Renfrew Center was the first residential eating disorder facility in the country. They have two residential locations: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Coconut Creek, Florida. This review page is for their Florida location. Any recent reviews?? Please post them below!
For ideas of questions for a review, click here: How to Write a Review. Thank you!
For Renfrew’s Pennsylvania residential location, click here:
For Renfrew’s outpatient centers around the country, click here:
Thank you!
can anyone pls provide an updated review for residential ED program?
*TW*
Can anyone tell me if there is a requirement for min bmi and medical stability to be accepted into residential?
**TW: discussion of low weight and low % IBW**
They require you to be medically stable enough to be outside a hospital, but their requirements are WAY more lenient than just about any other residential program in terms of weight. If you are below [very low number]% IBW, then you will be stuck in the day room full time or on bed rest, sometimes in a wheelchair where necessary, but they don’t have a hard and fast minimum percent IBW. Lower weights are obviously more likely to be tubed, but even below [that very low number]% it isn’t inevitable. They prefer [a very very low number]%+ IBW, but will take patients below that if medically stable (they monitor medical stability closely while in residential program and refer to a hospital only if necessary during treatment). If you are super unstable medically then they’d obviously require hospitalization first, but not solely based on weight. They took me when even hospital inpatient EDUs wouldn’t, let alone other residentials, which often require IBW of above 80-85% for admission (which pretty much rules out [too many] anorexics IMO). I still had to do hospital medical stabilization before going there typically, but they’ll take you well before most other residential programs would. Hope that helps!
Thank you so much for your reply. Unfortunately, they informed me that i am not eligible for services unless I go to hospital based treatment first.
Hope you are doing well
I know how crushing that must have been to hear. I think it might be helpful to reframe that – it’s not that you’re not eligible for services, it’s simply that they want you to pop by the hospital first to stabilize so that you can get the most out of your limited time in residential treatment. Think of it as like you are traveling to a different country but need to get your measles vaccine first. Or like you are starting a new job but you have have a week of training before the job starts. Remember, Sara said that was the same thing they had to do – they first went to hospital based treatment and then when medically stable went to Renfrew. And they made it! Go for it! Think of how many days(!!!!) of your life your eating disorder has taken from you. Can you even begin to estimate? Then think about how few days that hospital stay will take from you. So few days of your life.
If those are all too hard, try to trust me when I say that if you don’t go to treatment simply because you have to go to the hospital first, you will die. I’m not exaggerating. I have no reason to lie, let alone a need to exaggerate – My best friend was in this exact situation before. She went to an intake appointment at Renfrew. They told her she needed to stabilize at the hospital first and then admit. She didn’t want to go to the hospital, so told others (myself included) that Renfrew denied her from treatment. I found out the next year, when looking through some of her things after she passed, that she lied. All they wanted was for her to stabilize at a medical hospital on her way to admitting. (When it comes to treatment, lying by omission is the same thing as lying.) She didn’t want to go to the hospital first, so she just didn’t go to treatment, so she died. You WILL die. Your eating disorder makes it all feel so complicated. But your eating disorder’s goal is very simple: to kill you. Don’t let it. Instead of dying, you can get yourself to the hospital and then get yourself to treatment. One day, one hour, one minute, one second at a time. You deserve life. You are worth it. You can do this. I promise you.
*TW for sexual assault*
I am copying and pasting my review from other sites I have reviewed Renfrew on mainly for closure and to try and help other people. This place was what ruined me. I’m a teenager and today is my one year past Renfrew in coconut creek. I was the only adolescent for a few weeks and this place was so abusive. I’m still processing everything that happened there and it’s now one of my biggest traumas. I was sexually harassed by an adult patient and spoke up about it to all staff and they did absolutely nothing. They told me I needed to get used to it when I was having a panic attack and did not feel safe. I was sexually assaulted on my last day and blocked most everything out. Their treatment is inhumane and I wouldn’t recommend anyone to go there. I was also bullied by an older woman and excluded by the adults which seems like a very small thing but I was isolated to the point of a major depression. I have PTSD from this place and I’ve tried everything I could possibly do to get Renfrew reported and charge the patient who assaulted me and it seems impossible. I get flashbacks and have panic attacks about all of my memories from there. Their treatment is not worth it. I was not allowed to leave until my parents came to physically sign me out and I’ve now been in treatment for this full year. My life unravelled even more because of my experience there. Being punished for not receiving the correct support, constantly feeling unsafe, and being a young teenager fully immersed with adults. Never come here your life could be ruined.
Dear Rose,
Thank you for being so courageous, and sharing this harrowing experience. As a fellow survivor of sexual assault, I stand with, and commend you for your vulnerability, and willingness to help others know they are not alone.
I hope you are able to heal from this trauma, and that you grow, and prosper along the way. ?
Dearest Rose, I wrote this at the top but I want to post it here too, to emphasize how seriously and deeply I mean this, and so that other community members can “like” it and you will know I speak on behalf of many other community members too when I say:
Rose you are so strong and brave to share your experience here. I wish I could take away your suffering, which you never deserved, or at least give you the healing that you so deeply deserve, but for what it’s worth I promise you that your words here will save so many lives and protect so many other people from suffering the same. – Admin
Rose, I am so, so sorry to hear this. Thank you for sharing so others may benefit, and I hope you feel empowered by sharing your story. Please, don’t believe that you are ruined. You are clearly resilient, strong, and determined, and despite what happened you can flourish. Many of us have been abused while in treatment and it isn’t okay. But you can be okay. I hope you find healing and please know the community here is behind you 100%
Thank you so so much to the people who responded. I have never felt so validated and cared for and by complete strangers is just amazing to me and gives me hope. I can’t say how much I needed to hear the things you said and I can’t thank you enough.
-Rose
Renfrew’s Coconut Creek, FL residential location has a specialized Collegiate Program option for college students who wish to keep up with their classes while in treatment. If anyone has information or experience with this program, please share!
Here is the link:
https://renfrewcenter.com/residential-college-programming-at-the-renfrew-center-of-coconut-creek-fl/
Description of the program from their website:
Designated Study Time
Students have blocks of time set aside each weekday to focus on academics, study and complete course assignments. Additionally, they have a designated space and computer access to complete their work.
Individual Workstations and Group Collaboration Area
A collegiate-only space, separate from other residential common areas, includes computer workstations, quiet study space and collaborative working areas.
Emerging Adult and College Life Groups
Therapy groups that focus on developmental and psychosocial issues salient to college-age students including: emerging adult identity development, vocational exploration, interpersonal relationships, body image, nutrition and exercise on campus, and “Adulting 101.”
Access to Educational Resources
The Collegiate Program Manager serves as a liaison between the treatment team and each student’s school to develop an individualized academic plan and ensure that necessary accommodations are agreed upon before entering treatment. This collaboration allows for each enrolled student to balance both treatment and academics in a supportive, structured environment.
Wow! This seems like such a great idea! I hope it’s well-executed. thanks for the tip, Rachel.
Hi everyone, I just discharged from Coconut Creek this August. I was admitted in June, and I can try to answer any questions you might have
Would you mind leaving a review? I may be going there soon. Thanks!
My 26 year old daughter is going tomorrow. I see a lot of older bad reviews and I know reviews are subjective but can you give me your opinion of the center as it is now.
Hi! Please let me know how was your experience I am looking to put my daughter in this facility.
Please, if anyone sees this could you answer if you know it. I am going to Renfrew Florida and I know it is what I need but I am sort of freaking out. Do I have to gain over my IBW if it has been approved by my doctor and will they adjust my meal plan so that I can stay consistent at this because I will relapse if I go over this and I will start to do things I hate like lie and do things in secret? Meal plans are high usually at treatment but once I get to a normal weight I want to eat normally, will they do this? Also, what are the typical meals, be as detailed as possible if you can. I have so much built-up anxiety about going, I need it but it is so scary solely on the fact that I am scared I am going to gain too much weight and ***. I know this isn’t the intention of eating disorder treatment centers and instead, it is to be good in health, but I am medically stable, heart rate is good, blood pressure is good, EKG is good, labs are good, I really am in good health, I just have to slightly repair my mind around it all. Please let me know what you can.
I have a few questions.
I have an admit phone call Monday, so I am sure that I can get a lot of these questions answered then, but it could be very helpful to receive some feedback from actual patients as I know you all will be fully honest and upfront, rather than not giving the full truth you know.
Looking to move my 17 yr old daughter from ERC PHP to Residential. Looking at Clementine, VA or Florida; Sheppard Pratt in Baltimore or Renfrew Florida. Any feedback regarding any of these would be helpful. She is eliminating and restricting. Down X lbs in less than X months. A long way to go for weight restoration.
* this post has been cross-posted from client general forum by admin to increase visibility
* numbers removed by admin per site policy
Do NOT send her to Renfrew. While I won’t go as far to say that no one can be helped there, in general one must be VERY self motivated & honest to benefit. Adults are mixed w/ adolescents, and the general vibe tends to be an ED sorority house. Literally.
Clementine is probably the best of those options. Shepherd Pratt still better than the ‘Frew ?
