Any current reviews? Please post in comments below. You can check out the FAQ and Guidelines for suggested questions. Thank you!
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Note: Toledo Center was previously known as River Centre Clinic.
Toledo Center for Eating Disorders (formerly known as River Centre Clinic)
- January 6, 2015
- Adolescent, Adult, Child/Adolescent Specialty, Children, IOP/PHP, Ohio, Residential
- 41
When were you there?
January 2025-now (still in residential)
What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?
Residential
If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible?
Yes
How many patients are there on average?
10 for adults, 10 for teenagers is the max. The teen unit averages 8 people, adults tend to be full.
What genders does it treat?
Both male and female.
If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people?
Yes
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, nurse, etc? Therapist 1x a week, Dietician 1x a week, nurse everyday.
What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
One staff per unit, sometimes two depending if there’s an extra staff needed.
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, ACT, exposure therapy, somatic experiencing, etc.)?
DBT
Describe the average day:
What were meals like?
Meals were cooked by kitchen staff, sometimes it would be super good and sometimes not. But the kitchen staff know how to cook and care about the food they create.
What sorts of food were available or served?
All sorts of foods. We even do cooking groups for both adults and teens so sometimes we get to create people things to eat for either lunch or dinner.
Did they supplement? How did that system work?
Yes. The supplement is Boost Plus. If you did not complete to anyone’s satisfaction, you get supplemented.
What is the policy of not complying with meals?
Supplement, loss of privileges
Are you able to eat vegetarian? Vegan?
Vegetarian yes, vegan I do not believe so.
What privileges are allowed?
Flushing your own toilet, weekend visits to home during PHP, picking and pulling your own snacks out of the pantry, 20 minute walks outside, Just Dance
Does it work on a level system?
Yes. It goes from white band, red band, yellow band, and green band.
How do you earn privileges?
By being a good patient and showing satisfactory behavior. Complete meals, snacks, comply with the rules, participate in group, etc.
What sort of groups do they have?
Nutrition, community (rules), DBT, nursing, yoga
What was your favorite group?
Nutrition
If applicable: Is the program trauma-informed?
Somewhat?
What did you like the most?
Coffee was allowed. Some of the staff are super understanding as well and care, some not so much.
What did you like the least?
A certain staff member who used ED behaviors at the table and will make patients feel awful.
Would you recommend this program?
For people who are ready to recover, yes. If not, this place is not for you. It is very tough.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
If you are new/on red band, you cannot go out on walks, do yoga, or Just Dance. Once you’re on yellow band, you can do these.
What did people do on weekends?
Not much. There’s only one group. We spend the weekend being on the unit for the most part, and visitations.
Do you get to know your weight?
No.
If applicable: How fast is the weight gain process?
Not sure. I’d assume 2-3 lbs a week, but it really depends on your plan.
What was the average length of stay?
6-8 weeks from what I hear
What was the average age range?
13-18+
How do visits/phone calls work?
Visits are on Saturday, phone calls are everyday for 30 minutes.
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)?
iPods/MP3 players are allowed. No cell phones unless you are an adult in PHP after programming hours. Computers are for school use only.
For adolescents: Did they provide time to do schoolwork or offer academic support?
Yes
For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go on outings/passes?
Yes
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team?
Yes
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?
Yes
I had the most amazing experience here in the adult res & pho program. My therapist was **** who did absolutely everything she could to support me and care for me. She advocated for me everyday, supported me in ways that I can never repay, and pushed me to become the best version of myself possible. I have been out of TCED for the past 3 months after a 3 month stay and I am THRIVING. My dietician was **** and she was so knowledgeable and helped me form new beliefs and thoughts about food and challenged my eating disorder. The food was made on site which the cooks were always so supportive and helpful. You were allowed to have 1 meal swap a week and it was reassuring knowing I was able to swap if it genuinely wasn’t a preference. The RCS are amazing and treat you like another human and go above and beyond to support you. Every staff member there is passionate, knowledgeable, and dedicated to their job. My biggest piece of advice is to go in with an open mind. Those who do have had a poor experience there, I’m sorry. A key part of my own recovery was going there and committing to recovery. I was extremely honest with my team, and challenged myself in more than just ED ways. My therapist helped me through PTSD episodes, med withdrawals(my own doing), depression, anxiety, sh relapse, ocd, and obviously my eating disorder. She has changed my life forever. I went back to TCED last week to tell my story and every single provider took the time to tell me how proud they are of me, how much light is in my eyes, and how recovery truly looks amazing on me(not my body, but how I am as a person). I don’t think I would be where I am without TCED.
