Selah House is a Christian eating disorder center that offers inpatient, residential, and partial hospitalization. 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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Selah House
- June 19, 2012
- Adolescent, Adult, Indiana, Inpatient, IOP/PHP, Residential, USA Treatment Center
- 86
I went to Selah House near the end of 2025, and here’s my experience.
-Very faith centered, a lot of the groups tie back to Christianity, which is to be expected since it’s a Christian treatment center
-Very home-like setting. It’s kind of in the middle of nowhere and there’s a barn with horses
-Staff is hit or miss. RCs are great, there aren’t very many bad ones but nurses can be quite rude. Not all of them, but some of them have a complex and think they know more about your body than you, which can be difficult
-There’s levels, rainbow band (acute), red (res), yellow (res/php), and green (php). Rainbows aren’t allowed to go on outings and leave the porch. There’s also vitals three times a day for them. Red can leave porch and go on outings/go up the stairs without help/go to Equine. Yellow is the same and can also go on walks. Green is being able to go on passes and exercise more etc.
-Clients are expected to eat 100% of meal plan but most people only had tube intervention if they were eating less than 50% sometimes lower
-If you have a rare chronic illness, don’t expect them to accommodate. They might, but some people have had instances where that hasn’t been the case.
-Groups are all day and they have a group where they Zoom call alumni of Selah to talk, which can be really helpful for real-world experience
-There are three bedrooms at Northshore, the observation room is for rainbows/some reds and then upstairs there are two rooms, each with three beds for people closer to moving to PHP
-If you are not completing for a long time/have a tube for an extended period, they WILL transfer you
-Cooking group once a week! Everyone is involved and the clients get to plan the meals, which is really nice
Things have changed since I’ve been a client but it is an overall pretty good place, solid 7/10! If anyone has any questions, I’m happy to answer!
I would advise anyone seeking an inpatient level of care to be sure to read reviews and ask them many questions before admitting. I did not feel this was an inpatient level of care. More of a relaxed residential.
Hi there! I’m wondering if you could tell me a little more about your experience? I’d be happy to give you my info (which Rachel can delete) if you’d prefer.
I had the same thoughts and I was there a year ago. Email me at kelseymvarnell@gmail.com if you want to hear any info!
When were you there?I’ve been twice before this, but this is for Summer & Fall 2022
What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?IP, residential, PHP
If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible?Yes, but it’s not the best.
How many patients are there on average?IP/res holds 14-16, PHP holds 7. This last time around, there was a continuous waitlist for new admits and the house was always full.
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined?Just females.
If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people?I know there were some non-binary individuals while I was there, and most staff did great with pronouns. I do think you must be AFAB there, however.
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc?In IP, you see the psychiatrist 1x weekly, primary therapist 2x weekly, family therapist 1x weekly, RD 2x weekly, and NP daily. In res, it’s the same as IP, just only seeing the NP upon admission & as needed. In PHP, indv. therapy is 1x per week (sometimes 2 depending on how heavy the PHP therapist’s caseload is), RD 1x weekly (sometimes 2 if they have time), family therapist 1x weekly, NP and psych as needed. If you’re res or PHP, you also meet with the equine specialist (she’s the BEST) individually 1x weekly, as well.
What is the staff-to-patient ratio?There’s typically at least 3 RCs (techs) on staff at all times, there’s a nurse 24/7, therapists are there daily (all day on weekdays, rotating therapist for Saturday mornings, and the group therapist starts on Sunday morning). Sometimes, RCs were short-staffed, which could be frustrating, but there’s always SOMEONE you can go to if you need something.
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, etc.)?CBT, DBT, ACT, one primary is EMDR trained, family systems, sand tray, ERP, art therapy
Describe the average day:What were meals like?Meals were on a 4 week rotation, as were available snacks. Meals are either plated for you or served family style. Some exceptions for that are cereal day, where you pour your own cereal with a staff present, and pizza night, where you grab your own food. They were a bit short staffed on DCS (dietary techs) when I was there this time, so the menu was a bit different from other times, but it wasn’t bad. Sitting on schedule was a common issue, though, which got annoying when it impacted group times.