I would also advise you to steer clear of Renfrew FL. L’s description of an “ED sorority house” is not far off the mark, unfortunately. If possible, I would recommend somewhere specifically for adolescents. Although mixing adult and adolescent populations is not uncommon in the ED treatment world, I don’t think it’s generally beneficial for either age group since each face pretty unique challenges.
I agree
I sent my daughter and I feel that there was more damage than good. I wish I had sent her to clementine sooner.
I would second the recommendation for Clementine… never been there myself, but I’m currently doing a PHP program and a few of the others have stepped down from Clementine (one in FL and one in VA), and they’ve both spoken positively about their experiences.
Clementine is the BEST. The team and the amount of communication is unbelievable. My daughter is aging out, otherwise, we would keep her there.
Does anyone have an updated review of the Florida residential?
As far as I know, the only difference is you will wear a mask for your first two weeks there. Staff always wear masks.
has anyone done residential at renfrew florida during covid? i’ve already been there in the past so i’m aware of the program in general but specifically curious about any differences/changes during the pandemic since i might be returning soon.
1) When were you there? Spring 2019.
2) How many patients on average? 15-20. Theoretically they can accept up to 40 patients, but they would be (even more) understaffed and WAY overcrowded, so hopefully that doesn’t happen often.
3) How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc? Psychiatrist once per week, therapist 2x/week individually and 1x/week for family, nutritionist 1x/week, medical doctor when you first admit and then on an as-needed basis.
4) What is the staff to patient ratio? It varied greatly. On the weekends they were usually VERY understaffed.
5) What sort of therapies are used? Renfrew is big on “the UT” (Unified Treatment Protocol), which they would have you believe is hugely groundbreaking and unique but is really just a repackaged combination of CBT and DBT. It works in stages, which (in order) are E, A, and T (get it? So clever). I’ll expand more upon that later.
6) What were meals like? There were four levels of dining – staff dining, trays, IE (independent eating), and FO (fix-own). Almost everyone starts on trays, which means your meals are plated for you and you just sit down to whatever you picked on your menu when you filled it out the previous week. Some people start on staff dining, but usually that is where they move people who are consistently non-compliant. In staff dining you sit either at a separate table or in an entirely separate room with staff who are supposed to “support” you but usually either stare at you or completely ignore you. I guess it works in that usually people are pretty motivated to get off it because it’s so unpleasant, but it doesn’t actually help in terms of processing what was causing you to use behaviors in the first place. If you’ve been completing on trays for a while you get moved to IE (how soon pretty much just depends on which nutritionist you get – one is way more lax than the other). On IE you line up and pick your food buffet-style at each meal and it gets approved by a dietitian before you sit down to eat. FO works the same as IE except that you don’t get checked off by the dietitian at the end of the line and you can eat outside/leave when you’re finished. Almost nobody gets to FO.
7) Did they supplement? Theoretically yes, 1 or 2 Boost Pluses depending on how much of the meal you complete, but they frequently forget.
8) What is their policy of not complying with meals? See above. Get moved to staff dining/put on partial or full day room. Eventually get kicked out if that doesn’t work.
9) Does it work on a level system? It kind of works on several different level systems. As far as food goes, there’s staff dining, trays, IE, and FO (see above). Then there’s also your “structure” level, which is basically how much freedom you’re allowed to have outside of meals. Everyone wears a nametag that corresponds with their structure. If you’re on “clear badge,” it means you can go to your room/bathroom/outside whenever you want and can use any of the phone booths. If you’re on “green badge,” you’re basically on a purge protocol so you can’t leave the day room without being supervised for 45 minutes after every meal and snack. If you’re on “red badge,” you’re either on full day-room (have to be in the day room/in sight of a counselor from 8 am to 9:30 pm), or partial day-room (same as full but you’re allowed to go to the groups that meet outside of the day room). Your structure level depends on a few things – if they think you are a suicide/self-harm risk, if you’re medically unstable, your weight is below a certain percentage, or you’re being non-compliant consistently, they’ll bump you to red badge. For some people it lasts a few days, for others more than a month.
The other level system is within the UT protocol, where you can be either on E (“Engaging”), A (can’t remember), or T (“Transformation”) stage. If you’re on E stage you basically just do the same five groups over and over again. On A and T stages you get to start doing more exposure work and implementing the skills you learned in E stage.
10) What sort of groups do they have? UT (Mindfulness of Emotion, Experience of Emotion, blah blah of Emotion), Body Image, Awareness and Acceptance (a structured post-meal processing group), Values, Nutrition, Dance Movement Therapy, etc.
11) What level of exercise was allowed? People on red badge are basically not supposed to move at all. Everyone else is pretty much free to pace around campus all day. T stage people sometimes do exercise exposures.
12) How fast in the weight gain process? They aim for 2-4 lbs. a week if you need to gain, and yes you do get to know your weight.
13) What is the electronics policy? No phones, no laptops. Nothing with WiFi. They have computers in the “student support” building that you can use during certain hours. Technically you’re supposed to have your therapist’s permission but if you just show up and act like you’re supposed to be there nobody questions you.
14) Are you able to go out on passes? People on T stage did exposures that would sometimes take place outside of the center, but other than that, no.
15) What did you like the most? I think IN THEORY the structure of this program is very good. The people who make it to T stage get to do highly individualized exposures (going clothing shopping with a therapist, outings to restaurants that are particularly challenging, exercising with a therapist) that I think are extremely beneficial. However, the “rules” to get to T stage are so stringent that almost no one gets there, especially given the limited time constraints that insurance puts on residential treatment.
16) What did you like the least? Some of the staff were truly awful, in particular the weekend nurses. They literally mocked a patient in front of her and then denied it when she confronted them, and I witnessed the least nurse openly bully a patient in group. Also how understaffed it is on the weekend. Also how incredibly repetitive groups get for people who (sometimes for reasons beyond their control) have to spend an extended time in E stage. Also how unprofessional and uneducated one of the nutritionists is (he literally said my weight out loud in front of other patients and then said he “didn’t realize that was something I was conscious of” when I got upset). Also the fact that they are so money-hungry you literally have to pay for EVERYTHING – an extra towel, tampons, your LAUNDRY (never have experienced this at any other treatment center).
17) Would you recommend this program? If you’re extremely motivated and committed to recovery, sure. Otherwise it’s very easy to get away with behaviors and fly under the radar (and be affected by the awful staff).
Very thorough review. Appreciate your insight!
I went to Renfrew for a total of 3 moths out of which only 1 was inpatient. I did theday program and IOP.
That said I will go into details of each one. Im gonna start with residential because that is the one that impacted me the most.
I read some of the reviews here and they are all accurate.
There are a few, very very important things that need to be said 1st as soon as your insurance stops paying for treatment they stop caring about you and discharge you no matter at what point in your recovery you are in. That bothered me immensely. Renfrew is monster about money and unnecessary and cruel rules, like making you drink 2 boosts (or 1. Depending on the situation) whenever you don’t eat your whole tray. You could have left an olive and they would have made you drink the boost. Cruel.
2nd, the relationships among patients. renfrew was my first and last treatment center for ED, so I wasn’t too familiarized with other symptoms besides my own. Having said that, I can tell you that I learned A LOT from the other girls. I started self harming with things I didn’t think of before, my creativity with lying , finding new ways to self harm and hide my ED behaviors, and suicide ideation sky rocketed.
3rd AND THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE that no one seems to care about is the fact that they (as many other treatment center do) mix all types of EDs together. You will be surrounded by not only your ED but other ones as well. You have bulimia, binge eating, and anorexia together and that is counterproductive. I can tell you from experience.
The problem with that is that you see what you fear of becoming and also what you want to become. I actually called them to tell them about this problem but they didn’t care. It was super hard to get to a person with power and once I did it went to voicemail and thy never called me back. So when I called again I had to explain the problem to a receptionist or I don’t know who which bothered me a lot.
IOP was useless and a waste of time because it was whatever. Those awkward group sessions and meals a few times a week was not helpful for me. I had to drive from aventura (about an hour and a little more away). My poor mom.
The day program was not helpful either as they had to admit me inpatient. it was not helpful because even if I was doing well there or not, as soon as I got back home I went back to my old habits.
Having said all of that I’m gonna say the few good things Renfrew has. 1) some of the staff members and employees are super nice and helpful (the one that was most meaningful and helpful to me was the receptionist. She was my true rock and the one that gave me words of encouragement that came purely from the heart because she chose to help me (and for free) and also my therapist most of the time, G*****(edited for names) who is no longer there. I loved her and I’m eternally grateful with her. Renfrew is not all bad but it does more harm than its worth and it’s super expensive my dad had to pay out of pocket for this and I just got worse. The ONLY thing positive I got out of it regarding my ED behaviors was that I learned to eat normally again and sit through a meal without crying and wanting to throw it all up. It was like that everyday but a few times. I relapsed very quickly after my discharged. I attempted suicide multiple times and fell back into my ED. I can safely say that my suicide attempts and ideation grew and increased there.
So, if you read my long review and still want to go there, my advice to you is that you go inpatient first. Don’t waste money and energy doing either IOP or Day program first. Go head on and stay there full time. BUT try to not make such strong bonds with the other girls because it will be triggering even if you’re not realizing it. That’s what happened to me.
