Newport Institute is a dual-diagnosis mental health treatment center for young adults with multiple locations around the country. Newport Institute offers gender-specific residential treatment programs for males and for females aged 18-32 struggling with mental health issues, trauma, eating disorders and substance abuse. They also offer outpatient treatment programs, including PHP and IOP. A virtual IOP program is available for ages 18-28.
Male treatment locations include: Orange County, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Minnesota, Southern Connecticut, and Northern Virginia.
Female treatment locations include: Orange County, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Minnesota, Southern Connecticut, and Northern Virginia.
https://www.newportacademy.com/our-approach/teen-eating-disorders/
Residential treatment for teens is provided through Newport Academy.
Any reviews? Please post in comments below. You can check out the FAQ and Guidelines for suggested questions. Thank you!
A little outdated but I went several times, and there aren’t many reviews.
When were you there?
July 2021, January 2022
What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?
Residential at Periwinkle and Miramar (Orange County, CA Young Adult Locations, female)
If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible?
periwinkle is!
How many patients are there on average?
each house has 6 max
What genders does it treat?
They have separate male and female homes, I believe it is based off sex, not gender. The other clients were good and supportive of other clients gender identities. Depended on the therapist and current staff for if they would respect gender identity, but most would
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc?
Medical NP was weekly, Psychiatrist weekly, therapist 1-2x/week, counselor 2x/week, dietitian 1x/week. When I was there, I saw the meal coach 1-2x/week but not sure if they are still providing that. My second time there she had left, but agreed to still see me even though she didn’t work for NPI anymore.
What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
3 Care Coordinators per shift, each house had their own counselor and therapist but sometimes other ones from other houses would come if they were specialized in your condition. At PW the one form Miramar would see me since she did EMDR
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)?
they did a bit of everything honestly. DBT, CBT, somatic, EMDR
Describe the average day:
What were meals like?
so the program is primarily a mental health program. It is self serve meals with a model plate. There was always a carb, protein, veg that needed to be plated. The general program rules was you need to match the model plate. If you were being treated for ED, you may have a meal plan or guidelines in place where you need to complete a specific % based on the dietitian, or have a supplement with meals/snack.
What sorts of food were available or served?
it was honestly very variable. It didn’t follow a specific schedule but for holidays it would match traditional foods for that specific one. I remember they had chicken tenders, grilled chicken, burgers, French fries, so many different vegetables, rice, tortilla chips, and so so much more.
Did they supplement? How did that system work?
for non-ED people, no. For those who are being treated for an ED it was individualized from the dietitian. A few examples were if you dint meet your %, you had 1/2 or a full Orgain shake sometimes Kate Farms, other times they wouldn’t make you have a shake but you weren’t allowed to go on any sort of outing or some of the movement groups.
What is the policy of not complying with meals? Do most people complete their meals/snacks?
when I was there, they did not have an ED specific house. I honestly think they tried to spread the ED clients out to not influence each other (I support honestly). For not complying, they wouldn’t allow you to phase up, you couldn’t use the gym, or attend yoga, mma, or majority of outings. I will say, if you were consistently not complying, you were being sent out to an ED specific residential. They were constantly sending me to the ER for malnutrition and talked about transferring me the first time within 3 weeks. The second time I had a contract about staying around my admitting weight and with actually putting in effort, I was having talks of ED specific treatment post NPI (res or PHP)
If applicable: Do they treat ARFID? If so, do they have a separate approach to meals for ARFID?
So yes and no. They are very individualized in treating ED since it’s a mental health residential. I would say they did try to accommodate as best as they can, but not everyone is educated on ED or ARFID
Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan?
yes to both, but the selection was not as wide
What privileges are allowed?
not many at first. They want to get to know you and remove any risk. Everyone is treated that way at first but it’s genuinely for your safety and they’re genuinely wanting to care for you. No phones allowed basically ever, unless it was to get your insurance info or with your therapist for very specific reasons.
Does it work on a level system?
yes. I cant remember the names (been to too many tx centers) but the first level was your first 72 hours. no outside world interaction. after that you were allowed to make 2 5 minute phone calls each day. The next level was 2 10 minute phone calls each day and possibly a Starbucks drink every weekend. The next was 2 10 minute face time calls and a Starbucks drink or possibly a restaurant choice. Above that you were allowed to have your phone during call time (30-60 minutes) but could not be around anyone with your phone and all the other privileges. I believe you could also get a paid additional outing (like hair or nails)
How do you earn privileges?
they give you a binder of work. So you do that levels work, write a letter to your team explaining why you should be phased up, and they would discuss it on Wednesdays and we found out on Thursdays. I would say most people got up to level 2 or 3 (10 min phone calls). They did not phase people up unless you were absolutely perfect, completing everything and complying to all the rules (there are a lot)
What sort of groups do they have?
they did a bit of everything honestly. DBT, CBT, somatic, music, individual exposure, cooking, outing (more on this in a bit), alumni group, reading/book club, adulting, yoga, MMA, movie nights were a fan favorite, and I know I am missing a few.
