punishment (iPhones, laptops, etc) but they are not allowed at meals and snacks and during groups. You can almost always been in your room with the door open when programming is not in session, but the environment is so comfortable that there’s always a quiet place with very comfortable chairs and couches to lounge on in peace and quiet.
Does it work on a level system?
Sort of – I can’t really remember the definitions. Level 1 is you have to take the elevator, eventually you progress through them but it’s kind of seamless and I didn’t feel like being a Level 1 was ever a true punishment (although it might be for your roommate because the bathroom is locked overnight and they have to get someone to open it). As you move up in levels you will not have your bathroom locked overnight and things like that.
How do you earn privileges?
Meal compliance and progression moves you up in levels
What sort of groups do they have?
CBT and DBT are what I remember, there’s also group cooking which I enjoyed because the group gets to choose what they make and the dietician helps refine it
What was your favorite group?
Group cooking
What did you like the most?
The environment is very healing – it’s a beautiful building in an old converted church so it has great architecture. I really felt like the MDs cared about the patients and were very careful about watching for complications. Admittedly, I was even transferred out to a hospitalization and then sent back because I became unstable, but they took me back with open arms and continued my treatment. There is a white board in the dining hall too where you can write requests for (reasonable) food options for breakfast and snacks (not sure if they’re still allowing this because sometimes it got out of hand). They try to keep meals light and conversation flowing which can help, but it can also be hard if there is 1 or 2 people at your table that are struggling more than others. The EDTechs were always around to talk and help you process things. They also take University of MN Dietetic interns, and they help a lot on the weekends during that term, and I remember one time one of them spent over and hour to me explaining exactly what would happen to a donut in my body once I ate it – and that it was really no different than, say, avocado toast at a molecular level (I’m a scientist, so her approach on this really helped me).
What did you like the least?
Sometimes it can feel competitive. When you first get there learning the tally system and being able to plate your breakfast/snacks cane very hard and time consuming to measure things out right. They’ll send you back to get more of something if it doesn’t look like enough, but they’ll also tell you when it looks like too much. So I think it’s fair. You can always ask when portioning for help. It can be very easy to do the same breakfast/snacks over and over and over again just because you learn the portions of certain foods available so quickly/easily and get comfortable – the RDs try to monitor this and push you to try other things. Sometimes there wasn’t enough staff to open the art room or things like that, but that’s how it goes. You have your phone and laptop and tons of games available so you make do. There’s a nice patio to sit outside in good weather. They don’t table people by how well they’re doing, so if you’ve been there a while and you’re doing well it can be a little set back to be sat with 1-2 new people really struggling – but you have to think of it as being a role model for them.
Would you recommend this program?
Yes, I think the staff make this program excellent and the food is good. The hardest part for me is translating the “tally system” to every day life and meals (I did the IDP program, but was not able to continue with their outpatient care because of geography).
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
Generally none except yoga which is programming, unless permission from RD – at the end of my 3 months in 2020 I was allowed 30 min walks around the neighborhood. They do have a treadmill and elliptical, and I only saw 1 client ever get to use them.
What did people do on weekends?
Downtime, visitors, group outings to Target pre-COVID
Do you get to know your weight?
No – but this is very individualized and I recommend talking to your RD about the reasons you might want to know and your past experience with known vs blind weights in treatment if it applies to you
How fast is the weight gain process?
Depends on situation, it seemed like the typical residential deal of roughly 2lb/week
What was the average length of stay?
Depends on how much you are struggling with symptoms, weight restoration, and insurance – seems like average is 4-6 weeks but I could be overestimating because I was there a while.
What was the average age range?
18 to you name it – 50+? Now they have an adolescent house so I think they are moving only 21+ to AWH and keeping 18-21 at the adolescent house
How do visits/phone calls work?
There are visitation hours, usually in the evenings and then lots of time during the day on weekends, however I believe there are no visits right now due to COVID. Phone calls can happen whenever programming isn’t in session.
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)?
You can have anything during non-programming time
Are you able to go out on passes?
Yes – pre-COVID, exposure passes (goals you set with therapist/RD) and sometimes medical passes (I had to go once to see an Ob/gyn)
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team?
They set you up with IDP/PHP through their programming if you wish, or another program closer to your home if that’s what you want – it’s highly unlikely they’d discharge you straight home without some sort of intensive follow up, unless financial reasons are an issue – that’s a case by case basis.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?
I came from out of state. Not sure what this question is asking, I brought everything I needed with me (clothes, toiletries, electronics, etc). For passes (once they start doing them again), you can call a lyft/uber and do what you need to do.You can order things online to the site for yourself if you forget anything – it will be inspected by the staff before you get it though. For group outings, they have a van they can take people in. For aftercare, they offer care in many states but not all, so that’s a consideration if you’re wanting to stick with their program. Their IDP and IOP programs in any state have nearby housing they offer, so that’s a resource for out of state folks – it does cost some money (not sure how much, I didn’t use it) but it’s supposed to be affordable and walking distance to the IDP/IOP program (however now this is virtual).
Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people?