What sorts of food were available or served?Breakfast was everything from cereal to bagels to breakfast sandwiches and everything in between. Lunch and dinners were typical things like salads, sandwiches, pasta, chicken, etc. Every Saturday night is pizza, and there’s Burger King lunch day on one of the week rotations. Snacks were things like popsicles, dried fruit, cookies, dried cereal, crackers, etc. Overall, there was a pretty decent variety, and very few of the meals were genuinely bad taste-wise.
Did they supplement? How did that system work?Yes- they do Boost or a PB&J. The amount is calculated by the DCS and depends on your meal completion.
What is the policy of not complying with meals?They offer a supplement, and if you refuse that, they document it. Too many refusals and you’ll get put on a contract, and if that contract isn’t followed, they’ll recommend stepping you up to a HLOC elsewhere.
Are you able to eat vegetarian?Vegetarian, yes. Vegan, no.
What privileges are allowed?Getting to go off the back porch, getting off eyesight, yoga group, going for walks, getting to participate in equine, getting your electronics once and the ability to flush in PHP, and caffeine.
Does it work on a level system?Yes. They have wristbands in several colors that determine your level/privileges.
Red band means no activity, you must use the shower chair, no walks, yoga or participating in equine, you must stay on the back porch.
Yellow band lets you off the porch, you can participate in both individual and group equine, you can do walks/yoga, you don’t need the shower chair.
Green band gives you all the yellow band privileges, plus additional movement opportunities + you can venture around to more of the property.
Blue band is if you have trouble with fluids, either too much or too little, and a staff member must pour all your drinks for you. You also aren’t allowed pop/coffee/hot chocolate on blue band: only water, crystal light, milk, or juice.
White band is eyesight: you have to be within a staff member’s eyesight at all times- meaning they also have to go outside with you if you want to go outside, and they have to watch you in the shower. Eyesight also must leave the bathroom door cracked when using the bathroom. Everyone in IP and res, regardless of band color, is on eyesight for 1 hour after meals & 30 mins after snacks. No one in IP or res is allowed to flush, either.
They also have arm’s length protocol if you’re a safety risk, where you literally must be within arm’s reach of a staff member at all times.
How do you earn privileges?Weight restoration (if needed), participation in sessions and groups, therapeutic and nutritional progress.
What sort of groups do they have?Process, sand tray, body image, cooking, equine, gratitude, self-compassion, yoga, ACT, DBT, nutrition, ask a nurse, timeline, chapel, probably some others I’m forgetting
What was your favorite group?I loved me a good process group & timeline- it’s really special getting to hear someone’s story, and very validating having others hear yours and provide support & validation. I also loved ask a nurse, but I’m a big nerd so…
What did you like the most?THE STAFF THE STAFF THE STAFF. By far the best clinicians I’ve worked with. Every time I’ve been there I’ve been met with SO much love and compassion. Particular favorites are the group therapist, the director of nursing, and dietitians, and the equine specialist.
What did you like the least?This last time I was there, there were some clients that I think were too high-acuity for Selah to handle accordingly, which caused a lot of clients to feel unseen by staff members because they were so busy with a few individuals. It also sucked on short-staffed days. The schedule was often behind when there was too few RCS and DCS.
Would you recommend this program?Absolutely, 100%. I went to a different facility last year, to see if they’d help more than Selah, and I learned that Selah is the best place for me. If you’re seriously psychiatrically or medically compromised, I’d suggest doing a psych/medical IP stay elsewhere, then transfer here. While they do have an IP level of care, and are able to handle quite a few medical complications, they do not do tubes or IV fluids- they will send you out for that. But overall, this is the by far the best treatment facility I’ve attended.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?Walks and yoga once on yellow band, and if on green band, there’s sometimes extra movement groups (like 3 songs of Just Dance or doing cartwheels on the lawn or something)
What did people do on weekends?Groups in the morning, and then after lunch, visitation, naps, art, and just chill.
Do you get to know your weight?Hard nope. Some dietitians will tell you if you’re “trending” the way they want you to be, but that’s it.