I recovered but not thanks to Renfrew 100%. It served as the beginning but it wasn’t what truly made me change. I still struggle with it mentally on a regular basis but I no longer purge or restrict all the time, which is not easy to do but gets better everyday.
Recovery is possible. Choose your treatment enter well. I would never recommend people going in one.
I have a friend that recovered from anorexia by going to a nutritionist and a psychologist and living at home with the support of her family and friends.
I went to Renfrew FL in 2012 and it’s still hands down one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had.
It was my first and only inpatient program, so I had no idea what to expect. I’ll spare the detailed descriptions because the reviews pretty much tell you everything you need to know schedule-wise/group-wise/etc. But the issue I had with Renfrew wasn’t the treatment—of COURSE all treatment is really tough, that’s to be expected. Renfrew, however, was the opposite of helpful for me. It was so unindividualized that it made me feel unwanted and uncared for, which is the opposite of what you need in recovery. Not all, but a LOT of the staff was apathetic and some were downright cruel.
There was also very much a policy of guilty-until-proven-innocent—which frustrated me to no end. Any concerns I had were automatically invalidated and categorized as “the eating disorder speaking.” Um, excuse me?? I am a human being. And while I understand that yes, some things are, for lack of a better term, “the eating disorder speaking” but sometimes the concerns were valid and the staff had no interest in even trying to listen and discern the two.
I agree that the excess movement rule was ridiculous. One time I had forgotten my binder in my room and we were supposed to be heading to lunch, so I went and got it and accidentally BARELY jogged (out of habit) down one part of the hallway and I got yelled at. I hadn’t even done it intentionally.
Another thing is that after about a week I decided I was going to do my best to comply because as stubborn as I had been, I really did want to recover. I wanted to comply and work with the program. So I did. I finished all of my meals, went to all my groups, honestly put my all into it. Then it came time for rounds—sort of a bi-weekly review process they have where they meet in a group to discuss your progress and whether or not you should be put up a level. I expected to be leveled up to level 2 (not that there was MUCH of a difference…you didn’t get to really go to outings, etc until you hit level 3). They called me into the room and a panel of people were sitting there and they told me they were keeping me at level 1. I asked why—I had done everything right, I had complied, and I had really tried to do it all with a positive attitude. They told me it was because my weight, while it was increasing, was not increasing fast enough. I was underweight, but not SEVERELY. In any case, it really hurt me that they refused to up me a level because of something I couldn’t control. I was eating all of my meals and supplements—it wasn’t my fault I wasn’t gaining fast enough.
Anyway, I really disliked Renfrew. And I had chosen to go out of my own volition at the recommendation of my outpatient team. I wanted to make the best of it. I wanted to recover. Renfrew just made me feel alone, unwanted, and angry. They kicked me out after a month because my insurance wouldn’t pay. I was definitely not ready to be out of there, but that didn’t seem to matter (though I will say this is a problem with a lot of centers because of insurance, not necessarily the center).
A few other complaints: the food was disgusting for the most part, which is really horrible when you’re trying to “fall back in love” with food again. Also if you were on trays (level 1 and below would have their trays already set up when they entered the dining hall, while upper levels could go through the cafeteria serving thing and pick their food on the spot), the food was always cold. Sometimes that didn’t matter, but with hot dishes it kinda sucked. Especially with pizza.
The only good thing I have to say about Renfrew is that I met some pretty amazing people there (fellow residents, not staff). But yeah, there was also a lot of drama. We had town hall meetings to discuss things that really seemed trivial. Oh, and someone stole my nail polish while we were there. Some other residents complained of having things stolen too. We think it was one of the girls there but were never able to prove it and we never got our stuff back.
In summary, I wouldn’t recommend Renfrew at all. I felt like a number there, not an individual. I didn’t feel like anyone really cared. If they cared at all, it was about physical improvement. While weight gain is necessary for some individuals, it’s not an indicator of mental health. You could be fully weight-restored by the time you left but if you aren’t mentally progressing in your recovery then you could easily fall right back into the same patterns.
Don’t go here. Save yourself the heartache and money. By all means, choose recovery, but choose to recover in a program that is right for you, where you feel like you have love and support.
I was there is 2012 and 2013 as well. I 100% agree with EVERYTHING you said Lia. The key members of my treatment staff were HORRIBLE. Their system was not incentive based but punitive (lots of threats and punishments). The first time I was there, it wasn’t as bad as the second. It’s not an exaggeration about them kicking you out – my insurance cut off and I was in cab to the airport within 24 hours. The second time I was there, most of the residents were miserable and 3 women, who were on feeding tubes, left AMA as they felt they were being unfairly mistreated. One said she would just go home to let nature take it’s course as she would never go back to another treatment facility again. I am an older woman with a masters degree in education and was treated like a child, completely disrespected and belittled. It was clear my assigned therapist disliked me and had obvious favorites. After 2 weeks, I had enough, so I left AMA as I was miserable with the way I was being treated by the staff. My assigned therapist violated patient confidentiality, calling my abusive husband (which she knew about from our sessions) and told him things that weren’t true to try to get him to convince me to stay. Let’s say when I finally got in the cab to go to the airport, I felt like I was escaping prison. The fellow residents were wonderful and I did form some strong bonds that remained after I got out. But I am still dealing with the trauma I endured from that facility 10 years later, and my ED is as strong as ever as a result. I will never trust any ED treatment facility again due to Renfrew.
I’m being referred because I’m obese and need to get therapy to lose weight.
I’m a woman in my 50s. Anyone have any input on that?
I am considering residential trtmnt. Has anyone been there this yr?
Level of Care: I was inpatient/residential but they also offer day treatment and iop
When were you there?: April-June 2015
Is it co-ed?: no
How many patients were there?: There were about 50 women at all times
What was the admissions process like?: I don’t know because I was transferred to Renfrew from a substance abuse rehab and they handled all of the admissions stuff for me
Describe the average day: We would wake up between 5-8 for weights and vitals, breakfast was at like 8 or 8:15 and in the morning there were groups E, A, and T which were loosely divided by how long you had been in the program. You had to spend at least one week on E, A, and T but some people would spend more than one week at earlier levels. These levels didn’t correspond to privileges, just about emotional regulation. We would have a snack in between the two morning groups at about 10. Girls who did not have a snack would have a break. After the second morning group we would have lunch at 12 immediately followed by after meal process group and then like three more groups. There was a snack in the afternoon and a little bit of free time before dinner. Dinner was at 6 and there was an evening “group” that was kind of like study hall to do work that you needed to do or to hangout with friends after dinner. There was a snack after this study group and another snack at 10p.
What were meals like?: Meals were hit and miss but they were very accommodating to vegetarians (not vegans though). Sample day choices:
Breakfast:
Cereal/Breads: croissant with 1 tbsp cream cheese or croissant with 1 tsp butter
Dairy: 1 cup 1% milk, 2 slices cheese, or 1 cup low fat yogurt
Fruits: 1 cup orange juice or 1 cup apple juice
Fats: 1 tbsp almonds, 1 tbsp walnuts, or 1 tbsp sunflower seeds.
Lunch:
Entrees: 1 turkey and vegetable wrap with 3 oz turkey or 1 cheese and vegetable wrap with 3 oz cheese
Dairy: 1 cup 1% milk, 1 cup 1% chocolate milk, or 2 slices american cheese (turkey wrap only)
Fruits: 1 banana, 1 cup apple juice, or 1 cup canned peaches
Fats (select two): 1 package peanut butter (for banana only); 1 package mayo; 1 tablespoon honey mustard dressing; or 1 tablespoon ranch dressing
Dinner:
Entrees: thinly sliced steak (3 oz) panini sandwich with red and green peppers and melted mozzarella cheese (1/4c-omit dairy) or thinly sliced (4 oz) tofu panini sandwich with eggplant, red and green peppers, and 1/4c mozzarella cheese
Dairy: 1 cup 1% milk or 1 cup low fat yogurt
Vegetables: 1 ½ cups tossed salad or 1 cup fresh vegetables
Fruits: 1 apple, 1 cup grape juice, or 1 cup canned pineapple
Fats (select two): 1 tbsp almonds, 1 tbsp sunflower seeds, 1 tbsp walnuts, 1 package peanut butter, 1 tbsp honey mustard dressing, 1 tbsp balsamic dressing, 1 tbsp ranch dressing, or 1 tbsp italian dressing
Snack examples: granola and yogurt, nature valley bar and milk, frosted mini wheats and yogurt, pretzels and apple juice, granola bar and string cheese
You get one boost if you eat more than 50% of your meal but don’t complete it or two boosts if you eat less than 50% of your meal. If you don’t gain fast enough you get boosts at snack. Snacks aren’t given to everyone and boosts aren’t given to everyone but some people have a lot. I was on double boost plus snack four times a day for a while.
You have to have dessert three times a week. Once you eat 100% of your meals for a certain amount of time you get to walk through the line and pick your food instead of having it already trayed and at that point you can have dessert in place of a fat.