Yes – very supportive. They always ask preferred name/pronouns, and rooming is based on identity and if you are nonbinary then you just get a roomie, doesn’t matter who 🙂
**EXAMPLE TALLIES – not all inclusive, I don’t feel like typing a huge sheet of paper, also if they ever get special items it will be in the kitchen with the tallies listed on the container for what it counts for**
1 Grain
1/2 whole bagel
1 slice bread
1 chewy granola bar
1 waffle (frozen)
1 cup cheerios or rice Chex or Rice Krispies
1/4 cup granola
15 cheez its
35 goldfish
15 pretzels
12 wheat thins
1 packet quaker oatmeal (plain)
1 Fat
2 tbsp avocado
3 tbsp banana chips
2 tsp butter/margarine
1/2 tbsp earth balance original
2 tbsp cream cheese
2 triangles laughing cow cheese
2 tsp mayo
1 tbsp nut butter (they usually have peanut butter and sunbutter, sometimes almond butter)
1 tbsp choco chips
1 tbsp nutella
7 almonds
2 tbsp cashews
1 Milk
1/2 cup vanilla ice cream
8 oz orange juice (calcium fortified)
1 pudding container
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 string cheese
1 babble cheese
1 cup milk
1/2 cup greek yogurt, vanilla
1 cup (8 oz) plain kefir
1 Protein
21 almonds
1 babble cheese
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup greek yogurt, vanilla
1 cup (8 oz) milk or soymilk
2 tbsp peanut butter (also counts as 1 fat)
1 string cheese
1 Fruit
1 banana
1 whole fruit or 1 cup frozen fruit
1 cup applesauce (container)
1 tbsp jam/jelly/syrup
1/2 cup juice
1 Outshine bar
2 tbsp any dried fruit
Then some count for multiple tallies if you need to combine/condense foods, here are some examples:
1/4 cup trail mix = 1 fruit + 1 fat
1 cup (8 oz) fruited flavor kefir = 1 milk + 1 fruit
25 cheez its = 1 grain + 1 fat
Kashi bar = 1 grain + 1 fat
7 yogurt pretzels = 1 grain + 1 fat
Cliff bar = any 3 tallies (except not all from milk or grains)
Luna bar = any 2 tallies
Lara bar = 1 grain + 1 fruit + 1 fat
That’s all I have and let me know if you have questions on any of this -I know a lot has changed since COVID and what they stock in the kitchen may be outdated (it’s mostly determined by the RDs), it also varies with what is available and if they want to get anything special. They also work with you on individual challenges. There’s way more in the kitchen than what I’ve listed here, I just can’t type the whole list and I wanted to state the things that seem like they would *always* have and not vary based on availability/season.
I stepped down one time to IDP (in person) and one time to IDP virtual. I think they’re still doing virtual now – so you make all of your own food, you still meet individually with a therapist and dietician weekly, and then you go to their site to get weighed in either weekly or twice weekly depending on what they decide for you. Let me know if you want more info on either of these. The programming is honestly similar to residential in terms of group CBT, DBT but it’s just more independence and you get to live on your own. IDP 2 meals and 1 snack per day and IOP (intensive outpatient) if you step down to that is 1 meal and 1 snack per day, M-F, weekend programming is usually optional but highly encouraged for IDP clients.
Thanks for the review. It seems like they have changed a lot. Has their admissions process got any easier or quicker? I always feel like I’m going through so many hoops then get the wrong care recommendations that I was looking for? Thanks!
anna westin house west (minneapolis adult)
Describe the average day:
shows, community planned crafts
This is super helpful, i’m looking to admit to a residential soon. Does TEP use NG tubes?
hi! so sorry for being a day late on the reply but no they do not offer or allow NG tubes at their residential facilities but they offer them at their durham and atlanta ( i believe dont quote me on this ik it’s in georgia tho) locations
As of 2025 they now do NG tubes at the residential location in Columbus and they intend to extend this to all of their residential locations.
Source:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250903533505/en/The-Emily-Program-Launches-First-Nasogastric-Tube-Treatment-Program-For-Eating-Disorders-in-Columbus
Thank you so much for this recent review, this is super helpful! I’m looking to go back to residential treatment after only having done the Melrose Center a couple years ago, and I’m not certain if I should go back and try there again, or try The Emily Program for the first time, who have offered treatment to me recently at this location. I am really hoping to have a different outcome that results in more lasting progress.
If you or anyone else is able to answer, I have a couple questions that could be helpful in making a decision.
Thank you again for your review!
I was here in 2022 and 2023 so things may be different now but ill still answer. About portioning meals, I believe you have to be at a higher level to begin plating your own meals. Snacks were pre portioned for everyone besides morning snack which you pick yourself from a cart of options.
WRAP group stands for Writing, Reading, Art, and Puzzles, Its glorified free time. CBT and DBT were helpful if you pay attention and actually practice the skills, took me a while to figure that out lol. Individual exposure therapy is definitely a thing although its something you should advocate for if you know it will help as it may not be as frequent as you hope for. As for individual cooking experiences, not really. You may eat meals one on one with your therapist or dietitian and some people were allowed to eat alone in a group room towards the end of their stay as discharge preparation. Individual therapy sessions certainly weren’t focused around how compliant you were, that’s gonna be your dietitians thing and you will get full team meetings if it becomes a big issue. I’ve had 3 different therapists there and they all focused on the root cause of my ED in our sessions or let me vent about my day or whatever I wanted to.
Thank you for explaining what WRAP group is at TEP. The WRAP groups I have been part of elsewhere were Wellness Recovery Action Planning (Mary Ellen Copeland).
K, that’s the one I’ve done too, so I just assumed that’s what it was. Thank you both for clarifying! 🙂
Rachel, I found Wellness Recovery Action Planning helpful to stabilizing my mental health and planning what I needed to do to stay well. Another thing that is good about it is identifying what starts happening when I’m not doing so well, and what about crisis. Part of the plan also is writing what supports I would find helpful (and not helpful) if I had a psychiatric crisis and needed help, but maybe was not able to communicate my needs and wants clearly or put a plan together.
Reviewing my WRAP every so often to update it when I am feeling okay helps me make sure that if I were not well, that I have a list of what that looks like for me, and what has worked for me before, and what has not worked for me. It’s also something I can share with providers. Meeting a new doctor can be difficult (sharing with a new person), and it has helped to have that with me to share anything relevant when I am nervous.
Anyone who is interested can access the information online for free to create their own plan. I’m not sure if it’s okay to share websites though. Search online for Mary Ellen Copeland’s Wellness Recovery Action Planning. The community has a resources section, maybe this would be good to add? If so, I could share write up how to make your own WRAP in the resources section. It is like relapse prevention planning.