How fast is the weight gain process?Average- I’d say 2-3 lbs per week if I had to guess.
What was the average length of stay?This time around, I saw everything from 6 weeks to 16- it’s really individualized.
What was the average age range?Average age is mid-twenties, but I’ve seen 18 year olds, as well as women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s.
How do visits/phone calls work?There’s landline phones you can use nightly in IP/res. You have a 30 min limit, and a staff member HAS to dial the phone for you. You have your own phone in PHP, so that’s not an issue.
Visits are Saturday & Sunday after lunch. There’s 2 time slots each day, and you can sign up for 1 of the total 4 slots. You have to have your visitor request in by Wednesday morning for staffing, though, so your visitors can be approved by your tx team.
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)?None in IP/res. PHP you can have whatever.
For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go out on passes?They were just starting up passes when I discharged, so I’m not 100% sure, but if it’s the same as it was my prior times there, IP is not allowed on outings or passes. Res can do outings, but no passes. PHP can do outings AND passes, as long as you’re green band.
For PHP/IOP: What support do they provide outside of programming hours?There’s a staff member at the PHP house with you until midnight nightly, and then staff comes back at around 9 am. There’s always a therapist, RD, and nurse on-call, however.
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team?They make sure you step down to an IOP or have an OP team before you leave. They’re super helpful at helping you find providers if needed. There’s also a pretty vibrant alumni community.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?PHP has housing (for a fee). Besides that, I don’t think so.
If applicable: How is the program responding to COVID? (Less patients, virtual programming, no visitors, masks, social distancing, etc)COVID is what made the current visiting hours what they are (pre-pandemic, there weren’t time slots, just a time range). They also require masks when there is a COVID case or risk of it. There was a COVID outbreak while I was there, and they quarantined the positive patients in one part of the house, where they did all groups, meals, and sessions virtually, and masks were required for everyone. They also put a hold on visitors if there’s COVID. I will say, the nursing staff is ON IT when it comes to precautions and/or handling COVID if it arises.
Other?If you’re ready to put in the work for recovery, this is the place for you. The staff will meet you where you’re at, but won’t let you stay there. They’ll push you, but be by your side as you go through the challenges that come along with treatment and recovery. The home/atmosphere is beautiful, and a great place to focus on your healing. I genuinely can’t recommend this place enough. The flaws are greatly outweighed by the benefits/positives.
thank you so much!!!!!
* When were you there?
Summer and Fall 2022
* What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?
Inpatient, Residential, & PHP
* If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible?
Wheelchairs are used rarely but the house isn’t very accessible. I definitely don’t recommend if you use a mobility aid long-term
* How many patients are there on average?
14 max for inpatient/residential and 7 max for php
* Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined?
Only patients assigned female at birth
* If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people?
Not sure
* How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc?
Psychiatrist is once a week in inpatient and residential. Therapist is 2 times a week in inpatient/residential and 1 time in PHP. Nutritionist is 2 times per week.
* What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
Depends on observation levels of current clients. If lots of clients are on eyesight, 15 minute checks, or arm’s length then there will be more staff.
* What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, etc.)?
DBT, CBT, ACT, IFS, art, and talk therapy. One therapist does EMDR and CPT.
Describe the average day:
* What were meals like?
4 week rotation with 3 meals and 3 snacks per day. When you first get there, you aren’t on snacks for the most part.
* What sorts of food were available or served?
Standard American diet. Breakfast was things like english muffins, bagels, eggs, toast, pop-tart, cereal, etc. Lunch was lots of wraps, sandwiches, casseroles, etc. Dinner was salads, pizza, stir fries, etc. Snacks were typical snack food or ice cream types of shakes if weight-restoring.
* Did they supplement? How did that system work?
Yes. Boost, Boost Breeze, Pro Bar, or PB&J.
* What is the policy of not complying with meals?
Restrictions on activity, higher level of care, behavioral contracts, and transfer if necessary.