Logistics:
– you do not get your phone but you can bring any other device (mac book, computer, iPad, etc) & you can bring your own headphones
– you have 3 meals & 2 snacks a day
– you meet with your therapist, dietician, psych, and med director weekly
– you can fill something called a “jot form” out if you need extra support from anyone on your team
– you have multiple groups each day
– visitations are on the weekend
– there are 4 therapists & 2 dietitians who meet with both adolescents and adults
– there are outings you can go on depending on your well being
– you have your own bathroom in each room which is shared with your roomate(s) and you get 30 minutes to get ready for the day or unready alone in the bathroom (the door just has to be cracked)
– they flush your toilet in res but in PHP you flush your own
– you have bracelet bands that determine what you are medically able to do
1) red band: everyone starts here until you have 3 good lab draws. You can not participate in yoga but sometimes are able to participate in outings, and for res
2) yellow band: you’re allowed to do yoga, for res clients, you are able to go on outings (as long as compliance is good)
3) green band: PHP only
4) white band: SH risk patients (no sharps, 15 minute checks)
5) blue band: restriction with water intake (usually happens if you continue to restrict water for a certain amount of time and you have to use a cup for water instead of your water bottle)
– you are given a water bottle that we often decorated with stickers, bracelets, and we put our med bracelets on it as well. You can carry this around all day and are supposed to let the RCS know how much water you drink
– everyone has the same meal & portion size when it comes to meals. The only difference between meal plans are the color snacks your on
– you get your menu in the beginning of the week and pick your meal swap & then choose your snack each day after breakfast
– there are communal phones you can use after dinner
– if you complete breakfast & water 100%, then you get to have coffee. If you complete lunch & 1st snack you can also have a 2nd cup of coffee
– you are able to ask the kitchen staff for food items you’d like or that need to be restocked
– there is a single, double, tripple, and 4 bed bedroom in the adult unit
– you can go outside with the group with the RCS
– you can go on walks if you are medically stable & complete 100% of food & water for the day with an RCS
at the end of the day, everyone has different preferences when it comes to treatment and some places work for some and not others. I had a life changing & saving time at TCED while I know some people who didn’t. I truly believe treatment is what you put in to it. They do not do tube feeds so if you require a higher level they will send you to Selah house. If you have any other questions, let me know! I am more than happy to encourage anyone and everyone to recieve the help they need. I’m not oblivious to the fact that everyone’s experience is difference, but I do want to mention how life saving and changing this place was for me!
Hi, I was there for your speech when you came into the facility to speak with us during group and I just wanted to say I am so proud of you and how far you’ve come. Your story helped a lot of people and it was deeply appreciated when you spoke about your experience. I’m still a patient here but seeing this made me happy. I hope you’re well!
Love love love this
This literally means so much to me. I’m doing so well and have been for several months. I could not have done it without TCED. I hope I made an impact and know that you are so loved and so cared for! You got this!
Congrats, Naomi! We don’t often hear about successes so thanks for sharing yours. so proud of your work!!
If anyone wants me to make a review on TCED- or now known as Aster Springs. Let me know. I’d be more than happy to write one!
Any recent reviews on the adolescent residential program? How long is the average stay? Are phones/phone calls allowed? I’m planning to be admitted soon if they choose to admit me.
No not there go to clementine Naperville instead. You can read my former reply but it sucks. If you saw the new reviews they are all lies I have a friend there and they told and forced them to write. Average stay is 3 months, 1 10 min phone call a day. Don’t go I warned you they litterly care about the adults way more and no outings it’s like a jail.
If you do go when you take photos of the rocks mine is the one with the mirror thing and I was the one who named Polly the panda Alex’s and made it it’s bracelet. But for your own good don’t it just made everything for me worse.
I was there last year as a teen from January until April and I have stories to tell! First, my therapist Alex thought it was okay to have a group where everyone told me what they hated about me. Litterly. Second one of the staff members contacted an adult patient by their phone number to get together with them! Third, in the middle of my stay the teens and the adults switched units, and then they made us clean up the mess in the adults unit. It was horrifying, we found hidden paper clips and scissors like everywhere. Fourth, they gave someone kiwis which they were allergic to. Fifth, the adults got so much better treatment-they got first pick to go
outside or not and got the large room with the tv and the comfy couches, while we got the art room with plastic chairs for 8 hours a day. Sixth, the staff included us in all their drama- I’m talking how some staff hated another and it just got way too complicated. Seventh, they allowed a LGBTQ+ person to return home to a toxic household, they cried and begged to stay. Eighth, the staff litterally gets angry when you ask to use the bathroom- one member had us all wait to go until she was finished with her notes. Ninth, be prepared to walk into when in the bathroom. Tenth, a literal homeless man walked to the back door freely when we all were outside asking for money-traumatic. Eleventh, the school teacher doesn’t even help you with your homework since she doesn’t know any high-school math she can only teach you how to crochet. Twelveth I litterly got no outings the whole time I was there, 3 months wow. Thirteenth, be prepared to only have 30 minutes in the bathroom. Fourteenth, ***** I love her but she almost burnt down the kitchen with the microwave. Fifteen, if your a teen that means only pg movies. Sixteenth, somehow adults get their phones and we don’t? Seventeen, the only way to get warm is to lay down on the unclean floors. Eighteenth, if you celebrate your birthday you get no dessert, no singing, and only some lazy decorations in the kitchen. Nineteenth, a staff member gave a card to all people who left here except me even though I wrote her one-I was hurt. Twenty, don’t trust people from here they’ll gossip behind your back including staff.
Any recent reviews on the adult residential program?
To update – they’ve reinstated adult care here since what I said, earlier, & have residential for “children and adolescents of all genders (ages 10-17), as well as adult females (ages 18 and older)”
Their PHP says the same.