Thank you so much for your reply! This is all very helpful!!
What the procedure/ schedule look like for Emily’s program in Anna West Minneapolis or St paul location currently for this month? (July-August)?
Does anyone have any updates about how the Emily program works as of this month (July-august) /year? (2025), currently in inpatient treatment/ mood disorder unit in the mayo clinic for depression, anxiety and ed, My team, and social worker and I are currently waiting for a room to open up since they put me on a 2-4 week wait list due to all rooms being used as of now. I want to ask if anybody can share there personal experiences on how the program works or what the procedures will look like?, mostly for Anna West-in House West in Minneapolis for adults or the one in St Paul, I’ve herd great reviews from people I’ve met in the unit!, saying how the staff is nice, I’ve even asked the staff here in the unit and nurses and some told me the program was great!, some patients told me they’ve worked there and kinda explained how the scheduling works and everything but I just want to know how some of y’all experiences were being treated there and any helpful advice I need to know?- I appreciated if anybody comments 🙂 (currently don’t have have access to my phone because I’m in impatient treatment, I’m writing this on a computer, but I appreciated if you guys have more information I will link my twitter username down below if anybody would like to dm me thanks ! )— https://x.com/MULTI_ZONIKS
does anyone have a recent (or semi-recent) review on the columbus residential location?
wondering:
1. do they ACTUALLY honor dietary restrictions or do they just claim they do? i know some places have told me (and others) upfront that they respect dietary restrictions caused by health issues, but later deny those accommodations.
2. is this location and its staff ARFID-informed?
3. is this location and its staff neurodivergent-affirming and gender-affirming? i am a neurodivergent trans male and want to feel safe & welcome
4. how easily do they step people up to inpatient from residential for lack of completion? my worry is that i’ll get there and have very high intake expectations off the bat and not be able to meet them.
I am in the SAME situation considering the Columbus location and can’t find much. I would also like to know.
Me too! I’m in Cincinnati and it’s be a lot more convenient for me.. actually getting visitors would be so helpful
Hey! Did you ever end up going to/reaching out to Columbus? Trying to find some recent res feedback/insight. (:
Hey! No, I did not end up going. They said they have “gotten better” in treating ARFID and adding ARFID specific content but ultimately I have heard they are very strict and black and white aka not great for neurodivergence, autism, and ARFID. If I go it will be my last resort since other places will not take me and I will leave a review 🙂
Does anybody know what the criteria is for the Emily programs residential sites in general or specifically the one in Columbus. I’m trying to find out what ideal body weight percentage or bmi you have to at or above in order to be considered! Like if you also can’t be below certain bmi! Please comment you do know and do not say on here, please send me a email it’s emilyjovingo@gmail.com
Columbus was going to accept me.. without getting into numbers I think they would accept most as long as you can still do basic activities like getting dressed
Any current reviews of Anna Westin House St Paul MN?
Yes some current reviews posted for this week and the last few months mention mostly how the staff are really nice , and looking at them now, the reviews so far are actually positive 🙂
I’m admitting to the Durham residential location soon and was just given the handbook with the packing list. I have a few questions about it.
It says shoes need to have full coverage. Can I bring Crocs to wear inside and sandals for summer?
Do they truly not allow weighted or scented stuffed animals?
Are they strict with the hoodies not having hoods or pockets if I didn’t wear it to the table?
Thank you so much!
I hope i’m not too late!! I haven’t been to the Durham one but I admitted to the Atlanta program in 2023 (back when the Atlanta and Durham locations were still under the Veritas name) and I would assume the 2 programs are still very similar.
(I was on the adult unit for reference)
Tons of people had crocs, but if you wanted to be extra safe you could bring a slipper-style sandal that still covers your toes.
They were pretty strict on stuffed animals, they couldn’t be too big and you were only allowed one. They were pretty strict on anything scented for people with sensitivity to smells.
The enforcement of the dress code varied heavily between staff. They will go through your clothes on admission and take out anything they deem to be against it and unfortunately that does include hoodies and sweatshirts with pockets. At the end of meals and snacks a staff member will make you turn your pants pockets inside out and shake out your sleeves. A lot of girls were able to sneak in clothes that went against dress code by going shopping on day passes, however the majority of staff will ask you to change if youre wearing something inappropriate around other patients (crop tops and leggings were the biggest ones people would get yelled at for).
Which location accepts government insurance?
I know that Minnesota does for sure. I know a lot of people from over the past 15+ years who have had a lot of success with a variety of government insurances there, as recently as this past year. I imagine that you may need to get a Single Case Agreement (SCA) depending on whether you are coming from out of state or not, but they seem to have an extremely high rate of success with SCAs, better than I’ve heard of most anywhere else aside from Monte Nidos. I don’t know how upfront admissions people who answer the phones are about it, but (as with any center) if the admissions person who answers the phone isn’t helpful just ask to talk to someone from the Billing/Insurance department.
TEP WA accepts WA state insurance
Hi, has anyone been to Anna Westin house for ARFID, and did they help with ARFID well or not? Also did they do well with documented food allergies?
Would anyone who has been to residential recently be able to connect with me via email?
Has anyone been to the inpatient locations in North Carolina or Ohio since Vertias and TEP merged? What is the difference between inpatient and res levels of care?
Hi, does anyone have any information on whether or not TEP Anna Westin Adolescent house in St. Paul allows cell phones/ allows outings? I have been treated at Anna Westin House St. Paul before but I needed to get in somewhere as soon as I could, and the adolescent house was the only opening. I am 20 years old so I am hoping to be able to take an outing sometimes and have my phone.