Did they supplement? How did that system work?: Yes, they use Boost Plus and it is usually if you aren’t gaining fast enough (hyper metabolic) or you aren’t eating your meals
What privileges are allowed?: Well levels depend on your health. If you are medically unstable then you will be put on a red badge which means that you have to stay in the day room from after breakfast until bed. You can only leave with a staff member/pushed in a wheel chair. Green badge was given to bulimic patients which meant that they had to stay in the day room for 45 minutes after meals and snacks (or maybe it was an hour I’m not sure). If you are healthy and doing well then you can move freely about the facility while not in group. There is a pool and a garden. You can make phone calls but you need to bring phone cards.
Does it work on a level system?: Yes depending on health. If you are a medical risk and on red badge you can’t really move up through the levels. Supposedly some people can eventually have their phones and go on passes but I never saw that happen.
What sort of groups do they have?: EAT is like emotional regulation and changing the way that you think. I was on the trauma track and the drug and alcohol track and both of those were a lot smaller, like three or four girls depending on the clientele at the time. If you are not on red badge there were art groups.
What did you like the most?: Meeting some new friends who understand what its like to live with anorexia.
What did you like the least?: After meal process and community because they were just girls crying
What level of exercise was allowed?: Light yoga if you were medically cleared hahah but there was always drama about girls secretly working out (not allowed).
What did people do on the weekends?: There were groups saturday morning and you could go to a spiritual/Christian group on Sunday. We watched a lot of tv on the weekends.
Do you get to know your weight?: I knew my weight the entire time I was there but most girls did not.
How fast is the weight gain process?: Pretty fast but not overwhelming. I came in in bad shape and was kinda restored in two months.
What was the average length of stay?: About a month but they would try to move girls into their days and then iop program if they were local.
What was the average age range?: When I was there it was probably 1/3 adolescents 13-17, 1/3 young adults like 18-30 and 1/3 women 30-60
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an OP treatment team?: If you are going home they are very well equipped to set you up with a team in your city. I wasn’t doing that and was going back into substance abuse treatment so I didn’t really deal with their aftercare stuff.
Would you recommend this program?: Absolutely. Renfrew saved my life. I had had pockets of quasi-recovery from anorexia and had decided that that was as good as I was ever going to get. Renfrew medically restored me which allowed me to be healthy enough to deal with other issues in my life. I do not live dominated by food and fearing food anymore and I am incredibly grateful for my time at Renfrew. The only thing that wasn’t ~ideal~ was that I was released still on 8 boost pluses a day and when I stopped drinking supplements my weight shot down super fast and I had to learn by myself how to make up that kind of calorie deficit.
Treatment was awful. Therapy got repetitive and pointless, the patients medical needs were neglected, nurses seemed annoyed when patients had needs, the place In general has excessive amounts of drama, the rules are malleable, and some of my fellow patients and I got out in worse condition. Now this is A personal view as being a patient because many others have found it successful.
Hey, im trying to get into their day program. Can someone tell me what it’s like? Please and thank you.
Does anyone know what the day treatment in bethesda is like?
When I was there the last time (late 2013-early 2014) it was not good. Understaffed, not a whole lot of therapy options. I think Renfrew is good for some people, but I don’t know if they are effective for people with longstanding EDs or trauma histories. They seemed to have gotten more rigid and authoritarian.
Hi I’m going In to Renfrew in Phil . How are the rules , meals , visitation. Can I have my iPod and iPhone ? Can I bring my own car ? What stuff I can bring what stuff I can’t not bring
When were you there: December 9, 2013- March 26, 2014 (res and IOP)
How many patients on average? 30-40
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined.
– just females
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc?
As an adolescent I saw my therapist 3-4 times a week and my intern 1-2 times a week. I saw the medical doctor a lot (probably at least once a week) because I had a lot of medical complications. However, some patients only see the medical doctor once or twice their entire stay. It depends on your medical needs. Nutritionist I saw 1 time a week for an official meeting but she was always at breakfast if I had questions (not every nutritionist is though). Aftercare Coordinator 1 time per week. Also, you can see the exercise coordinator, movement therapist, or art therapist for individual sessions if your therapist recommends it.
What is the staff ratio to patients?
It depends on the day. Some day there seemed to be as many staff as patients (including therapists, psychiatrists, nurses etc.) but on the weekends it was just 2 counselors and 2 nurses.
What sort of therapies are used? (DBT, CBT, EMDR) etc?
I think DBT.
Describe the average day:
5-7 am- Wake up, vitals, etc.
7:15- 8:00- meds and free time (showers can happen here if you are on supervised showers)
8:00 am- 8:45 am- Breakfast
8:45 am-9:15 am- Free time, smoke break (if you are an adult), fresh air porch, after breakfast meds
9:15 am-10:00 am- Group
10:15 am- Snack
10:30 am- 11:00 am- Free Time
11:00 am- 11:45 – Group
11:45-12:00- Meds
12:00- 1:00 pm- Lunch
1:00 pm- 2:00 pm. Aftermeal
2:00 pm- 2:15 pm- Meds
2:15 pm- Snack
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm- Group
4:00 pm- 5:00 pm- free time
5:00 pm-5:45 pm- group
5:45 pm- 6:00 pm Meds
6:00 pm-7:00 pm- dinner
7:00 pm- 8:00 pm- Evening Wrap up
8:15 pm- Snack
8:15 pm- 9:00 pm- Free time (showers sometimes for patients on supervised showers i think)
9:00 pm- 10:00 Pm- meds
9:00 pm- bed for patients on PDR or FDR
10:00 pm. bed for adolescents, Snack/Supplement for some
11:00 pm- bed for adults
* bed times change for adolescents and adults on the weekend and based on who is working.
** on mondays, wednesdays and fridays adolescents have school instead of the 9:00 group and have snack at school
What were meals like?
It really depends on the day. Some meals were great and some were awful. There are multiple different eating levels.
Staff dining room- for patients who are struggling to complete meals, using major food rituals and/or have a fear of eating in large rooms (they don’t let you stay in here forever though). This is a small room off of the dining room where there is anywhere between 1 and 15 patients (depending on the community) with 1 staff member who sits at the table. To leave the SDR you have to complete 3 days of 100% of all meals usually.
Trays- Most people come in on this level. You get a menu on Tuesdays for the following week and have to turn it in on Thursday for your selections for the next week. You cannot sub out of meals on this level usually, and cannot change your meals after you turn them in. You have to get your tray checked and signed before and after you eat. Also, between 1-4 staff members hovers over the tables and watches you eat.
Independent eating (IE)- on this level you still get a menu, but you go through the line and fill out the menu as you go. You are allowed to sub out 3 meals a week for pb and j, hummus and pita, chicken, tuna, or egg salad sandwich. You get to make your own salad on this level. You also can pick what days you have your desserts (2 for menu A, 3 for menu B or C). You get your menu signed off still before and after you eat. You eat at a separate table with fix own and staff does not watch you as closely.
Fix own (FO)- On fix own you do not have a menu but you still have to follow all of the exchanges. You do not have to get signed off before and after you eat and you are allowed to eat outside without staff support. Otherwise, same rules as IE.
Intuitive- I was the only one in my 3-4 months of being there that got on intuitive. The staff didn’t even know what it was until my nutritionist explained it to them. So it is rare. But basically it is the same as FO except you are not required to finish 100% of your meals. You just have to write in your food journal what you do not finish. However, I found that if I knew I was not going to finish 100% I would usually sit outside because it can be triggering to the other patients who are required to finish 100%. You get taken off this level if you do not maintain your weight or they see that you are restricting.
There are three different meal plans:
Menu A- mostly everyone comes in on this menu for a week and then gets bumped up
Menu B- more food than menu A, 3 desserts a week instead of two
Menu C- menu B with one thing added at each meal.
In addition, most people have snacks/supplements which happen at 10:15 am, 2:15 pm, 8:15 pm and sometimes 10:00 pm. Renfrew LOVES boost. Pretty much, if you have to gain any weight at all, expect to drink boost. I knew a girl who had 7 boosts in one day once, however, that was rare. Most people wound up with between 1 and 4 a day. You have 15 minutes to complete the boost and for most people, they are really hard on the time limit. At boost times you also have snacks. Most people have at least 1 snack a day, but some have 4 a day. It really depends. My meal plan got added to at least once a week, but that also depends. My nutritionist was amazing though at letting me choose at what time I wanted to add another element.
What sorts of food were available or served?
Snacks- Granola bars and juice or milk, chips and juice or milk or cheese stick, cereal and yogurt or milk.
Meals- breakfast was cereal, pancakes, french toast, croissants, or bagels.
Lunch – salads, pizza, grilled cheese, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, wraps, sandwiches.
Dinner- pasta, pizza, chicken, eggplant parm. , lasagna, chicken pot pie etc.
They orate meals on a 4 week schedule.
Did they supplement? How did that system work?
In addition to prescribed supplements (see above) they also did supplements if you did not finish your meal. For this if you finished less than 50% you had 2 supplements and if you finished more than 50% you had one supplement.
What is the policy of not complying with meals?
Dropped down levels (or FDR or PDR), stage 1, staff dining room or for some patients a feeding tube.
Are you able to be a vegetarian?
Yes but they don’t like it. If it is ED related they might make you have meat at least once a week.
What privelages are allowed?
See below
Does it work on a level system?
Full/Partial bed rest- basically, you are stuck in bed all day. I have never seen anyone on this though.