* Are you able to eat vegetarian?
yes, not vegan
* What privileges are allowed?
passes at php and green band, movement according to wrist band status
* Does it work on a level system?
yes, according to wrist band color.
white band- eyesight
red band- no movement, shower chair, wheelchair on outings
yellow band- walks and yoga allowed
green band- can go on passes
* How do you earn privileges?
eat your food and progress in therapy
* What sort of groups do they have?
psychotherapy, process, timeline, art therapy, equine, self care, gratitude, etc.
* What was your favorite group?
equine and timelines
* What did you like the most?
the people (especially the PHP therapist, group therapist, my dietician, and the equine specialist)
* What did you like the least?
If you are an acute case, this program might not be a great starting point for you. They don’t do NG tubes or IV fluids. However, the nurses are very on top of medical issues that do arise.
* Would you recommend this program?
absolutely
* What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
15 minutes of joyful movement per day (walks, lawn games ,etc.) and yoga for 1 hour per week
* What did people do on weekends?
There are 2 groups per day and 2 rounds of visitation.
* Do you get to know your weight?
Hard nope
* How fast is the weight gain process?
Not sure/ it varies
* What was the average length of stay?
inpatient varies, but typically about 6 weeks residential and 4 weeks php
* What was the average age range?
18-60 from what I’ve seen
* How do visits/phone calls work?
1 hour visit per week on Saturday or Sunday. 30 minute landline call per day for residential and inpatient (must have the number dialed for you from pre-approved call list). PHP can call on personal phones whenever not in programing.
* What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)?
Only in PHP or if you have homework approved by your therapist. In PHP, you get all of your electronics back.
* For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go out on passes?
You can if you aren’t inpatient and are on green band. If inpatient, you can’t go on passes or outings.
* For PHP/IOP: What support do they provide outside of programming hours?
Alumni group and individual sessions, as well as an on-call therapist.
* What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team?
They will help set up an outpatient team or an IOP. They also have an active alumni group.
* Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?
I don’t know.
* If applicable: How is the program responding to COVID? (Less patients, virtual programming, no visitors, masks, social distancing, etc)
Masking if needed. If there are positive cases, they will quarantine those patients and cancel visits.
* Other?
I cannot emphasize how amazing this place is. The program is truly amazing, as is the staff.
bruh i really like being positive on here but i left selah house inpatient after 1 day. it just wasn’t strict enough for severe cases and it was really hard seeing pics online and then walking in and seeing all 14? ish patients have to sleep in 1 room and use 1 shower and share a large closet. it’s just unsettling to me and this place really made my life pretty unbearable before i was actually able to find a new treatment center to go to. i love selah house outpatient especially cincinnati location. but the indiana location was not it for me 🙁
Absolutely agree. I was shocked by the living arrangements and also felt like their “inpatient” is not real inpatient at all. They could not handle any medical issues whatsoever and sent me to the hospital. They feel more like a very laid back residential
I stayed here from October 2020-December 2020.
I would give 2.5/5 stars.My therapist was nice but not that helpful,, loved my dietitian who was very helpful.The psychiatrist is very mild mannered which was a nice change of pace from most psychiatrists but he tried to prescribe some like heavy drugs for stuff I didn’t have, but then he didn’t get upset when we said no.
The family doctor,Dr.P was most definitely unhelpful .Staff(the RC’s)was mostly uneducated about ED but most were at least understanding .The nurses were all very nice and helpful.Shout out to A*****,She was my favorite.
It’s NOT a Christian facility so don’t go if that’s what you are looking for ,I’m a Christian myself and the only things they did were pray at meals, and chaplain group which consisted of games with the chaplain who swore left and right and never talked about God . There are also wayyyy too many people in one house, your put in a bedroom with 4 others until you reach a certain level, and then if there’s availability you get to move upstairs into a bedroom with only one other person .
They handle mild to moderate eating disorders well , but anything else they get nervous and talk about higher levels of care.It’s good place to stay if you just need like a boost up, but if you need like actual intense treatment like most people then no.I did love the area with pond and going to the park and equine was my favorite .
Any updated reviews on Selah House for adult residential? I’m thinking of admitting here soon and would like a FULL rundown. Thanks!☺️
Does anyone have a recent review of the adolescent residential? I am doing a phone assessment with them in a few days and then being placed on the waitlist. Very nervous. Do you know if they accommodate POTS?