I still find them unethical. They are still keeping old reviews for the old center of the old name, creating a false sense of positivity & longevity, even though they are completely unrelated. Their website also lies about being “Set in a tranquil setting in Toledo, Ohio” 1. It’s in Sylvania. But that might tie them to the previous owner whose license was taken by the state of OH (public knowledge) 2. It’s one block away from both police & fire station headquarters on one side; an one the other, less than a mile from a Level One Trauma Center. Tranquil?! No. Random abrupt sirens screaming? Yes.
Their turnover has slowed down a BIT the past few yrs I’ve kept an eye on them but still, every couple of months a therapist quits & gets replaced. Just checked & sure enough, the one with the most experience was gone and had been replaced. I’ve often felt I should take screen shots of their staff once a month – it’s that bad.
Don’t give any of Odyssey’s facilities your resources, you’re just a way for them to make money for their corporate owners, another investment firm – in other words, they only exist to make money to make more money. Find a hospital-based program or a private one if possible. You have permission to share my words with your insurance companies.
I was there in early 2013. Not sure how it is now almost 10 years later.
In the adult PHP. I was there for a month then signed myself out.
Access to leave the building as much as we wanted, live in facility but no supervision- there was a lot of behavior use.
No fresh food. All frozen & processed foods. At one point they had me on almost 4,000 cal meal plan that I had to eat all of those calories in a PHP time frame. Roughly 8am to 3 or 4 PM to eat that much food. After program ended they expected you to not eat until the next day.
It was rough. I hope they changed.
Hi – they haven’t had any adult programs for several months – check their site under “Treatment Programs” – it is only adolescent
2021 Summer – any updates since they became Toledo Center for Eating Disorders? Considering it for residential treatment for our 16y-year-old daughter.
@Anne, for the adolescents or adult? ugh. crud. thanks.
Kathleen, Here is a review I left for ALL FOUR of this company’s ED clinics – because I’ve continued to monitor them due to their lack of response or recompense – & hoping to help you make a cautious decision:
[Unlike “Renfrew” or “Alsana,” Magnolia Creek, TCED, Selah, & Shoreline’s company gives each of their clinics a different name. So they’re difficult to link. They’re owned by Odyssey Behavioral, the same company who runs The Toledo Center for Eating Disorders where I stayed April-July 2019. Because my hospitalization was so traumatic & such a waste of my limited resources, but more because they failed to respond or offer any recompense to what they called my “concerns,” I’ve been following this company & have a developed a passion for better ED treatment. When you read the reviews for Odyssey’s ED clinics on Google, the first that will pop up are from fellow clinicians which I can’t help but assume are completely solicited. So for the sake of truth and to defend against censorship I am trying to spread the word about this company. 5+1+1+1+1+5+1+5+1+1+1+1+1+1+5+5+5+1+5+1+1+1=50/22=2.3=Google’s star-based rating system for Toledo Center for EDs (“my” local ED clinic) since Odyssey took them over. TWO POINT THREE. Odyssey: the same company who runs Magnolia Creek. I spent 3 mos. at TCED during the actual transition & witnessed, first-hand, how much they value $ over & above patients’ health. They overworked the staff, have a ridiculous staff turnover rate, low employee ratings/satisfaction on Indeed, low staff/pt ratios, admitted sicker pts than they could care for, not enough individual therapy, not enough therapy groups run by therapists & I could go on. See my own Google review for them. The company who owns Magnolia is owned by Nautic, an investment firm, which exists solely to make money, & like many other firms bought up mental health clinics after the parity bill passed & opened the opportunity for them to earn a killing off vulnerable sick people & their insurance. There was a great article about this in the NYTimes called “Centers to Treat Eating Disorders Are Growing, and Raising Concerns.” And please, as they say on Google, don’t tell me to “contact *** ***, our CEO” about my concerns, because he and the exec director not only ignored my emails, they blocked my emails, then, blocked me on their FB page. Now, they not only erased MY bad review on their FB page, they removed the entire review section, so they erased everyone else’s bad reviews, too. That’s why I’m posting this on the company’s other ED clinic’s pages and websites, to fight censorship, and get the truth out, to protect the vulnerable mentally ill who deserve respect and dignity. If Odyssey is willing to repay every cent of money they made off of me and every patient I was admitted with in the summer of 2019, (not just from us but from our insurance companies) I MIGHT be willing to edit these reviews.]
My blog link: https://www.hownot2doit.com/ I’m going to eventually get around to my own sort of “reviews” on my site – but they will be more on the lines of how to evaluate what clinics are advertising online – As in, I’d like to get the point where I can even monitor employee turnover – – AND how to access REAL in-person reviews like this one (which I’ll be asking permission to link?) – not like the reviews on FB, Google, Yelp, etc which are so “canned” & yes even openly solicited.
*Link posted with admin approval, thanks Lisa!
With admin permission, I’m posting the new link to where I moved my blog to Substack (because it’s free, and treatment has broken my bank accounts!):
https://ellekayeemme.substack.com/
I was there Apr-Jul 2019 during the actual transition from RCC to TCED, during the time **** was put in charge.
When I complained to the OH Attny Gen I learned mental health clinics can get away with advertising whatever kind of service they want b/c the OAG can’t do anything about it. Compare my daily call from **** the week before admission-but after discharge, nothing but a brief call from a stranger a whole month later (the company ownership, Odyssey Behavioral, has admission “specialists” at all their clinics, even a head “admission specialist” over all the others – but none of their ED clinics have discharge specialists.)