How are they with SH, SI, Complex PTSD, Autism, and non Ed related chronic health issues (I have a serious autoimmune disorder and a serious neurological disorder that is similar to MS) and I struggle with chronic pain and mobility issues as well
I’m looking for anyone who has been to an Ohio residential would be willing to answer some questions?
I’m looking for anyone who has had recent experience (2023 2024) with The Emily Program in Minnesota. I am waiting for a call back related to options. I am neurodiverse, diagnosed in 2014 at age 53. I want to make sure this place knows how to support and care for those of us who are autistic and ADHD and have experienced trauma, and that it’s a caring, respectful, well educated staff, Thank you
Does anyone have a recent review for the Ohio location? Thanks! Also wondering if anyone with type 1 diabetes has been here.
Does anybody have any reviews on adult residential program that just opened up in Columbus through the Emily program?
I’m looking for this too!
does anyone have info about the adolescent program? What do they do if you aren’t meal compliant, are you forced to sit all day with supplement in front of you and nothing else or no?
My adult daughter has been there for just a week. I think it is tough for absolutely everyone and she is definitely struggling. If you’re not compliant they use reduction of future “pass privileges” as their “enforcement strategy” from what we’ve heard so far.
Does anybody know what the waiting list for Cleveland residential looks like right now?
4-6 weeks
late reply, but just got told there’s an availability right now
Anyone have a current review of either or both PHP and res in Seattle location? Thanks!
Does anyone have a recent review of the IDP/PHP in St. Paul? I may be admitting and staying in their lodging. I have been very focused on insurance that I have not sought reviews until now. Thank you.
Has anyone been here recently as a vegan? What was it like? Also, would love to hear general remarks on what the program’s like these days. May need to go to resi and this is one of my few options both as a vegan and with medicaid.
my family member attended the Cleveland residential program with food allergies for which a vegan diet was safe. She reported plenty of options and her meals were clearly marked with her allergens making her feel safe.
Unfortunately thats the only positive comment about the facility. Run don’t walk if you have any other options for treatment
Could you elaborate on why you don’t recommend them?
Yes! I’m a vegan and was in residential at the Ohio location and their chef was amazing she is great! The food was really good!
I was at the Minneapolis res in May-June of this year. I’m not vegan, but there were people that were and there were alternative options for them. It’s a self-plating system where they tell you what you need and if it’s too much/not enough so they’d just instruct you to plate the vegan options.
Does anyone know wtf is up with their insane wait lists I’ve tried multiple times to get in only to be turned down due to 5 month plus wait lists
My suspicion is that it’s because TEP is one of the few residential programs that accepts Medicaid and Medicare.
How good are they at treating ARFID? Are there many ARFID patients in residential?
I don’t know about “how good” but in the several times I have been to residential at TEP there is almost always 1-2 clients dealing with ARFID
Does anyone have any updated information/a review on a Minnesota location? I’m having an assessment soon and I am thinking they will rec PHP or residential. I’m pretty anxious and so having any information would be helpful. Thanks : )
Does anyone know what happens with noncompliance? Are they quick to tube? Also what types of foods are served for vegans and vegetarians? Also do you get to choose your own meals?
SO if you do not eat your food they will give you ensure to drink, and if you do not drink that it will go down as non compliance. if that happens often enough they can put you on a 5 day review and at the end if you did not meet the goals set fourth you will be discharged. They do not do feeding tubes at all, you get to choose your own breakfast and snacks. Lunch and Dinner are served and portioned for you. I’m not to sure about vegan options but they did a lot of tofu, mock chicken, mock beef, beans (sorry thats all i remember from seeing a table mate of mine being vegan)
Which location did you attend and when were you there? I’ve been to the MN location and when I was there, they offered ng tubes.
Recent policy change I’ve been told they no longer offer tubes at the residential locations and will discharge you if you are not committed to recovery and willing to comply. They are quick to kick people out of their residential programs for various reasons, unfortunately, but if you go in committed to opening up and giving their programs your best effort, and following their rules and recommendations, they can be an amazing program (not saying being perfect.. that’s not how recovery works.. nobody’s recovery is linear and you will struggle but giving your best effort, making progress on their completion goals and therapy goals for you, the program can be life-changing.)
My child (16) was non-compliant with finishing meals and they let her go after ~2 wks. We were totally caught off guard as we thought they would keep working with her to get her to eat. Had we known of their unpublished “policy” to let people who were being non-compliant go, we would have known this program would not be a good fit for our child. This was late summer of 2022.
I did residential at AWHW in 2022 + 2023. The second time I was extremely non-compliant with my meal plan and after around 2 weeks was beginning to require medical stabilization. They were able to transfer me from residential directly to their inpatient location in Atlanta within a few days and seamlessly transferred me back to AWHW after discharging there. TEP residential is a voluntary program, they want you to be willing to comply with at least 85% of your meal plan on admission and aren’t going to force you to stay if you don’t seem committed to recovery. However if you’re committed to recovery but still struggle to meet their compliance requirements they will be willing to work with you to find a program or higher level of care that is more suited to treat your needs.
They offered feeding tubes until late 2020 or 2021. Since then they do not offer them and the expectation is oral intake of either food or Ensure/Boost.
FYI: For those looking for somewhere that allows veganism, The Emily Program accepts vegetarians and vegans at all levels of care:
https://www.emilyprogram.com/care-we-offer/frequently-asked-questions/
Anyone who’s been to the adult residential for the Emily Program recently, would you mind answering some questions? Thanks so much!
Do they take insurance – medicaid/HealthFirst?
-What kinds of treatment professionals are on the team (doctor, dentist, nurse, therapist, dietician, psychiatrist, coach, etc.)?
-Were the therapists able to do trauma work?
-What kinds of groups are provided, and how valuable did you find them?
-Do patients have to wear masks?
-Do they discriminate against unvaccinated applicants?
-Are there any services provided for Christians, or might a chaplain visit (I’m assuming patients aren’t allowed to leave on Sundays to go to church)?