What was your favorite group?
I really liked alumni group, and the rock to recovery group. Therapy group wise I did like the CBT groups. I will note here that outings weren’t a guarantee for everyone. I was almost never allowed to outings because of vital instability. If we were going to the dog park I would be allowed to go but only sit on the bench. If it was a beach day, I would have to stay at the house but could sit outside and do whatever. Even if I completed for 24 hours prior, I had to wait the entire next week for treatment team for them to say yes or no, and even if they said yes and I slipped in the week I then wouldn’t be allowed.
If applicable: Is the program trauma-informed?
very much so.
What did you like the most?
I liked how because they are not primary eating disorder, it was very individualized. No exchanges, no level of food. It was very much your therapist and dietitian know you as an individual and treat each case independently.
What did you like the least?
again there are pros and cons to it being primary mental health. I got triggered a lot with meals. I was also the only person who had to eat snack when the others (non-ed clients) didn’t have to and then wait to use the restroom, etc. I didn’t like how each house had very different rules but since leaving I realized its because each milieu will have different needs, but had a very hard time understanding that at the time.
Would you recommend this program?
So if you are struggling with SI, SIB, Trauma and have a history of an eating disorder but it isn’t the primary concern, yes absolutely 100%. If you have a primary diagnosis of an ED and they somehow still accept you, it’s challenging to meet the expectations. They don’t remove all food triggers and such like they do in ED res. I had a hard time because other patients would say they just need to xxx, while I wasn’t allowed because I was being treated for an ED
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
exercise was very prevalent and they did it a lot. but it really came down to your health and the judgement by the MD, NP, RD, and therapist
What did people do on weekends?
weekends were slower since clinical was not there but it was not boring. Because I was in So.Cal, we were allowed to use the pool, tan, family visitation where they could come OR you could face time them (I’m from the east coast so I would FaceTime). We had outings which were always a ton of fun ( free ones were dog park, the regular park, beach. paid examples were ropes course, kayaking, and anything the group wanted and was approved)
Do you get to know your weight?
heck no! although the psychiatrist did slip up when I wasn’t meeting my contract the second time since they are no ED specific.
If applicable: How fast is the weight gain process?
N/A, mostly maintenance and to scout out those who may need nutrition support. but no real weight goals
What was the average length of stay?
varied mostly from insurance. I was there for over 100 days total. most people got 30 days max
What was the average age range?
when I was there I was the youngest at 19 and the oldest was 27 my first time. The second time the youngest was 18 and the oldest was 24 maybe?
How do visits/phone calls work?
depends on your level, but limited and maxed out at 20 min per day
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)?
no electronics at all. They have computers for you for adulting stuff only during those hours and they watch you like a hawk. if you get to the highest level, you got your phone for max 1 hour. I had a no screen bluetooth MP3 player that was approved if I got to level 2 ( treatment team deemed that)
For adolescents: Did they provide time to do schoolwork or offer academic support?
I was in the young adult but they do, I believe it’s 2 hours a day? maybe a little more?
For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go on outings/passes?
My experience was res and yes but that was determined by your team and your health status
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team?
Part of my contract was going to whatever treatment center they were recommending before I went back my second time. They set me up with a PHP with supportive housing in So.Cal. East Coast MH PHP and IOP is lacking so they do recommend you stay out there. They now have their own outpatient treatment care so I am not sure if they recommend you stay in their system? Either way, they did discharge planning with you and your family to make sure they weren’t leaving you without anything. They began that process early on too incase insurance companies cut.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?
They help you with flights, they will pick you up and drop you off from the airport. They understand a lot of people come from all over and I believe that’s why they have since expanded to the east coast (outside of Connecticut which I have heard is quite different). My insurance did not cover CT, only CA which is why many people had to travel. But to answer the question, yes they were very good at accommodating those coming out of state/country
Other?
overall I found it very helpful for my mental health. Like I said above, if you have a history of an ED that can be activated by working through trauma, I would absolutely recommend NPI. If you are struggling with an ED primarily, I would say stabilize that part before going because you are just going to end up in ED specific treatment and its just a lot harder to cope through all the transfers. I did very much learn a lot, and healed a lot of my mental health complications after becoming more stable with my ED.
is there any recent reviews?