Full day room (FDR)- you have to be in the day room all day. This is usually if you are not compliant, really medically unstable, a threat to your safety (self harm, suicidal etc.). You are not allowed to go to groups outside of the day room and you eat all your meals in the staff dining room. You have to be with a staff member at all times.
Partial day room (PDR)- Usually if you are not finishing your meals, acting on symptoms, medically unstable etc. You are allowed to eat in the dining room and attend groups outside of the day room but you have to be walked to groups by a staff member. You are not allowed to leave the day room otherwise.
Level 1- Most people come in on level 1. It means you are not medically cleared and you live on the first floor. You also cannot be in sunlight and cannot go in the pool. Some people get off of this level in a week, but for some (like me) it takes months.
Level 2- Opportunity to move upstairs. Mindful eating group. Allowed to go to the pool and go in the sun.
Level 3- Able to go on outings, able to take passes (unless on restricted level 3), eat out once a week with nutritionist, grocery store tour, some special groups. You don’t have to go to lunch after meal. You have to be on IE or FO to be on level 3.
Level 4- Don’t expect to get here. Only 2 people in my time at Renfrew got to level 4. But level four means you get your cell phone, extended passes, no required after meal.
Additionally, there are restrictions that can be added on to most levels.
Locked bathroom- your bathroom is locked except from 6:15 am- 7:45 am and from (9:15 pm-11:00 pm). Otherwise, you have to use the public restroom and count and leave the door cracked. Usually used if they suspect you are purging. But can use it just if you are medically unstable.
Supervised Locked bathroom- Only allowed to use your bathroom when a staff member is present. And you only get 15 min to use it. You have to talk to a staff member who sits outside the door with it cracked when you shower. This is for patients who are actively using symptoms, exercising in the shower, or medically unstable.
Door prop- The door to your room has to be open at all times. This is for patients who are exercising or medically unstable.
Cord restriction- You cannot have any cords, laces etc. For suicidal patients.
Sharps restriciton- Everyone can only have their sharps on tuesdays and thursdays from 7:00- 7:45 am. However, if you have a history of any self harm you are not allowed to have them at all until your therapist clears you.
Escorts- for purge protocol. You have to stay with staff 30 min after breakfast and 1 hour after lunch and dinner, get a sheet signed and stay with staff for 45 min usually after all snacks/supplements. You have to count when you go to the bathroom during that time and leave the door cracked.
How do you earn privileges?
Each week during rounds you have the opportunity to earn privileges. This is based on how you are doing medically, if you are completing all of your meals, being compliant, taking your meds etc. However, they are pretty strict that if you do not meet the medical guidelines you can’t move up. So if you are doing everything right but your body is not cooperating, then you are not allowed to move up.
What sort of groups do they have?
Mindfulness, mindful eating, mother daughter, father daughter, body image, art, coping skills, anger management, relapse prevention etc.
They also have tracks:
The adolescent track- you go to school and have a special art group, special process group and special DBT group each week.
Tramua track- For people who have trauma. I wasn’t on it so i don’t want to speculate about it but I have heard it is a good trauma program.
30 SAB- for patients over 30. I wasn’t on it but I have heard the ladies like it.
What was your favorite group?
Art
What did you like the most?
The girls proably, although there can sometimes be drama. I had never lived with other people before but it was a great first experience. I also loved most of the staff.
What did you like the least?
At the end of my time there, they said some very insensitive things to me that triggered my relapse.
Would you recommend this program?
It depends. For the first month while I was really sick they were amazing. Then once I got weight restored and my medical complications got figured out they didn’t seem to care anymore. (if you want to know more about this contact me by commenting)
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
Excersie A- You get to go on supervised walks for 15 minutes 2 times a week and do gentle streching once a week.
Exercise B- Once you are medically cleared. You get to go to a group on monday and friday at 7:00 am. One group is cardio and the other is yoga.
Exercise C- Not many people get to this level. But it is all the A and B groups plus one special group a week. When I was the only one on C I got to do whatever I wanted during the group with the exercise person. So usually, we just went for runs around the property.
What did people do on weekends?
Have visitors, Art therapy, sleep, 3-5 groups per day. If you are on level 3 or 4 you have an outing on saturday and you can also take passes.
Do you get to know your weight?
Most people are on blind weights but the nutritionist usually tells you once a week.
How fast is the weight gain process?
If you are on any weight gain plan you have a contract saying you gain 2 lbs a week. However some gain 3-5 lbs. a week.
What was the average length of stay?
Some people were in res for a week, some for 6 months. It totally depends on insurance.
What was the average age range?
14- 60.
most people in their 20’s or 30’s though.
How do visits/phone calls work?
Visitors for adolescents are family members any day during visiting times. Level 1 patients can have visitors on weekends and level 2 and up can have any day during visiting times. Extended visiting hours for all on holidays. Phone calls are whenever you are not in groups. FDR and PDR have special phone times.
Are you able to go out on passes?
Level 3 or 4.
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an OP treatment team?
You meet with an aftercare coordinator once a week who helps set up OP team.
I agree with a few of the posters, the drama and relapse rate has kept me away from anything involving this place. I cannot explain how depressed this place got me. And it definately made my ED worse. I came in at a low weight for my height the first time, but seeing some of the girls and listening to them just totally fed my eating disorder. It seemed like every day someone was getting in a fight or trying to off themself. I eventually ran away at one point :/ Five people I know from Renfrew have now passed away from eating disorders or suicide. Its been 2 years. Come on Renfrew.
Has anyone been to Renfrew in both FL and PA and could compare the two?
Sarah- the psychiatrist that was there when I was there wasn’t a med pusher! When I went in, the only psych med I was on was Ambien for sleep, and nothing else was added while I was there. The psych made a handful of suggestions, but never tried to make me agree to take them (in stark contrast to the other places I’ve been!)
Agreed. When I was there for both times, they drugged me up on Librium — I was a zombie for the first 3 days both times and don’t remember anything.
Get ready for a really long review, because I’ve spent quite a bit of time there. (Also because I love this website and know how helpful it can be to know what things are going to be like before you get there.) Sorry if this is too much detail! And let me know if you have any questions.
— When were you there? —
About six months in 2010, and about four months in 2011.
— Describe the average day. —
5:30-7:45 — weights and vitals, go back to sleep if you have time
8:00-8:45 — breakfast
7:15-7:50 — morning meds (if you’re late, they generally won’t give you your meds until after breakfast)
9:15-10:00 — group
10:15 — snack
10:15-11:00 — group (this group only happens a few days out of each week)
11:00-11:50 — group
12:00-12:50 — lunch (Once a week, each therapist has MST (Mealtime Support Therapy) with all of his/her clients. Generally we set a goal for the meal (e.g, staying present, working on pacing, finishing 100%), and we ate and had light conversations (not anything intense or “therapeutic”); at the end of the meal, we’d discuss how we did on our goal.)
1:00-1:45 — aftermeal (a group to “process” how our meals went)
2:15 — snack
3:00-3:50 — group
5:00-5:50 — group
6:00-6:50 — supper
7:00-7:50 — Evening Wrap-Up or Evening Relaxation (On the weekends, we did a second Aftermeal instead of group. On Sundays, there’s another group after Aftermeal.)
8:45 — snack
9:00-9:30 — optional group
10:00 — snack
I can post a sample schedule if anyone is interested, although it might have changed since I left (fall of 2011).
In between groups is usually free time. Therapy, nutrition, psychiatry, and any needed nursing/doctor’s appointments are scheduled throughout the day. Sometimes, they’ll pull people out of group for appointments.
— What sort of groups do they have? —
Art therapy, community (to discuss issues affecting the residents as a community, to ask for support, to “confront” other people, etc.), meal planning, Peer Relationships, father-daughter relationships, mother-daughter relationships, The Family in Recovery, Body-Mind Experiential (movement therapy), Student Support (for people who are still in school), body image, Life After Loss, psych rounds, substance abuse groups, trauma groups, “Thirty-Something and Beyond” groups (for people 30+), Anorexic/Bulimic/Emotional Eating Patterns, boundaries, aftermeal, Power of Now, Anger Expression, self-esteem, Women in the Media, Life After Renfrew, movie night, Mindful Awareness (DBT), Emotion Regulation (DBT), Soul Writings (creative writing group), psychodrama, pet therapy, and Inspiration Celebration.
— What were meals like? —
Most people eat in the dining room, at a couple of big tables. Staff walks around and monitors the meals. Depending on what tray level you’re on (I’ll explain below), a staff member may sit at the table for support at lunch and supper. (Staff is supposed to follow our meal plans when they eat with patients, although in my experience, that does not always happen.) People usually try to keep a light conversation going or play games during meals.
There are four/five types of structure at meal times. Most people come in on “trays.” On trays, you fill out a menu sheet a week in advance. Staff puts everything on the trays for you, checks your tray, and signs your menu sheet before and after meals. At breakfast, you use your already-filled-out menu sheet, go through a sort of cafeteria line, and either get or are served the food. Everything is already portioned out for you, and staff always checks trays and signs off on menu sheets, so it’s really not as scary or as challenging as it may seem.