-What kind of meal support is provided, and what happens if you struggle to complete?
-How much is weight emphasised in recovery (are you weighed regularly, told your weight, given a weight goal to lose/gain a certain amount, etc.) – or is weight not a factor at all?
-How is movement incorporated, if it is at all?
-What are the weekends like?
-Are the staff kind and respectful, while also holding you accountable?
-Did you feel the staff were well versed in eating disorders?
-Do the staff practice HAES?
-Do they accommodate ethical vegans?
-For vegans, how much variety is there? Are the meals nice? Do they do appropriate challenges?
Does anyone have a recent review of the Seattle residential that they could provide? Or someone who would be willing to connect with me via email to answer some questions? Any insight would be a huge help and really appreciated!
Desperately hoping to find something on Emily Program in Seattle- it’s literally a 5 minute drive from my apt. I’ve done res/PHP with erc 2x (1st in Denver because there wasn’t a WA one then, 2nd in ERCWA) and am thoroughly sick of ACT and DBT. I don’t think I’d find it helpful (especially with bad recollection of my last (WA) experience (my therapist mostly spent sessions in silence – I can out-awkward-silence any therapist lol). They wouldn’t let me switch.
I’ve heard TEP is not a great fit for Neuro-Divergency (ASD, ADHD, etc), lots of down (=bored) time. I also have very severe food allergies that at least ERC dealt with well. I’ve never been anywhere but ERC, but they and TEP are literally the ONLY ED programs in WA that both accept guys (?) and state Medicaid – so it’s unlikely I would be able to go out of state.
I can reply to this. Not sure if you are still looking but I did ERC WA and also TEP WA and I would def say ERC was way better in terms of what they offered and how well they were able to treat neurodivergent folks. I’m both Autistic ADHD and also Deaf and TEP was a nightmare because they just didn’t understand neurodivergence. I wouldn’t even consider doing anything over IOP there. I’d say outpatient appts or groups are probably fine but their res or IDP or programs are not neurodivergence friendly at all. I suspect I’d probably do ok with just outpatient appts with them but as I’m sure you know whenever they do LOC assessments they ban us from OP treatment and force us into restrictive levels of care. Do not recommend TEP for autistic adults.
Hey thank you! This is very helpful as an ND ED sufferer myself. I’m supposed to be going in for residential there at the end of this week (first time ever in treatment and I’m a 30 something adult)… I was wondering if you’d be able to give any example/s of how they’re not ND friendly? Obviously whatever you’re comfortable sharing, and maybe you could kind of give a hypothetical example if you wanted to avoid any disclosure you wouldn’t be comfortable with? I know ADHD/autistic experiences & needs can be so radically different, so I would love to get a sense with a bit more specificity so I know if I should back out lol
Sure yeah…so the unit isn’t designed as a medical facility it’s a floor of an office building…so it’s super cramped everyone is stacked on top of each other and it’s a sensory nightmare. The lights are those florescent office lights. And it’s very overstimulating from an environmental perspective so if that’s a challenge that’s important to know. The lack of structure is another issue. If you have a lot of other stuff to focus on like work you can do on your device or something at treatment it could be fine but also there’s literally nowhere to sit. It’s so cramped that people are literally sitting on the floor because they do that whole “lock you out of your room all day” thing but ALSO you’re trapped in this small area and can’t leave…so yeah….I would very strongly advocate to do php if possible and not res. There’s too many people crammed in a very small space. At least at ERC WA there was more space….if they are gonna lock you out of rooms all day there’s still a lot of places you can go to get space from people (the famous sitting outside your door or the quiet room) we didn’t have any of that buffer at all. Also, most of the folks there were young 18-22 age so yeah it’s tough being older. The way it’s set up with the staff it’s a mess honestly…people are constantly changing, turn over is ridiculous and like anything what one person says the next person negates. A ton of drama….it just was not helpful for me personally too much inconsistency, people were too young and too cramped in not enough space. In PHP I did the lodging and that was a huge mistake. They paired me with this 18 year old in my room who did not know how to live like an adult she was yelling coming in drunk, smoking in the room (and I have asthma) it was awful. When I told them about it and requested a room change they acted like I was being unreasonable. I’m 41 I don’t have time for this nonsense. I’m not gonna parent an 18 year old who can’t respect the home environment.
The therapist I had was good but despite that they refused to step me down so I wasn’t having to deal with 18 year olds every day. The therapist advocated for me but ultimately they just discharged me. It was awful.
I get how ERC can be a pain in the ass but at least it’s consistent. At least there are standards. I think if I were struggling again I’d advocate for their IOP or PHP rather than doing TEP res or php. They refused to give me Kate farms even though that’s what I supplemented with for months and the only one I could tolerate. They were super petty about things that didn’t matter. They made it clear they didn’t want me to recover frankly because they couldn’t deal with me being autistic. Idk I guess it depends on how flexible you can be to adapt to them. After all the treatment I had had…I could not.
Wow TEP Washington res sounds a lot different than the Minnesota locations! That’s such a bummer. One of the MN ones is literally in a beautiful old converted church. But the WA locations used to be a different program and were purchased by TEP a few years ago, while MN is where TEP started and where their res program started. I do know that the MN ones are the only ones that are Anna Westin Houses, I have no idea if that label makes a difference, but the first Anna Westin House was the original TEP res and was started by an advocate named Kitty Westin* whose daughter Anna died of her ED. They are super big on sensory related things (frozen oranges and ice packs to hold during and after meals last I heard). They also recently gave their floor staff a huge raise so I’d imagine that helps quite a bit too! But the MN locations usually have very long waiting lists, probably partly because they take both Medicaid and Medicare…
As far as ERC locations, the overwhelming consensus on this site seems to be that the WA location is the most neurodivergent friendly!