Neither myself nor majority of fellow patients got referrals to any specialized care. They claimed no knowledge of any local help but themselves. It took me 2 years to find several experienced ED professionals on my own (something TCED should provide) & it turns out they’re not only right down the street from this clinic but even used to work there with current staff. I kept up with most of my group & our general consensus is we got more help from each other than the clinic.
Six of us adult pts living in 2 cramped offices had to share 1 shower that was in a construction area which was staffed by 730am. At least 1/2 the time we were locked out of the bathrooms & had no access to running water (due to low staff)(the only staff there, 1/2 the time, was with the teens). There’s very little advocacy for patients – I saw them fail to direct so many fellow patients to the community resources they needed, that not only did I end up contacting Children’s Services on behalf of one of the teens I met, but another teen ended up calling the police on that same one’s behalf. The clinic failed to get the ball rolling on mediating this situation while they had a chance & the teen was safe. Not nearly enough individual therapy for this level of care – 1 hour/week?! Ridiculous. Last 6 wks I was there we had no therapy groups on either Weds or Thurs. There were also patients there who needed a higher level of care that fellow patients had to help care for (another issue I’ve heard from those inside that has continued). And this is my abbreviated list.
Worst of all, when I complained about all the above, the director offered no recompense, only got defensive. (These same people who ran “conflict resolution skills” groups didn’t know how to apply what they taught!) So I emailed **** (the CEO), 2 or 3 times, cc’ing TCED’s director each time: Zero Response.
Since I posted my bad review on their FB page, over 1/2 dozen patients, some from “inside” have contacted me for assistance. They had so many bad reviews there that they removed the entire review section from their FB page. Of course there are good people there who care, but there’s nothing they can do about being owned by a portfolio company for an investment firm, whose bottom line is primarily the Almighty Dollar. As I’ve kept up on their website I see (& patients have verified) continuous staff turnover & one might note only about 1/2 the staff on their website are full-time patient-care providers exclusively at this clinic. The only good I can make from this experience is to hopefully teach others so I’m blogging about it; you can find me in the comments of a channel 13 FB post about their grand opening in 2019. I regret the disruption this caused to my life, the loss of financial & time resources, the new issues it created, & I’d definitely not recommend this clinic or any other which fails to provide thorough & specific discharge services. And I’d never recommend any counselor who refuses counseling for themselves (“Good” therapists have their own therapists.) (Period.)
*names removed by Admin per site policy
Lisa, would you be open to people reaching out to you about this? No pressure whatsoever; I ask because it sounds like former patients benefited greatly from being able to after your Facebook review and posts.
ABSOLUTELY
i think we were there at the same time! are you the one who hated chakras?
e, I think you recognized me because I hated those “get your energy from the earth” (through the yoga mat & the carpet & the foundation?!) when we were supposed to be getting our energy from calories. Pick one! Not doing both! But I was there 3 months and I met two “e”s…I don’t know how to share my contact info here but you can through my blog about them (?) if this posts okay? I’d love to say Hi & catch up with both the “e”s I met 🙂
My blog is https://hownot2doit.com/
River Centre Clinic, now the Toledo Center for Eating Disorders
When were you there? Summer 2019
How many patients on average? Varied; 1-6 adults; 1-9 teens
Does it treat both males and females? ALL genders If so, is treatment separate or combined? Combined – all ages combined also – a 10 yr old in groups with adults up to age 52
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc? Never saw the medical doctor; therapist one hour a week except for the patients who threw fits got to see their therapists as often as they threw fits; nutritionist was group only and did not work in kitchen or with meals; kitchen staff/meal supervision no mental health degree; yoga instructor once/week and very into her chakras and auras and drove most patients crazy though most like the yoga part
What is the staff ratio to patients? staff changes a lot and patient number changes a lot
What sort of therapies are used? (DBT, CBT, EMDR) etc? website says they do all but most people I was in with did not work on therapy issues in their therapy, our therapy was just about coping with the program
Describe the average day: 11:00am to 6:30pm, weights, lunch, group, snack, group, dinner, an hour of unstructured free time at end of day; adult pts unsupervised outside of these hours and quite a few adult patients purged as soon as they got out of program
What were meals like? no therapist present (unless somebody was throwing a fit- then that person’s therapist might be there)
What sorts of food were available or served? all entrees frozen meals – prepackaged snacks were little debbies, candy, chips, ice cream, pop tarts, cookies – no fresh food – only vegetables were frozen broccoli, peas, or corn – only fruit was applesauce, fruit jello, raisins – food “challenges” like Taco Bell – must meet your calorie limit but not go over by more than 5 calories – must not stay low in your fat range or they will change your meal plan – must not repeat foods too often or they will say you are in a rut
Did they supplement? no – How did that system work? – no supplements
What is the policy of not complying with meals? no noncompliance about food allowed, except for the people who threw fits got away with a lot
Are you able to be a vegetarian? they might let you do that for awhile but they will stop allowing it
What privileges are allowed? adults have free reign outside of program hours, but it depends on who you are and who your therapist is and whether or not you are doing well enough as they think you should – its all very vague but they call it individualized to justify it
Does it work on a level system? no
How do you earn privileges? be compliant and hope the therapists like you especially your primary therapist
What sort of groups do they have? some groups are run by therapists and they are very helpful and educational but some groups are run by the nutritionist or the nurses who don’t have and psychology training or degrees and they basically just repeat things and its boring
What was your favorite group? when therapists ran processing groups (where people talked about what they needed to talk about and people actually got therapy)