On “Independent Eating” (IE), staff still checks trays and sign menus before and after meals, but you’re supposed to choose your food “in the moment” (rather than a week in advance). People on IE go through the line and get their own food (everything but the salad bar is portioned out by the kitchen staff). IE people also eat at a separate table, choose their seats, and don’t have staff sitting at the table. (But staff still walks around the dining room and monitors everyone.) Also, you can get ice with your water at lunch and supper (which may not seem like a big deal, but it can be exciting after months in treatment).
“Fix-Owns” (FO) is basically the same as IE, except that you don’t get menu sheets, By this point, you’re supposed to know your meal plan well enough to not need them, although FO folks usually end up looking at IE people’s menus. On FO, you don’t have to get your trays checked or menus signed off by staff. There’s also “Intuitive Eating,” but basically no one ever gets it, so I don’t know anything about it. (I knew literally one person in my entire ten or so months there that got onto Intuitive Eating.)
Another structure used for meals is… well, it’s the same as “trays,” except that you eat in a smaller dining room (it was the Community Room, but now it’s the “Staff Dining Room”). You eat with less people, which means closer staff supervision. Generally, it’s for people on lower levels. In other words, it’s usually for people who are medically compromised, struggling to follow their meal plan, and/or struggling to keep themselves safe in some other way. Putting a bunch of people who are struggling into one room can be triggering and can make it very hard (e.g., I was once in there with only one other patient, who consistently refused to complete her meals). However, because it’s a smaller group, it can also become a very close and supportive group. Starting in the smaller dining room also helped me with my anxiety around eating in front of other people.
— What sorts of food were available or served? —
Renfrew works on the exchange system. There’s Menu A, B, and C. Each menu has a certain number of exchanges that are required at each meal — protein, dairy protein, starch, vegetable, fruit, and fat/dessert. There is a vegetarian option available at each meal. However, they do not accommodate vegans, regardless of how long you’ve been a vegan or your reasons for being vegan. They accommodate people who keep Kosher. If you have food allergies, they require a specific type of note or test or something (I can’t remember what) from your doctor. If you have that, they’ll make accommodations for food allergies, including lactose-intolerance and gluten allergies (although the gluten-free meals apparently get very boring and repetitive).
I think some of the other reviews have listed specific foods that were served, so check those out if you’re interested.
— Did they supplement? How did that system work? —
Yes. They supplement with Boost Plus for people who don’t complete meals. Supplements (Boost Plus) and/or snacks may also be added to your meal plan, as determined by your nutritionist. They also supplement one Boost Plus as needed for people who lose a certain amount of weight overnight. (I believe it was 0.5 lbs.)
— Does it work on a level system? —
Yes.
Level 1 — Most people come in on Level 1. On this level, you can walk yourself to groups and leave the Dayroom / Community Room (CR) whenever you want. However, I think most people also start on Escorts after meals and snacks. During escort times, you have to be either with staff or in the dayroom, and you have to count/sing/talk to staff while using the restroom with the door cracked open. I think people on Level 1 only get visitors on the weekends (except for adolescents), and they don’t get meals with visitors. People have to be on Level 1 for at least one week before getting moved up to Level 2.
Level 2 — Level 2 means you’re “medically cleared,” which means you can can go out in the sun, participate in yoga and exercise groups, go to the pool, eat with visitors, and have visitors on weekdays. You generally have to be on Level 2 for two weeks before Level 3.
Level 3 — People on this level go on (mandatory) weekend excursions with staff (e.g., seeing movies, going to the mall, going to the beach, going bowling; transportation is covered, but other than that, you have to cover your own expenses). You can also go on pass (without staff), either by yourself or with other patients. The downside is you have to arrange and pay for your own transportation, which is expensive, unless you have your own car or go with other patients. On Level 3, aftermeal after lunch is optional (aftermeal after supper is not). If you finish your meal early, you can leave the dining room early (I think after 40 minutes). People on Level 3 also participate in the grocery store tour and a weekly cooking group (where you prepare and eat a meal as a group).
Level 4 — Privileges on Level 4 include: more time to go on pass, access to the “Advanced Recovery Living Room” (ARLR), and the ability to use your cell phone and computer. I think you also get a key to the fridge in the ARLR, where you can store food and snacks you bring in for yourself. I can’t really remember all the details, as I wasn’t on this level for very long.
Full Bed Rest — Generally this is for people who are below a certain percentage of their “ideal body weight” and/or people who are less medically stable (although you have to be medically stable to a certain extent in order to be admitted to Renfrew). Full bed rest can be incredibly boring — basically, you only leave the room for meals in the staff dining room, your treatment team will come to you for appointments, and you get wheeled around in a wheelchair (incidentally, Renfrew is NOT wheelchair-accessible, which is a COMPLETE FAIL). Bed rest usually doesn’t last too long, though — only long enough to get you more stable. Generally, people on bed rest cannot go to groups, but one of my roommates was able to convince her team to let her go to aftermeal and evening wrap-up, since she was on bed rest for so long. People on bed rest have to count/sing/talk to staff while using the restroom with the door cracked open. If I recall correctly, the bathroom is also locked during the day, so you have to ask for a staff person to unlock it for you.
Full Day Room (FDR) — Usually FDR is for people who are either medically unstable, at lower weights, using symptoms, or struggling to keep themselves safe in some other way (e.g., self-harm, suicidal ideation, flight risk). On FDR, you’re in the dayroom/community room (CR) from 8:00am – 9:30pm (this means all groups are in the CR, which obviously limits your options and can get super boring). People on FDR eat in the Staff Dining Room. People on FDR have to count/sing/talk to staff while using the restroom with the door cracked open.
Partial dayroom (PDR) — PDR is basically the same as FDR, except that staff escorts you to groups outside of the CR. You can also eat in the main dining room with everyone else, although sometimes they will put PDR people in the staff dining room when they are struggling with completing meals. People on PDR have to count/sing/talk to staff while using the restroom with the door cracked open.
— What privileges are allowed? —
Privileges generally vary based on levels, as described above.
— How do you earn privileges? —
By being compliant with treatment — following your meal plan, attending group, not using symptoms, “keeping yourself safe,” etc.
— What was your favorite group? —
Art therapy, definitely.
— What did you like the most? —
My therapist! Also excellent: art therapy, the art therapist, movement therapy, and the other patients (usually).
— What did you like the least? –
It’s hard to pick, but I still find it discouraging to think about the high rate of relapse post-treatment. It seems to come with the territory when treating eating disorders, so I think it’s probably common regardless of where you go. However, it seems like Renfrew has a lot of… well, as one patient once put it, “repeat offenders.” (Having been there twice, I include myself in this category and I hope this doesn’t come across as judgmental of the patients. If anything, I’m questioning Renfrew’s efficacy.) My first time there, I met a patient who was in residential treatment at Renfrew for her seventh or eighth time. When I kept in touch with people after treatment, it sometimes felt like a lot of us were just cycling in and out of Renfrew. I relapsed within a day or two of getting out the first time, and struggled a lot for a year or more after getting out the second time. (I’m doing much better now, thanks to the help of my outpatient team and the threat of being sent back to treatment.)
Other things I disliked: After being there for more than a month or two, groups started to get incredibly repetitive. Worksheets were recycled quite a bit, and I can’t even count the number of “coping skills” lists and “pros and cons of having an eating disorder” lists I wrote up. The “Medical Consequences of ED” group was also repetitive, in addition to being poorly run and generally unhelpful, bordering on harmful (basically, it was an opportunity for people to swap horror stories and brag about how sick they got). Also, depending on what the community is like (it changes every few weeks, as new patients come in), things can get a bit “competitive.” I think it’s subconscious, mostly, but there still is a bit of an unspoken competition as to who can be “the sickest,” or who was “the sickest” before they came in. Sometimes, people will seem like they’re almost bragging about being put on escorts or FDR or PDR, getting a Stage IV (a written assignment for breaking the rules), being noncompliant, etc. It’s easy to get sucked into it. The exercise program was also disappointing (see below).
— What level of activity or exercise was allowed? —
There’s an exercise group (“Exercise A”) twice a week at ~6:30am. We mostly just walked around the parking lot, skipped for one lap, and then did a bit of stretching. There’s also a “yoga” group once a week. (I use scare quotes because it was mostly just light stretching, and a lot of laying on the floor “relaxing,” i.e. sleeping.) The patient handbook claims that there is an “Exercise B” group for people who are more medically stable / on higher levels, but that’s complete bullshit. I’ve never met a single person who has ever been in Exercise B. The second time I was there, the yoga/exercise instructor wasn’t able to do yoga for several months. I heard staff members saying that they were looking for a new exercise instructor and were hoping to improve the exercise program, although who knows if that actually panned out. Overall, I think the exercise program was lacking — I never learned what “healthy” exercise looks like, or how to exercise for fun (rather than for disordered/unhealthy reasons).
— What did people do on weekends? —
There were groups on weekends, although not as many as on weekdays. We sat around a lot in the community room, knitted/crocheted, watched movies and TV, hung out in the Healing Garden, and took lots of naps. People on Level 2 & above went to the pool, and there were excursions for Level 3&4 folks on Sunday.
— Do you get to know your weight? —
It depends. Your nutritionist and the rest of your treatment team will determine if they think it is appropriate for you to know your weight, or if you should be on “blind weights.”