I have to be honest: I would not recommend it right now. I’m leaving the adolescent home tomorrow because it’s not helping me. Although the nurses are very good at their jobs, they don’t really have the resources to take care of everyone so I wouldn’t count on it. I had four EKGs in one weekend because the machine wasn’t working. It’s normal to be nervous and if you are really committed to recovery you can make the most of Selah House. They will help you if you aren’t too deep in your eating disorder. I was in a really bad place when I came and got worse when I got there. I ate literally nothing for XX hours and no one even said a word to me. I’ve been to other places where they had staff at the table with you which was so helpful. At Selah, it was all RCs (Recovery Coaches) at the tables and some were really nice but didn’t offer support, which enabled me to skip every meal and snack without immediate consequences. The main reason that I’m leaving (among many) is that there was a really bad fight between the girls and some of the staff one night. I was genuinely terrified and went to bed feeling unsafe. Three girls had severe panick attacks and the staff was not able to handle it. They were cursing and yelling at us. There are some really great staff members but some who only care about the money. However, I can’t complain about the higher-ups because they were really generous with our payments when I was pulled out. The snack and meal portions were honestly less than I eat now in a PHP, which might be to prevent refeeding syndrome? But I don’t really understand it. When I first got there, my snacks were very small and didn’t even taste good, honestly. Same with the meals. My last breakfast was cold scrambled eggs. There were so many girls there (around 15 in res and inpatient) that the staff wasn’t prepared to take care of all of us. One last thing: don’t go here just because it’s Christian. The only Christian thing I experienced at Selah (granted, I was there for a very short time) was the daily Bible verse that the nurse puts up when you do vitals every morning.
Hi. I am on the waitlist for Selah House. I have been EVERYWHERE…but not here. Are there any recent reviews? Are adolescents and adults mixed and how many total clients are there?
Could someone please do a FULL review of the adult program who has been here recently please? That would be so helpful!
Describe the average day:
Thank you so much!
I would also appreciate a recent review !
*TW: tubes*
My team is wanting me to go back to Selah. Any new reviews? What is the situation with the tubes? That makes me nervous. Do they only do NG or can they do NJ? Do they do bolus or can they use a pump?
Does anyone have a recent review?
Are you allowed to have phones here? I need mine to keep up with work leave stuff.
You are not allowed to have your phone until you go to PHP/ IOP housing.
Any current reviews?
How good are they with co occurring issues? Autism, Complex PTSD, BPD, SI, medical issues
They are getting better at dealing with medical issues. They now incorporate ng tubes in their inpatient program. They can accommodate people in need of wheelchairs in the short term. However, they will send you out for serious lab and vital abnormalities. They don’t do IV’s or anything. I had PTSD and they were very good with it. For SI, they can do a 1:1 to keep you safe and rarely send anyone out to the psych hospital.
I’m disabled and need a wheelchair permanently. Would that be possible at Selah?
Do you know how good they are with Autism? And I’d require a wheelchair long term, as I’m disabled. Do you know if they can accommodate people who permanently need wheelchairs due to non-ED related issues? Do you know how good they are with non ED related medical issues (most of my medical issues are not ED related and are things I was born with)
They accommodated someone with a walker while I was there. They have wheelchairs there but if you can bring your own that would be better.The house is 2 floors but there is a bedroom downstairs so it’s possible. Some people were on stair restriction when I was there. I don’t know about how they are with outside illnesses but I had medical complications from my eating disorder and they were very on top of it. They often scheduled appointments for clients at the local hospital. For me, they did blood sugar checks and vitals more often. I know someone who has autism and had a good experience, but I don’t personally. I would talk to admissions to see if it would be a good fit!
Calling Selah House will get you the most detailed and current answers as to whether the program is set up for your specific needs. No one can tell you if they can help with non-ED related medical issues as you’d need to speak with Selah House about what those issues are specifically, what medical care you need, and accommodations…
To be fully transparent, the bedroom that is downstairs houses around 10 girls and you all share on bathroom/ shower. It is wheelchair friendly downstairs, but you will not be sharing accommodations with 1-2/3 others.