What did you like the most? the scenery was beautiful and the other patients were the best help
What did you like the least? the favoritism and staff changes and how things changed from day to day and person to person and which staff was there and how many staff changes there were – there were lots of staff changes
Would you recommend this program? no
What level of activity or exercise was allowed? yoga once/week and some people were allowed to take walks and some people exercised when no one was looking
What did people do on weekends? got really bored – also the weekend the nutritionist ran things was lame
Do you get to know your weight? your therapist might tell you
How fast is the weight gain process? depended on how many calories they had you on and if you were ana or mia or BED
What was the average length of stay? depended on insurance
What was the average age range? 10 to 53 but most teens were about 15 and most adults in early 20s
How do visits/phone calls work? you have your phone outside of program hours and visits are just tricky because they have to be in between or after meals
What is the electronics policy? (ex: cell phones, iPods, Kindle, laptop, tablets) no phones during program hours is the only rule
Are you able to go out on passes? depends on your therapist and all the other variables mentioned above
What kind of aftercare do they provide? None, no aftercare program, once you are done with their program you are done with everything and everyone connected to the program Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team? they have 3 outpatient therapists who work there but who are not connected to the program
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country? they might help you find a therapist in your home state but they didn’t for everybody
Other? the biggest thing here is how different everybody was treated and how different they ended up – one person would do great with a therapist that everyone else couldn’t stand and another person made no progress with a therapist that everybody else loved so it didn’t seem like it was set up well – us patients noticed that you would just get assigned to a therapist by the order in which you were admitted, like a therapist might have a patient get discharged so that therapist would be assigned to the next person who came in – nobody seemed to care if there was a good match or not – also there’s only 3 therapists there and the rest of the staff has no psychology degrees but they’re allowed to act like therapists
The River Centre Clinic completely changed my life. I cannot recommend them highly enough. When I started the Adult Partial Hospitalization Program for the first time in 2014, I was distrustful of therapists and in denial that I even had an eating disorder. My views changed quickly when I got to RCC and was treated and cared for as a human, not just a means to a paycheck. When I began struggling with my eating disorder again, I knew I wanted to go back to RCC. The environment is open and caring. The staff gets to know each patient on a personal level and is there for any struggles you may have, even beyond the eating disorder. The therapists are very knowledgeable about eating disorders, and mental illnesses in general. The Adult Living Community helps to build connections, support, and accountability.
I am incredibly grateful for my experiences at RCC and how they helped me get on track to a life worth living.
I have recommended this facility to several friends and will continue to do so when I see someone who is struggling with an eating disorder.
On January 5, 2012, I was given less than six weeks to live due to organ failure, electrolyte imbalances and low body weight – all caused by my battle with anorexia. Four days later, I walked through the doors of the River Centre Clinic as a broken, shy and hopeless 14 year old to be admitted into the adolescent residential program. With only a few patients on the unit (7-8 max), the treatment I received was highly individualized. Within the first three days of the program, I had several meetings with almost every staff member and clinician to ensure that I received the right forms of therapy in a way that worked for me, that I understood how meal plans and meal times were to be done and to ensure that I was comfortable at all times. These discussions helped me gain trust in my treatment team and the residential staff, and they ultimately helped me to be trusting of the process and to ask any questions when I had my doubts. It was refreshing to know the staff members always had our backs. All of the therapists at RCC are highly trained and educated in this field which meant group therapy was always extremely beneficial and often times led to future conversations and work in our individual therapy sessions, and I appreciated that our groups would focus on emotional, mental and physical health in addition to addressing nutrition, science and metabolism. Using evidence based treatment will always be beneficial in recovery because it is hard to question theories that are backed up and supported by countless amounts of data, and this is where RCC really stands out among the rest. Above all, the RCC helped me learn about who I truly am. The transformation from where I was on January 9, 2012 to present day as a current outpatient at River Centre is absolutely breath taking. From not being able to hold a conversation, make eye contact or raise my voice louder than a whisper to confidently pursuing my dream of becoming a news anchor, meeting and interviewing new people every day and competing in scholarship pageants – I’ve truly never been more content in my life. Five and a half years ago, I never thought I’d live to see these beautiful years of my life, and I owe it all to the RCC for showing me all of the amazing things that I have to offer this world and for saving my life when I thought it wasn’t worth living. 5/5 stars <3
I had a negative experience as an adult client at River Center. They were more attentive to the adolescents.
Over a year and a half ago I honestly felt my life was no longer worth the trouble. After being diagnosed with a life changing chronic illness and falling into a deep depression and a tough battle with Anorexia, I felt completely lost but at RCC I began an amazing journey of finding myself. In the first few weeks I refused to talk and found myself breaking down several times a day but as I became more nourished and myself, I realized how lucky I was to have a chance at recovery and pushed all my energy into being the best person I am. The staff and friends I met at RCC never gave up on and continue to push me in the right direction today. I am beyond thankful for everything RCC has given to me and for proving to me that my life is valuable and worth living
I owe my life to the River Centre Clinic (RCC). The program is evidence-based and the clinicians are so well-versed, compassionate and truly care about patients and the work that they do.