Catfeathers does your insurance only cover The Emily Program or do you have multiple options?
*Anna/Kitty Westin are names we are allowed to use on the site because they are part of the name of a treatment center.
Yes Ive heard that the MN locations are very different than TEP WA. The people running it in WA are (in my opinion) really incompetent, for lack of a better word. They just are so clueless honestly. I’ve heard than MN is very different and well respected and def am interested in trying it out even though I had bad experiences at TEP WA. I’m assuming it would be a very different experience.
I’m not sure actually, I have Medicaid and am fairly new to WA so maybe I’ll try to find another place…
Thank you so much, that was so immensely helpful to me!!! I have a lot to think about… I’m doing my medical clearance appt tomorrow and I believe they are planning on my getting there for admission a few days after that. I live like 4 hours away from Seattle in a treatment desert (in the sticks) so I’d definitely be doing lodging for PHP :/ I’d never even heard of ERC until I saw it mentioned here, but I’m going to look into it now. I’m pretty sure my options are limited because I’m on state insurance/Medicaid… but I’m gonna do some research. Thank you again for the details, your reply was a humongous help to me.
Yeah I’d def check out ERC. They also take Medicaid as well. (I’m on state insurance too) The WA location is all voluntary as well and they don’t hold people (same as TEP) it’s very different than Denver. They will discharge you if you aren’t making progress. I just found it to be much more individualized than TEP and they were much more willing to work with me. It also depends if you’re someone who would benefit more from ACT vs DBT…I do better with ACT and CPT, and DBT isn’t well suited to me. ERC has a lot of ACT and not as much DBT…TEP does more DBT/CBT stuff. So I do believe they are suited to different populations. It also very much depends on who you are in treatment with too. I wouldn’t say don’t try it if you never have but just know that a ton of people in WA have not had good experiences with either program and so don’t be afraid to try the other one. ERC WA has lodging as well. The PHP schedule is exhausting there because it’s so many hours of programming honestly. TEP is less hours, there’s a lot less support though. ERC was not all or nothing. If you didn’t complete everything you weren’t instantly kicked out. In TEP WA PHP they do…doesn’t matter the reason they send you home for the day….for me it ended up being reinforcing because my gastroparesis was so bad and I couldn’t complete everything and I was overstimulated there so being sent home was a reward. At ERC WA it’s the opposite. If you do well you get more freedom and more time alone which suited me. So it also depends on what’s a reward to you. They both work on punishment/reward which isn’t great honestly but they are vastly different approaches. Good luck! I hope you’ll find something helpful!
Hi!
I’m neurodivergent and had a fairly good experience at TEP WA. I do agree with the space…it is often overcrowded and there isn’t really enough space. However, they were really willing to work with me and customize things to my needs, but I know that can depend on your treatment team! Most of my OP team are providers I met while at TEP. I had a bad experience as someone who was ND at ERC, but that was Denver, so maybe WA is different! TEP is voluntary, so maybe it could be worth trying as they’re not going to be able to hold you involuntarily if it doesn’t work out. Wishing you the best ❤️
Any current review for Anna Westin house in St. Paul?
Are you looking at the adult house? We don’t have any current reviews, but I know a couple people who have been to the adult house in St. Paul recently and had good experiences. There is a very long waitlist right now (last I heard was ~2 months) so if you are at all considering the program I highly recommend getting on the waitlist ASAP. You can always remove yourself later, but it’s much better to get on the waitlist as soon as you begin considering it than to wait until you have done your research and made a decision about whether you want to go. That way if you decide it is the right fit, you won’t have so long to wait.
Any virtual reviews?!
Does anyone know what the wait list is the like for the adult Anna Westin House in St. Paul? Also, are they back to taking out of state clients? (during the height of covid, they were not.) Thanks!
They are definitely taking out-of-state clients. I know because I am trying to get in there, myself, and the wait times vary across all of their programs, from a few weeks to five months. I’m not sure about the exact wait time for this specific location, but their Admissions Director is incredibly kind and very easy to reach. She will answer all questions.
Yes, I found that out too. However, the people I talked to recently had negative things to say about it.
Lauren—do you mean people who have recently gone through the program are giving negative reviews about it?
Yes. I’ve heard both good and bad, though.
They have a BMI cut off and didn’t tell me until I had been on the waitlist for 5 months. I think they should have checked sooner. I asked multiple times.
I actually think they didn’t want to help me and came up with an excuse.
They say they work with local hospitals on their treatment brochure. They don’t , I asked, I begged.
I’d get your questions answered by multiple people
Good luck!
Nikki—I was told the same thing about BMI, but I never got on to the waiting list, so I’m in the dark about what their cutoff is. They just told me there is no BMI criteria, that their decision is based on stability and current behaviors. I’m still trying to get in, but now I fear I won’t because of BMI. Ugh.
Their admissions process was a mess. Or at least when I went through it. That was their main reason for me and I had been there years before at a similar place.
good luck
Are you able to say on here what the cut off is? I need to know if I fit criteria.
I don’t think it is beneficial to explicitly say the number, nor do I think it’s even allowed.
I’d be happy to tell you privately, if you think it something that will propel you forward.
Up to you.
Could you email me with that cut off please? It would be beneficial to my current situation, thank you. aarod916@gmail.com
Hey Riley would you be able to email the cut off?
I am currently on the waitlist for the adult Anna Westin House in St. Paul. I have been on it since February, 2022. I was told it might be 2-4 weeks longer.
Has anyone been to the adolescent residential house in Columbus, Ohio? It just opened recently. I have a friend who will be going there soon and would appreciate any reviews and/or any kind of information!
I have a friend who is going to this house soon. Do you know if yours had a positive experience?