— How many IP beds? How many patients in PHP or IOP? —
Renfrew Florida has about 40 residential beds. (I’ve heard Renfrew Philly has around 60.) There are usually at least a few people in the day treatment program, as well as at least a few people in DTLA (which is basically day treatment, but you live there). The size of the IOP program probably varies, but IOP happens three times a week. IOP patients eat meals with residents, and may attend one group before supper with residents. (Other than that, I think they have one or two other groups on their own, with just IOP patients… I’m not sure on the details, as I was never in IOP at Renfrew.)
— Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined. —
Renfrew does not treat men.
— How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc? —
Therapist: three or four times a week for residential, and I think twice a week for days and DTLA. The second time I was there, they started using student therapists or interns or something. I think it was three times a week with the therapist and then twice with the intern / student therapist. Psychiatrist: once a week. Nutritionist: once a week. Medical doctor: as needed, although I think we generally saw the nurse practitioner rather than the doctor.
— What sort of therapies are used? (DBT, CBT, EMDR) etc? —
I think mostly DBT.
— What is the policy of not complying with meals? —
If you don’t complete your meals, you get supplemented with Boost Plus. If you refuse to complete the supplement, there are consequences, such as: a Stage IV contract (basically a punitive written assignment), getting dropped a level (or dropped down to PDR/FDR). Depending on your weight or how medically stable you are, there may be other consequences. (For instance, I was threatened with a tube and with getting sent back to the hospital.) Eventually, if you continue to refuse to be compliant, I’m guessing they might ask you to leave?
— How fast is the weight gain process? —
It might be different for everyone, but I had to sign a contract agreeing to 2-4 pounds per week.
— What was the average length of stay? —
Honestly, I think it has a lot to do with insurance. Some people had awful insurance companies that kicked them out after a week or two, but I think most probably stay at least a month or two. I knew a patient who was there for around a year, but I think that was very rare.
— What was the average age range? —
14 was the youngest they’d accept for residential treatment. A lot of patients were teenagers or in their 20s, but there were quite a few patients in their 30s-40s and up, and even one or two patients in their 60s-70s. It really varied. And it seemed like people were able to relate to each other and connect regardless of age.
— How do visits/phone calls work? —
There are phones available for patients to use. You’ll need a pre-paid calling card. If I recall correctly, people on bed rest and FDR/PDR could only use the phones during certain times. They changed the visiting system toward the end of my second stay. I think visitors have to be pre-approved or have a visitor’s pass or something, and you can give staff a list of people whom you don’t want to visit. I can’t remember the details. It may have changed since I left.
— Are you able to go out on passes? —
Yes, on Levels 3 and 4 (see level system for details.)
— What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an OP treatment team? —
You meet with an aftercare coordinator once a week to talk about how things are going and to plan for your discharge. They’ll set you up with days/PHP or IOP back where you live, if necessary; they’ll find you a doctor, therapist, psychiatrist, and nutritionist for OP treatment. They can also work with you to sort out other things, to help you transition back to “the real world” (e.g., housing, employment, volunteer opportunities, school/classes).
— Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country? —
Yes. I came from out of state, and my aftercare coordinator helped me to find a treatment team and an IOP program in my city.
— Would you recommend this program? —
Yes. As with any other program, there are downsides. But I think overall, I would recommend it.
I was wondering if people in treatment at Renfrew are ever able to have REGULAR snacks instead of supplements. For instance, if we work with our nutritionist, can we have an afternoon and nighttime snack instead of a supplement? Thanks so much
They do let some people have snacks instead of supplements, but I’m not sure how they decide who can/can’t. My guess is that if you have a significant amount of weight to restore, they prefer that you do supplements. Sometimes, if your meal plan gets increased past a certain point, you do a supplement AND a snack at the same snack time.
you really don’t have a say in whether you do supplements or snacks honestly. sometimes the nutritionist will work with you- mine let me do snacks instead of supplements, but i had to do the highest calorie snack available. but she was also kind of easy on me most of the time to be honest. i think it depends on who you get as your nutritionist, there are 4 of them and i doubt any of the other 3 would have let me do that.
As the others mentioned, some people just had boost plus for “snacks”, some people had food. Some people had both. For the most part, whether a patient got supplements or whole foods seemed to depend on how much weight restoration they had left to go! The snack options were pretty paltry though (at least when I was there in 2008 and 2009!), I think there were like 3 cereal choices, and maybe 2 or 3 other options. A lot of people didn’t have snacks at all… I always did, but I think only around 1/3 or so of the patients had snacks.
Renfrew Florida
When were you there:
2012
What were meals like?
Meals operated on an exchange system, and there were three meal plans: A, B, and C (A was the lowest intake and C was the highest; B is the what most patients were on). Breakfast on meal plan B consists of three exchanges of starch, one of dairy protein, one of fruit and one of fat. Lunch was three starches, three proteins, one dairy protein, one fruit, one vegetable, and two fats. Patients were allowed to substitute two meals a week for either peanut butter and jelly, tuna salad, egg salad, or chicken salad. Twice a week hummus was also available. Desserts were required three times a week.
Average Day:
5:30-7:30am Weights and vitals
8-8:45am Breakfast
9:15-10am Group
11am-12pm Group
12-1pm Lunch
1-2pm After meal group
3-4pm Group
5-6pm Group
6-7pm Dinner
7-8pm Evening Wrap Up
9-9:30pm Cope (optional group)
9:30pm Dayroom closes
What sorts of food were available or served?
Breakfast was the same every week- a croissant on Monday (cheese and butter were the required dairy protein and fat), cereal and toast on Tuesday, french toast or pancakes on Wednesday, cereal and a blueberry muffin on Thursday, bagels on Friday, french toast or pancakes on Saturday, and cereal and a bran muffin on Sunday (as well as dairy protein, fruit, and fat). Some examples of lunches are hamburgers/turkey burgers/garden burgers, salads, wraps, and pizza. Dinner exchanges were the same as lunch exchanges, minus the fruit. Some dinners were chili, baked potatoes, eggplant parmesan, and shepherd’s pie. Menus are on a four-week rotation, however there are certain items that repeat themselves more frequently (shepherd’s pie twice a month and pizza once a week, for example).
Did they supplement? How did that system work?
They supplement using Boost Plus. If you finished anything less than 100% of your meal you had to drink two boosts, and anything less than 50% is one boost. Patients on weight gain were given a boost if they lost a half a pound or more. Patients on weight gain are also often put on supplements in addition to meals.
What privileges are allowed?
There are certain times in the day when patients are allowed to use the phones, which is a given thing you’re allowed to do unless it is otherwise specified (I’ve only seen it happen a couple of times). Visitors are allowed on weekends and holidays for adults (at 2-4pm and 8-9:3-pm, I think) and adolescents are allowed visitors during the evening on weekdays as well. Level one allows pet passes (although I’d been given them on lower levels so this may be inaccurate), level two allows you to sit in the sun and go to the pool, level three allows you on excursion (Sunday afternoons with a staff member) and on pass, as well as the opportunity to sign up for a massage. Level four allowed you use of your cell phone in the building and access to the level four recovery lounge (which I’ve never been in, but apparently it has diet coke and apparently that’s a big deal). Yoga and morning walks for exercise are also a thing but I’m not sure who gets to do that.
Does it work on a level system?
Yes. There are levels 1-4, and three levels below that: bed rest, partial day room, and full day room. On bed rest, patients must stay in bed all day and are taken in a wheel chair to the dining room for meals. Most of the time they are also on therapy restriction (which can also occur on full). Full day room means the patient must stay in the day room all day (from right after breakfast at 8:45 to 9:30pm when the day room closes), must be escorted by staff if leaving the room for any reason, and must attend all groups in the day room with the exception of a couple of groups that they are allowed to attend in other parts of the campus. Partial day room is basically the same as full except you are allowed to go to groups outside the day room, but must still be escorted by staff. Patients on full and partial must also count or otherwise display their voices while using the bathroom. Level one allows you to pretty much walk around the property as you please (within reason, of course), and the privileges for levels 2-4 are explained in the question above.
What sort of groups do they have?
Most were here’s-a-handout-let’s-talk-about-it kind of groups. They’re also pretty big on DBT. Twice a week we had a group called “building a healthy community” in which patients presented Stage Ones (written assignments given as punishment basically but they try to pass it off as it being helpful to you, it’s not) and issues in the community were discussed. There are also what they call tracks: trauma, drugs and alcohol, young adult (under 21) and 30s and beyond. Art groups, for example, are divided into tracks, but there are also things like trauma process and drug and alcohol education and things like that. The tracks also kind of have levels within them- you start out on the first level of the track, and as you make progress they move you up to groups that are a bit more intense within the track.
What was your favorite group?
Art was always fun, community was usually dumb but has the potential to be really entertaining. A woman named Regina came in one day a week to run Anorexic Eating Patterns, which was a favorite for anyone who was in it (because she’s brilliant, not because anorexic eating patterns are particularly interesting).
What did you like the most?
The three staff members who were actually competent.
What did you like the least?
The corrupt way in which the place is managed.
Would you recommend this program?