River Centre became a safe space for me to heal with the help of staff and the other patients. The dormitory-like setting at the clinic was helpful to have the support of the other patients and to learn to cope with urges and other struggles while in program which made it easer to adjust to life outside of treatment. I felt safe there and knew a staff member was on-call if anything came up outside of program hours.
Groups were extremely helpful and covered topics including: relapse prevention, boundary setting/assertiveness, relationships, DBT, yoga, self-run (different patient leads interactive group each week), psychoeducation, week review, weekend review, etc.
The program is evidence-based and they are constantly looking for ways to improve the program and care offered to patients. I was unsure at first about the meal system there, but in time was able to see the value in their practice. Getting in a consistent amount of calories was crucial in allowing my body and mind to be nourished and healed from the chaotic eating patterns and behaviors I was engaging in. I learned that I didn’t need to label foods “good†and “bad†or fear food and how it would affect my weight. In time, and with the help of my outpatient therapist there, I was able to go off meal planning and eat a variety of foods without being focused on the calories, my weight and labeling food “good†or “bad.†My eating disorder is no longer a part of my life and I am happy, healthy and recovered.
I attended the adult PHP program at the River Center Clinic in 2016/2017. The treatment I received was absolutely amazing. The staff was very knowledgeable and caring, and worked hard to meet each person’s individual needs. The number of patients varied during my time there, but the average number of adults was around 6 – 8. The program accepts both males and females, and the treatment given is combined. Each patient sees their individual therapist about twice a week, but this may vary depending on the person’s needs. There is a dietician on staff who co-leads a psychoeducation group each week, where are you are taught about the science behind eating disorders, nutrition, and set point (among many other topics). There is also a doctor (as well as nurses) on board at the River Center for any medical concerns. The staff-to-patient ratio varies, depending on the number of current patients, but is quite amazing. There was never a time that I felt like I was unable to get the care that I needed or deserved. The main therapy that is used/taught at The River Center is DBT. The River Center uses a calorie-based program, which means that you intake a set number of calories per day (which may increase or decrease during your stay, depending on your weight requirements). Most of the meals are packaged, to ensure the accuracy of each patient’s caloric intake. However, each patient is encouraged to have restaurant challenges and home visits, to help them learn to eat outside of the clinic in a normalized setting. There are a variety of foods available, including many common “fear foods”, so patients learn to face their fears and eat a variety of foods again. For the most part, they do not supplement, as patients are encouraged to learn to eat their calories as most other people do who are not disordered. Sometimes they will allow supplementing if a patient is on a very high number of calories to help with the refeeding process. Patients are expected to comply with meals, otherwise they will be referred to a residential program or higher level of care. The River Center does have vegetarian meal options available, although they do evaluate whether a person’s vegetarianism is related to disordered eating or not. The River Center does not work on a level system. Once you are medically cleared, which is usually after the first week or two of treatment, you gain the privilege of leaving campus after groups in the evening. You cannot use your cell phone during the day while groups are taking place, but are given your cell phone each evening for personal use. There are a variety of groups offered at the clinic, including DBT, psychoeducation, yoga, self-run, timeline, and many other topic groups, such as perfectionism, intimacy, anxiety, Etc. I did not necessarily have a favorite group, as I gained knowledge and insight through most every group. Participation is key in the group therapy process. Activity is limited during one’s time at the River Center, as it would be counterproductive for most people who are needing to either gain weight or break free from compulsive exercise. For the first month or so, weekends are spent at the facility with the other patients. After you have been in program for a period of time, you begin having home visits on the weekends, where you practice using the skills that you learned over the week. The River Center does “blind weights”, which means that you do not get to know your weight during your stay. However, once you approach your goal weight, your therapist may share your weight with you so you can discuss it and work on acceptance of that weight before discharge. For those in the refeeding process, expected weight gain is usually 2-3 pounds per week. The average length of stay per patient varies, although is probably between 6-10 weeks or so. The average age range varies as well—during my stay in the adult program, we had people ages 18 through about 60 years of age. Once you have completed the program, The River Center does offer outpatient therapy to those in the area. For those who do not live in the area, or prefer a different outpatient option, the River Center does assist in helping each person set up their outpatient treatment plans before discharge. While I was not in treatment with anyone who came out of country for treatment, there were a number of people who came for treatment from different states, including myself. The River Center was very accommodating by providing the opportunity to stay at the Center during non-treatment hours, which is not something many PHP programs offer. This allows for people who live out of town to attend the PHP program without having to worry about finding a place to stay. The atmosphere in the living space was very supportive and encouraging. During non-treatment hours, there was always a therapist on staff who could be called if needed, which was also a very helpful. I would most definitely recommend this program to anyone struggling with an eating disorder, as it truly saved my life.
I feel like this comment and the comment above were written by someone work works for or is closely affiliated with the RCC. At the very least, the two comments were written by the same person. The tone, syntax and writing styles are too similar, and furthermore, the comments were written on the same day which make me highly suspicious.
I agree. Both comments read more like an advertisement than a review from a real patient.