Has anyone recently been to the Seattle residential that would be willing to write a review/share their experience? Any info you could provide specifically on this location would be hugely helpful and appreciated! Thanks! 🙂
I already posted this in the Veritas thread but I know that the Emily Program now owns Veritas, so maybe I was suppposed to post here? Just wondering if anyone could do a review on the adolescent residential program in Durham, NC? Thanks in advance for any information that anyone might have!
Does anyone know current waitlist for inpatient in St. paul? I’m 25 so idk if that’s adult or young adult.
Really long. Last I heard 15 weeks for the original AWH – not sure if age 25 you’d be considered for their adolescent house (also in the twin cities but more targeted tor a younger adult / adolescent age group – Anna Westin house west for adolescents & young adults)
Does anyone have an updated review of TEP St. Paul (Anna Westin House) in the last 6 months? I Have been there before, considering going back – but wondering how things have changed (if any) with the Veritas collaboration/purchase and if you noticed any differences in treatment if you had been there before.
Does anyone have any recent reviews on the St. paul location adult PHP or res? I have an intake with TEP this week.
Hello,
I was just wondering if anyone had a recent review of Seattle?
If you or your loved one is looking for eating disorder support while on the waitlist or after discharge, Necessary Nutrition LLC in Eden Prairie provides outpatient services: https://necessarynutritionllc.com/.
This services provided by this program, at least according to your (the?) website, look very weight loss and weight management focused. Can you speak to the treatment approach here for clients with eating disorders, given that eating disorders are not about weight?
I am more than happy to clarify. The three services indicated on the website are separate services. I have worked at The Emily Program AWH and have 5+ years of ED experience. Individuals are more than willing to reach out with questions regarding my approach.
Where does your website say who you are? It just says we offer? Maybe I missed it?
Thank you Melanie! What role did you play at TEP? What specific ED services do you provide? Do you provide meal support (either one-on-one or group)? Are the cooking groups ED specific, or are they for anyone?
What level of medical instability can you accommodate for people on the waitlist for TEP residential? What do you do if someone becomes too unstable to remain outpatient (for example, electrolytes, blood pressure, heart rate, orthostatic, EKG, dehydration), but still are on the waitlist? Can you refer them for brief hospital stabilization in the Twin Cities? So many Minnesota adults who are too old for Childrens just get told to hop on a plane and go to ACUTE, despite the fact that most people aren’t actually able to do that (insurance, cost, criteria, work, family, etc).
I was a registered dietitian at residential adult house (AWH).
I provided 1:1 counseling–this can be 2x/wk, weekly or biweekly depending on severity/need. At this time, I am only providing one-on-one meal support. Group classes will be available in the future (depending on COVID-19)
If medical instability is an issue, I recommend to a client or a client’s parent that they should go to a local hospital for stability. I have some clients who do weekly check-ins at their doctors office and we coordinate labs, blood pressure, heart rate, etc.
Do you have more info on Anna Westin in St Paul, I’ve been there pre and during covid and ever since covid I feel like it has lost its helpfulness. I would love to know hear from someone who has been there in the last few months to ask questions.
I am also wondering if there is anyone that has been to Sanford in last few months for those with chronic enduring AN< I have heard they have some different approaches and would love a more detailed review or someone I could talk to and hear about it. Both Anna Westin St Paul and Sanford for the "chronic" clients
*cross-posted by admin from client general forum
I don’t have anything to add, but I spoke with admissions about two weeks ago and it’s a 10-12 week waiting list at all 3 locations for the Emily program.
*cross-posted by admin from client general forum
I’ve been to Sanford and can answer questions.
Hi I’m interested! I can’t get a hold of them but am still curious how their program is and if it’s individualized?
To anyone considering residential (adult) at the Emily Program – I spoke to them today and the waitlist in St. Paul and Cleveland are both 10 weeks and Seattle is 12 weeks.
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Site: Anna Westin House West (treats Older Adolescents and Young Adults)
When: December 2021
Is there anyone with recent experience at the Anna Westin House in MN (ideally since Covid) that can say if they recommend it?
– I’m in recovery and I work at the Anna Westin House West. I might be biased because I work there but it’s a wonderful place with a wonderful team. I would highly recommend. Only downfall in my eyes is the lack of choice in what they get to eat. In my experience I was never faced with that challenge and I think that can be scary.
Oh that’s awesome to hear! I’ve heard the last couple years have been pretty up and down for staff, so that makes me really happy to hear you love working there. Especially that you are in recovery yourself, so you know!
– Yeah I heard mixed things about TEP. I’m guessing they’ve been dysfunctional in the past but I’m pretty impressed so far. I went to treatment at Melrose [Center] and had a really good experience there in PHP and outpatient but I didn’t do residential so I can’t compare that part. But since I consider myself recovered, it’s interesting to be on the opposite end.
What age does your location treat?
– Adolescent and adults.
Has there been any change you’ve noticed since Veritas [Collaborative] merged with the Emily Program [in Spring 2021]? I was wondering if that was going to help with the medical side of things at TEP, cus Melrose was always better at that
– I’m guessing Melrose is probably way better with the medical side of things, but I definitely think the merge has changed things and probably even provided more $$$. Because we all got raises
Oh good!! That was actually the main thing I heard about the hard thing of being staff there! And a lot of treatment centers all have that same problem, where they get all the best grads out of grad schools but can’t hold on to them cus they don’t treat them well enough. So I bet retention will improve!
– Yeah the pay was WAY too low when I started. I got the job and I was like holy sh*t. I love it but… It is hard work lol.
What groups does TEP have these days?
– A lot of DBT/CBT yes process groups, yoga and guided art
What do you mean by clients not getting to choose what they eat? Is it all just assigned with no meal planning and no picking what you want that fits your meal plan?