No no no no no. I went to Newport in CT in summer 2023 for depression and comorbid anorexia. They were completely unequipped to treat my ED and to be honest did nothing to treat my depression either. They weighed me twice a week and said when I was admitted that if I lost weight they would refer me to an eating disorder treatment center (they never did even though I was losing weight). They had me meet with a nutritionist once a week who basically just told me to try to eat more or try drinking Ensures. No accountability. They discharged me after two and a half weeks because my ED got too bad for them to handle. They do not treat eating disorders.
I think the only location for women with an on-site dietitian is in SoCal. In NorCal they had rules about only fruit and granola bar type items for snacks
Fairfax VA February 13, 2024– Can anyone provide me with a glimpse of their experience with Newport’s Fairfax VA location- including any of the various levels of program or the practitioners? My daughter has not done well with IOP via virtual programs so I’m looking for one that offers a face to face relational connection. Choosing treatment for my daughter is full of so many “unknowns” that any glimpse of even someone else’s experience would be comforting to have. With deep appreciation in advance!
Any reviews for any of the California locations
I just completed at NorCal. In terms of ED support, they did weights and orthostatic vitals MWF. I was able to see a virtual dietitian weekly. Lunch and dinner are eaten together as a group. Staff are supposed to portion for lunch and dinner. Snacks are available. You can plate and cook alternative meals from leftovers or more limited ingredients. There is a dry erase sheet where you can request ingredients from the kitchen (off-site) like spinach and chickpeas. One of the primary therapists is ED informed and formerly worked at Alsana. The psychiatrist is also ED informed and prescribed Kate Farms. I was given one Kate Farms if I completed less than 50%. They have a “food log” system where the care coordinators are supposed to write down what you eat. In practice, the care coordinators are not trained on portioning, so it’s a bit spotty.
Bathrooms are unlocked. If you are caught vomiting, you will be placed on “bathroom buddy” which is super challenging as it is hard to find staff who understand bathroom observations.
I was told if I restricted for three days, they would send me to the hospital. Sans that you can get away with a lot here.
I liked the therapy more than at my ED residentials. I think I really got to some of the core issues and it was more than the therapists at ED res asking me “and how does that relate to your ED” over and over again.
I will note that a lot clients were there for substance use, but they tended to get less insurance coverage. The clients there for mental health and ED tended to stay longer.
It can be hard to get your insurance to approve 90 days at Newport if you have not done lower level care. Also, consider the insurance year and if you’ll be paying two deductibles.
Also, although the specific day of the week varied, I consistently saw the NP once a week. We also saw the psychiatrist every Monday. There is also a nurse on-site daily, however not 24/7. If there is an issue, such as purging, they will call in a nurse to examine you.
My meetings with my individual therapist were a bit more inconsistent towards the end with me sometimes only seeing her once a week. Most weeks, my family therapist just met with my parents. There are “milieu therapists” there about twice a week. There is crisis support available via phone on the weekends.
This review is for their Minnesota location
Newport wouldn’t be a good choice if you are looking for a program with more freedoms or for a primary eating disorder program. It seems like Newport is a good fit for people with more severe depression symptoms as they have more frequent safety checks than many other residentials.
has anyone ever been here or heard secondhand anything? I would greatly appreciate any information!
Adolescent or adult? I’ve been hearing REALLY good things about the adolescent Newport in Connecticut directly from older adolescents who recently went there.
Any insight on any of their adult programs?
I went to their Monticello, MN adult program. I’ll put a full review up when I get the chance later this week.
I would recommend Newport for general mental health treatment, but if your primary concern is ED related I would recommend choosing somewhere else. It was very easy to get away with disordered eating behaviors and they had a policy that only allowed certain “healthy” foods which made it easy to avoid the typical fear foods and also led to at least one client developing orthorexia.
If you have any specific questions I’d be happy to answer.
Hi going to Newport California center tmr for anxiety, depression and an eating disorder. Was wondering what to expect and what your experience was like.
There aren’t any recent reviews. I have not been to this program, just looked at the website and read the available reviews. Newport is a primary mental health treatment center, not a primary eating disorder treatment center. If ED is your primary issue, an ED specific center would be more helpful. If MH is what you need help with most right now, it might be a great fit. Newport seems to deal with secondary EDs, subclinical EDs, and disordered eating that an individual is experiencing at a less intense level than their mental health issues. If you need more medically oriented care, meal planning and support, or therapy with an ED specialist or ED dietitian, make sure to find out if those services are available before admitting. It is unlikely that all the services typical to primary ED treatment programs would be available at a Mental health treatment program that accepts patients with disordered eating and secondary eating disorders.
source: I have been to other primary mental health IP, RES, and PHP programs that accepted me with an active ED, said they could treat it, said they had a dietitian (it was a nutritionist with zero ED experience, only helpful for diabetes or weight loss) then were unable to provide the support I needed and kicked me out due to the ED…said I was a difficult patient, treatment resistant
Oh I would love to hear any reviews anyone has for this place