What seems more likely (and this is true of several reviews on EDTR, not just River Centre…) is that marketing staff are aware of this website’s following, and as a result encourage past, or about-to-discharge clients, to write endorsements. Not entirely artificial, but not helpful either. RCC could be a great facility for some people… but you’d never know it from these reviews, the majority of which sound more canned than candid.
If anyone from RCC or any potential reviewer is reading this, what is most helpful is for you to go to the drop-down under ‘Services’ and find where it says ‘FAQ and Guidelines’. There (I think) you will find a number of questions that we always appreciate being answered, and that are extremely helpful for us, as we make the critical and HIGHLY individual decision regarding with whom to best trust our potentially life-saving treatment.
Which is super not something to mess with.
Just as an FYI- I do look at email addresses and ip addresses when there are reviews that seem “poised”. I try my best, but also want to give people the benefit of the doubt, and we all know how easy it is to create different accounts, etc. The majority of comments posted get approved unless they adamantly go against some of the rules and guidelines, and even if I just have to edit out names I will approve those.
One has to remember, everyone’s experience is different, and people’s reaction upon discharge varies so take each review with a grain of salt and take a look at the big picture.
Hope this helps give you an idea of what goes on behind it.
Thank you,
Faith
EDTR Admin
Faith: I just want to be on record giving you HUGE THANKS for all that you do. I am sure moderating this site is a huge job, and I know you have your own life to take care of on the outside. This site is such a lifesaver for the thousands of us looking for treatment and hoping to find a good fit. You are responsible for helping me, at least, find treatment centers that have been much more helpful than some of the others I have randomly ended up in. Thank you, thank you, for all you do.
Going through treatment at the River Centre Clinic was both the most difficult and the most rewarding thing I have ever done. Even when I didn’t think I could recover, the staff and other patients at RCC helped me push through and find the inner strength that my eating disorder had stolen from me. They taught me healthy coping mechanisms and other life skills that I now use every single day. RCC saved my life, and I am so incredibly grateful for the staff and for the lifelong friends that I made there. If anyone reading this is struggling with an eating disorder, please call the River Centre Clinic, and they will give you the help that you need. You CAN recover!
I was here in 2007 in the residential adolescent program.
Much like other reviews, the food system makes no sense. They work on calories instead of exchanges, and literally feed you TV dinners. I was there 5 weeks and did not learn a single thing about making healthy, nutritious, balanced meals. The foods were random, you could have a pasta TV dinner with candy and pudding for a meal. Effective for gaining a lot of weight in a short period; awful for establishing a long term healthy relationship with food.
The day was pretty rigid: wake up, shower, breakfast, weigh in, school, lunch, group, individual therapy/study time, dinner, free time, bed. We had outings once a week, and every outing we went to Target. I believe we had individual therapy twice a week (almost 10 years ago so my memory is fuzzy). My therapist and I did not get along very well, but I’m sure other therapists there were better. We had a few snacks a day, too.
It’s a co-Ed program. Boys had their own bedroom but we all were on the same unit together. Everyone was similar in age when I was there, we were 15-16.
Personally, I wouldn’t recommend this program. The TV dinners are awful tasting, horrible for your health, and don’t help restore any nutrients your body is missing. If the food was better and more nutritious, I would consider it. But ED patients have to re-learn how to feed themselves and cope with it, giving them junk food for months on end doesn’t do that at all.
My daughter loved her therapist. However, following treatment my daughter was thrown in a detention center where she was traumatized and put in numerous unnecessary restraints for hours. The detention center was not for any real “crime” but rather a placement since at the time my children were state ward. The state failed to meal
plan and follow up with care upon discharge from River Centre. My daughter got so sick in the detention center they sent the kids back into my care (I was the one who called Cps for help myself). The kids were never actually abused or neglected. I was struggling with caring for them and thought the state would help. Instead, my kids were traumatized and developed eating disorders. So long story short, my daughters stay was ok. I did not like that the doctor prescribed her 60 mg ADDERALL knowing she OBVIOUSLY has an eating disorder and heart damage from the disorder. She did meet amazing friends.
We recently tried to get her placed back in (since she was familiarized with the facility and less likely to cause her additional trauma)and I’m very unsatisfied that they turned her down using the excuse she was combative with (UNTRAINED) staff at the juvenile detention center that would shackle the girls to their beds for hours in restraints. This is not how to handle eating disorders. After the detention stay, my daughter was placed overnight at ANOTHER untrained psychiatric facility in which she was combative with staff there as well. Staff attempted to grab her hand out of her mouth when she tried to purge and she reacted. She was still traumatized for the juvenile restraints that she had just dealt with for months.She was NEVER combative her 6 months stay at River Centre but they denied her based on the trauma behaviors that occurred in the detention center to return to their facility. Since leaving the detention center she has been to the emergency room over four times in two weeks and NEVER once combative or needing restraints.
After being thrown around facilities in state care for two years than to here the one facility she felt somewhat comfortable (safe) at to “not want her”. She ended up
In the Emergency Room that night. I’m disgusted with how River Centre was quick to judge after already having my daughter for 6 months and she had no problems. She should not be discriminated against for the abuse she endured in the system. This just made her feel very unwanted again. River Centre being an eating disorder facility knows not to grab a child’s hand or use restraints in effort to force them
To hold food down. River Centre does only use prepared meals so after six months that got old. The staff on the weekends are extremely young and they hire new staff like every weekend so the kids are not familiarized with them. Weekend staff are VERY untrained and UNPROFESSIONAL. Nobody to really monitor the children.