– Meaning it’s a small kitchen and everyone eats the same thing. Only accommodations are food allergies and moral (vegan etc). Idk my Ed could not handle that. But it might be effective to an extent
– Everyone does have a meal plan for themselves so some will have added things
It sounds kinda like family style! Lol
– Totally family style ! Lol. But it can be so challenging. And we can’t eat with the clients due to pandemic but we would otherwise.
– I just have to be honest Melrose food was so good tho. TEP food is hit or miss lol
How are they with trauma?
– I would say meh on trauma. I remember at Melrose there were a number of therapists actually trained with trauma. I loved their outpatient.
What do you like best about the treatment provided at Anna Westin House? Since you have things to compare to!
– I really love the EDTS [Eating Disorder Techs]. We support all the meals, and honestly everything else lol. I did not have that kind of support from Melrose. It’s a different dynamic, my coworkers are so supportive and amazing. Idk it’s weird like when I was at Melrose I don’t remember staff checking in with me during meals. I just ate them terrified lol
– Another thing we do is self soothe which is like hot packs, ice packs and essential oils for anxiety. Another thing I think would have been so helpful for me in treatment
– I also love the family therapist at Anna Westin house west. Omg she’s the best. Like kicks *ss in my opinion lol. I feel she advocates heavily for clients with dysfunctional families. I don’t know the other therapists super well but they are nice people.
Are they doing outings and stuff or are people on lockdown still because of the pandemic?
– No outings at all. That part sucks. Super strict pandemic rules. Only two visitors at a time. I can tell clients struggle with that. I actually do think there are too many rules. I get symptom interruption but it gets to the point where it’s so unrealistic
Do they have a lot more access to electronics now?
– I mean we have a couple computers? Clients can have phones and laptops and we have a lounge with Netflix
Do parents who are patients get to talk to the kids a lot on their phone when the kids can’t all come visit?
– Yes. I work with young adults so not a lot of older people but I do have adults who have kids and stuff.
– Clients sit in the hall and FaceTime there’s a lot of lounge time
Do they pick their own snacks?
– We have snack options nights. Otherwise no. I really strongly feel that picking would be way more beneficial. And then we’d be challenging them if they tend to pick lower cal snacks or the same thing everyday. I hate that they don’t have that autonomy. So my one disagreement I guess ? but I’m not the boss!
Are you at the adol/young adult house?
– Yes ! And I’m wondering if other houses are different… but I don’t think so.
– Either way. In real life nobody’s gonna walk into a kitchen and be force fed a snack. You are always gonna have to pick. And as an EDT all you have to do is pick up a food and look at their face- you will know if it’s a fear food and then you can challenge it. Lol
Can I message you if I have more questions?
– Ask any time ! I’m super passionate about recovery. And my job.
Sounds nice thanks. But no picking food would be very challenging! I’d be interested if the adult house is like this, it wasn’t 6 years ago! I would definitely change my mind on waiting. Thanks
I’ll find out!
By the way, speaking of how challenging that would be, I have to say that I loved that they were so honest about that. Their honesty and openness when we talked made it almost like I still ended up getting a treatment review of Emily Program/AWH anyway! Rather than just a Q&A with an employee talking about job, they talk so much about how they would be experiencing the different aspects themselves if they were still a client rather than a recovered staff member.
For sure! Thanks for all your work on this site too!
I am on the waiting list for Emily’s adult RES in MN. I’m older and have been suffering for most of my young adult-adult life. I have treatment trauma from institutionalization that I have never recovered from that makes it harder to talk myself into following through with this.
Though it’s harder and harder to keep up, I’m extremely active and very concerned about anxiety management around this, too.
I would greatly appreciate a recent full review on the adult RES. Additionally, any thoughts about the clinical staff’s ability to instill hope for enduring ED’s would be a huge bonus.
Thank you.
Can the people who read this and check in on this page help a bit? There are many programs with old or no real reviews. It would be nice if we could get updated reviews. I am pretty sure we all know someone who has been in treatment recently. It would be nice for all of us, I’m sure I’m not the only one who can find reviews. I’m not an admin or do I run this site. Just reaching out
Thanks!
Can someone please do a new review of the AWH? I would really appreciate it! Someone has had to been there, they are so full with a long wait, thanks in advance
Hi, I was there last year at the adolescent and young adult house. Besides petty drama between residents the staff there are great and after being discharged I did pretty well for a while. Their intensive day program is absolutely horrendous though so if you’re wanting to step down after I’d recommend trying to get into melrose for PHP because they’re way better outpatient than inpatient
can someone please give a more recent review of the seattle res program? i’m going in a few weeks and i am very scared and all the reviews are super conflicting. what are the food portions like, choices, and what happens if you genuinely can’t finish because full? i also don’t like seafood at all, will they make me eat it? are you able to leave overnight on weekends? did you find the therapy helpful at all, and did they help coexisting disorders? i have severe anxiety-panic disorder. also, i see that they heat treat your clothes- did you bring your favorite items and have them be ok ( not shrink) i’m scared of ruining some of my special items. what kind of clothes did people wear- mainly sweats and baggy stuff? also are you allowed daily walks? thank you!
Hi !
I’m wondering if you got in ? I hope so.
I’m kinda interested in the heat treatment and walks questions too.
Hope things are well
Location: Cleveland
I was at Emily program residential in cleveland january 2021-end of march 2021
You are allowed phone at all times, you can bring laptop and tablets and even smart watches.
They work on a tally system which is basically an exchange system for the most part.
They do do dbt and cbt, yoga and occasional movement therapy
You have 2 roommates usually
Bathroom are dorm style
Because of covid the house is split for 7 people in the downstairs groups and 7 upstairs, you do your groups and activities with your group
They try for 90% of people to be there at least 4 weeks and no more then 6.
Hi
Wondering why you say they try not to have people there for more than 6 weeks? Sounds limiting. I know there is a long wait, but why rush people for them to come back?
hi!! was this for the adolescent or adult program?
Any recent reviews on the Cleveland adult res?