Absolutely not.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
I know there is a minimal amount of exercise allowed, but I never quite got there so I’m not sure of the specifics.
What did people do on weekends?
Weekends were basically the same in structure, but somehow managed to drag on so much slowly than weekdays. The only main difference is that visitors are allowed at 2-4pm and that groups are a bit more light (Team Building is an example).
Do you get to know your weight?

Most people are on blind weights, but rarely there’ll be someone who is allowed to see theirs.
How fast is the weight gain process?
2 pounds a week
What was the average length of stay?
I think most patients stay residential for about 30 days.
What was the average age range?
14 is the youngest they take, and the oldest I’ve seen I think has been early 60s.
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an OP treatment team?
They have a day program and IOP program which some patients step down to. They have aftercare staff who you meet with once a week (kind of useless but whatever, gets you out of group) who help you find an outpatient therapist, psychiatrist, and dietitian.
How many IP beds? How many patients in PHP or IOP?
40 beds, and I’m not sure what the limit is for PHP and IOP, but I’ve seen each have like 15 patients. IOP don’t really interact much with residential patients and start program after day patients leave.
is renfrew big about putting patients on meds? do they let you stay on the meds you’re on if you say you think they’re working ok or do they try to change it? or does anyone not end up on meds at all?
It was my choice to try to go off meds while I was there due to the medical support I would have, Renfrew did support me in this desicion and by the time I left I was med free. i have to say it made my stay very difficult due to all the withdrawals and side effects, and of course once I left within a couple of months I realized I needed meds mostly to control my anxiety and depression, so while I was on day treatment with Renfrew back home I was put back on meds, again my choice. I do think it depends which psychiatrist you get how much your desicions are supported.
Individual therapy was 3x/week, nutrition once/week, psychiatrist once/week. Group therapy is daily and there are usually about 5-6 groups each day, during the week. Therapy sessions are usually 45minutes – 1 hour. Group size depends upon the size of the community…and different people attend different groups so it can range anywhere from 3 or 4 to 35 or more (like in community group where everyone attends).
Examples of meals are like veggie burger with cheese or turkey burger or grilled chicken sandwich, eggplant or chicken parmesan with pasta, beans with cheese and cous cous, meat or tofu stir-fry, taco salad with meat or beans, veggie cheese or grilled chicken pizza, grilled cheese with tomato soup, meat loaf or vegetarian loaf, pasta with beef sauce or TVP sauce, broccoli/cheese quiche or roast beef sandwich, stuffed peppers with rice and beef or TVP, etc. With lunch you will have to a dairy, a fruit, a vegetable, and two fats in addition to an entree (and an additional starch if you are on Menu C). With dinner, you have to have a vegetable, two fats, and a dairy in addition to that (and an extra fruit if you’re on Menu C). Breakfast is always either pancakes or french toast, cereal with toast or a bran or blueberry muffin, a bagel which you can either get a dairy with or get scrambled eggs instead of the dairy. And with breakfast you always need a dairy and a fruit in addition to that, and one fat (two fats if you are on Menu C). All their food is pretty good, I only really disliked a couple of things. If you don’t like something, you can sub out three times a week but only on independent eating.
There is still a trauma track.
Desserts are mandatory. You have to have three a week, or two a week if you’re on Menu A. You can get more desserts if you want by adding them on, or if you’re on independent eating you can use them as a fat as often as you want until the nutritionist yells at you for eating too many desserts (wtf?) If you’re on independent eating, you can choose to have your mandatory two or three desserts any time you want and choose what they can be, but if you’re on trays, you have to have them on certain days and they will be certain things.
If you don’t finish, you have to do a Boost. You have to do two Boosts if you finish under a certain percent, which I think is 50% but I’m not totally sure. I’m not quite sure what happens if you refuse to do a Boost after not finishing a meal…I’m sure the repercussion vary widely depending on if you’ve done it before or have done other things wrong (and probably also, quite honestly, on how much the staff likes you.) I’m sure that the most standard punishment for not finishing a meal and refusing the supplement is dropping you a level.
They say the average weight gain is 1-2 pounds per week, but I gained faster than that at the beginning. Probably depends on your body. And if you are a purger, your body will hang onto a lot of water right after you start eating again and are not purging, so you will probably gain more than 2 lbs the first week you are there.
I’ve been to Renfrew in Florida, i was there for 4 months late last year. It is okay, however as other people have said there is a lot of drama. I felt like most of the patients there didn’t actually want recovery and weren’t trying hard, they were rebelling a lot and there were some fights about food and weight. However my therapist was really good and nice and caring, she really helped me a lot, my nutritionist was good as was all the staff there, i felt like the staff were really nice. some of the girls there were a bit mean, as you know anorexics get competitive about weight and how ‘sick you are’, etc, and I felt a lot of competitiveness going on in the clinic. Also my room-mate purged like every night, and she said if I told anyone she would kill herself and it would be all my fault. I didn’t know what to do, I wanted to help her but her threat held me back. We had bathrooms attatched to the rooms so you could purge which she did, I tried talking to her about it but it didn’t change.
Also when I was there this girl who had been there for just over a month, she has gained back to a normal healthy BMI, and as soon as she did she was discharged, she wasn’t even ready to go home, she may have been okay physichally but emotionally she was still in her eating disorder. So yeah, once you reach your target weight, from then on your on your own.
When were you there: June 16, 2008 to July 31, 2008
Describe the average day: you wake up and get in line for weights and vitals, which have to be done from 5:00-7:30 A.M. Then most ppl got back in bed until breakfast, which is at 8. Group from 9:00-10:15ish and another from about 10:45-11:45. Lunch at 12, more groups and appointments blahblahblah, dinner at 6, groups (whooo…) and then you have to go to bed.
What were meals like? they worked on an exchange system. there was three meal plans, A, B, and C, but they were hardly different. B was just a little more than A and C a little more than B. They give you an hour for lunch and dinner but most ppl finish before the time is up and then you just have to get a staff member to check your tray and then you can throw it out. then people usually fill out their food journals; we loved to play games at the table while I was there.
What sorts of food were available or served? surprisingly good stuff in my opinion. if you’re a vegetarian you’ll be good here. breakfast was always cereal or bagels which was kinda boring but for lunch and dinner they had like portobello mushroom sandwiches and hummus and stuff. they also had pizza and lots of salads, etc.
Did they supplement? How did that system work? yup. a 50% finished meal was punished with two boost pluses, and 50% you had to drink one. if you were on a weight gain plan then your nutritionist might add more boost pluses at supplement times, which were at 10:15 A.M, 2:00, and 8:00 and 10:00 P.M. I think
What priveleges are allowed? see the level system. also you can use the phone if you’re not in a group or session. uh, if your an adolescent you can have your parents come visit you at night. adults can too after level 2.
Does it work on a level system? yup. you start out on level 1. if you’re bad, you go down to partial when you have to sit in a room from 8:00 in the morning-9:30 at night unless you have to go to a group and then someone has to escort you. if you’re even worse, you’ll be on full. you can’t even leave the room with an escort. if you’re good though, you can go to level 2 and then you can swim! and level 3 you can leave campus to go to the beach or the movies or the mall! level 4 which no one gets to i think you can use the internet or order from a restaurant or whatever.
What sort of groups do they have? these dumb pointless ones like emotion regulation and self-esteem and mother-daughter relationships blah. then there were anorexic and bulimic eating patterns; also psychodrama and movement. yoga. sexuality. community. after-meal support. they have special track groups. if your therapist decides you should go to emotional eating, substance abuse, or survivor tracks, she’ll send ya there.
What was your favorite group? mostly they were all pretty boring. but psychodrama or the movement therapy probably if I had to choose.
What did you like the most? uhh, the food? lol and my therapist
What did you like the least? the fact that they made working out seem like a capital offense
Would you recommend this program? maybe for some people. not for me though.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed? NOT SHIT!!! this was the biggest issue I had with Renfrew was there NAZI policy on exercise. it just so happens that I am a very hyper person by nature and I have severe ADHD and hate sitting still; I am very active and energetic. Besides, I don’t have exercise problems nor am I underweight. But Renfrew didn’t take that into account. They refused to look at my particular situation and basically punished me for the most ridiculous things. stretching, sitting too tall in my chair, fidgeting, lifting my leg…NO! YOUR TRYING TO BURN CALORIES! seriously? FML
What did people do on weekends? uhhh, for me, sit on my ass and watch TV. If you were on level 3, you could go out on pass, maybe have lunch group at a restaurant or go to the beach or movies for an excursion. and then the rest of the time you could sit on your ass and watch TV.
Do you get to know your weight? Some people do but a lot of us were put on blind weight.
How fast is the weight gain process? I didn’t have to gain weight.But I think that if you do, they like a minimum of +1 lb. per week, right?
What was the average length of stay? 1-3 months
What was the average age range? For a long time I was the youngest person in residential! (I was 15) but then they started having 14 year olds which I think was the youngest. I would say the bulk of the girls were college or just-out-of-college aged, maybe 19-24ish. But there were older women there too.
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an OP treatment team? They have an aftercare provider who sets up all your appointments for when you get home.
How many IP beds? How many patients in PHP or IOP? When I was there I think there was about 55 girls most of the time.