When were you there: Fall 2013- Winter 2014
How many patients on average? In the adult program, I saw anywhere from 2 to 9. Average was about 5.
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined. All genders, and treatment is combined
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc? You see a psychiatrist and medical doctor when you’re first admitted and then as needed. I think you see your therapist individually for a total of 90 minutes a week, although this can differ by therapist/patient. You don’t see a nutritionist or dietitian ever.
What is the staff ratio to patients? I don’t know the exact ratio, but it’s pretty low!
What sort of therapies are used? (DBT, CBT, EMDR) etc? CBT and DBT for the most part, along with basic process groups, goal-setting, community meetings, etc.
Describe the average day:
If I remember correctly, it’s something like this:
11:30am: Program hours begin, get weighed
11:40am: Lunch
12:30pm: Free time
1:00pm: Group
2:30pm: Snack and free time
3:15pm: Group
4:45pm: Dinner and free time
6:30pm: Program ends
What sorts of food were available or served? All frozen meals and pre-packaged food. No fresh fruits or vegetables. I’m still not sure how I managed this for several months straight!
Did they supplement? How did that system work? Very rarely. I think someone was allowed to supplement once the entire time I was there. It helps that you get to choose all of your meals after the first week, so dislikes usually aren’t a major issue. Usually.
What is the policy of not complying with meals? It happens so rarely that I don’t even know. I remember being surprised by how compliant everyone was.
Are you able to be a vegetarian? Yes, but they’ll challenge you on it if there’s a possibility it might be disordered.
What privileges are allowed? Quite a few, since it’s PHP. After the first week you can request your car keys and money. After you’ve been there for awhile and been compliant during program hours, you can have more of your food unsupervised (outside of program). You can’t have your phone during program hours but you can have your computer.
Does it work on a level system? No
How do you earn privileges? Being compliant
What sort of groups do they have? Goals groups, process groups, psychoeducation, “self-run†(meaning one or two patients lead group), “timeline†group (a patient shares their personal story), CBT, DBT… lots of topics like body image, perfectionism, sexuality etc. A lot of it is based on the needs of the patients who are there at the time.
What was your favorite group? Psychoeducation
What did you like the most? The therapists are pretty great. I disagree with many aspects of the program, but I did get a lot out of groups.
What did you like the least? Their approach to food and meal planning. Eating only prepackaged food for months gets pretty sad. I didn’t feel prepared to cook my own meals or go to restaurants after treatment. It took me a long time to start to enjoy food again. Also, meal plans are based on calories, not exchanges. I actually really liked having a calorie-based meal plan because it feels more flexible to me. It wasn’t hard for me to stop counting calories when I eventually did, because treatment made it more of a chore than a disordered behavior. Others may have had different experiences with that! Overall though, I think that they are way too rigid about making sure that patients get exactly the correct number of calories every day—no more, no less. I believe I would have really benefited from working with a dietitian.
Would you recommend this program? Cautiously, yes. It was a pretty good fit for me, but the very rigid meal plans are more harmful for some than for others.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed? Very little. We could do yoga once a week and could walk for a total of 30 minutes a day.
What did people do on weekends? When you’re not allowed to leave the building (usually just the first weekend), you pretty much just watch TV, read, do arts and crafts, etc. Once you’re off building restriction, you’re free to do whatever (within reason). We went to the mall and Target a lot. I remember hating weekends because I got pretty bored. We did have a positive, recovery-focused group of patients while I was there, which was helpful. From what I’ve heard from other patients who were there at other times, the community usually is positive.
Do you get to know your weight? No. Your therapist might tell you at some point, but most of the time you won’t know. They are more likely to tell you your weight if you are getting close to your goal range.
How fast is the weight gain process? Pretty fast. 2-3 pounds per week.
What was the average length of stay? It depends on insurance and individual treatment plans, but I think 6-8 weeks is about average.
What was the average age range? It varied a lot when I was there, anywhere from 18-53.
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an OP treatment team? Yes, they offer outpatient therapy and if you are not from the area, they will help you find a therapist. If you want to see a dietitian though, you’ll have to find one yourself.
MOVED(comment bug is still happening)
user: Kopps
I was at River Centre just over a year ago. It was NOT helpful for me. I have OCD and the highly obsessive method of meal planning there was terrible for me.
Most places I have been have at least 3 meals and a few snacks. RCC has only lunch, one snack, and dinner. All of your food must be consumed during these times until they agree to let you have “outside caloriesâ€. I had difficulty going 17 hours with no food and then cramming a lot into two meals. Everything eaten must have a calorie label so that they can “verify†your intake. You must use a computer to add all the calories together to EXACTLY meet the requirement, even if this means adding random items like pretzels or starburst.
No fresh food, no fruit, no vegetables. Everything is packaged. Literally. A “typical†snack here may consist of 1 c. of icecream, applesauce, a candy bar and 3 mini pretzels. No supplements are available, which made meeting my caloric requirement very stressful and painful.
THe living arrangement was detrimental as well. All the patients lived together upstairs, but there was no supervision after program hours. Many times girls brought men, alcohol, even marijuana into the house. Several girls “helped†each other get away with ED behaviors.