*possible TW*
Per a professional liaison, Selah can now accommodate NG tubes when IP
Hi. I’m thinking of coming in a few days but just wanted to double check that I was making the right decision. I’m in my late 30s and not Christian and didn’t know whether I’d feel super out of place. Also, I didn’t know whether the house ever felt too crowded. It’s my first residential stay and I’m really anxious about whether I’ll ever get better and whether I’m making the right decision in going or just wasting my time.
I can’t speak to Selah, but I can speak to being in your 30s and wondering whether youll ever get better at this point.
The ages of the other clients can be a gamble no matter where you are, and I’ve seen that shift from week to week and month to month. Even if someone there right now could report on ages, it could skew another way in two weeks. I have also met some of the most mature 18 year olds ever at treatment, so try to keep an open mind if you are outnumbered! I have been in multiple situations where I didn’t feel like I could relate to anyone else there, and what really made the difference was the staff. I have often felt like I didn’t belong in other parts of my life, so being able to work through that with good staff was beneficial. I have not handled the same situation as well when there was significnat understaffing or poor staffing. For me, the staff is the most important thing about treatment.
The only way you’ll be wasting your time is if you don’t try at all – whether that be outpatient or at res. Given that you’ve never been, I’d say its 100% worth a shot, especially if youve already got all the logisitics handled! If nothing else, you’ll be able to identify additional things that were either helpful or unhelpful. I have also gained a lot of trust in myself and discerned my “healthy” voice when I have had to walk away from unhelpful providers. Knowing any of those can help you find your path forward – whatever that path may be. Wishing you all the best and crossing my fingers. You CAN do it.
Wanted to chime in that the worst experience I had was actually with an older adult population, the house was 25+ and I just never connected with the others. TBH, we didn’t share similar experiences at all, I am a high level executive single mom going through a divorce and that also didn’t jive with that crew even though they were older, so just because you are in your 30s or 40s, it doesnt necessarily mean you will connect with the other people any more
I have met AMAZING women in college who happened to be younger but they were my pals in treatment, so…age doesn’t always matter.
Also I have been in treatment as a higher weight person, bulimia v. anorexia, all of it, and its always fine.
When you say the worst experience, do you just mean regarding the adult population or the program as a whole? Was Selah House helpful at all?
They’re not as heavily faith-based as they used to be! There’s prayer before meals, and a chaplain-led group weekly/optional indv. meetings with her, but I have been there with plenty of people who aren’t religious and they didn’t have any issues.
I feel compelled to share my very negative experience with Selah House. A little background – I am currently on the inpatient wait list at Roger’s and inpatient followed by residential has been recommended by the Center for Change. I completed an assessment with Selah House. During the assessment, I shared that I was too embarrassed to say my weight out loud so I texted it to the person completing the assessment. Later in the assessment, she stated the number I provided aloud. I pointed this out to her and how I did not want to hear this number. I received the recommendation from them yesterday and it was for PHP. I asked what the factors were that led to this decision and the first 3 she listed were height, weight, and BMI!! I am so frustrated in that we are told over and over again that BMI is not a sign of health. I understand programs need to use this information but I thought it was completely inappropriate to tell me this. I did call her out on it and she tried to quickly change her response. I really do not know much about the program but this interaction did not sit well with me on so many levels.
I had a very similar interaction with them recently. I haven’t gotten an official recommendation from them yet, but they encouraged me to buy a scale to give them the most updated weight possible (the one they have is from a month ago) and asked me to “make it make sense” why I weigh more than I did last time I assessed with them.
For context, my last assessment with them was last year when I was in the ICU for medical instability. Since then, I have been in intensive treatment programs for almost a year and weight restored. I have been out for ten weeks, and my team is recommending back to res or inpatient.
Selah House did not seem to understand this and asked multiple times if the treatment programs I was in were overfeeding me. I found this extremely inappropriate and really invalidating (and quite jarring compared to the other programs I’d assessed with/their level of care.
Pardon my unprofessionalism but my mama bear instinct has been activated and I don’t know how else to express myself without caps lock… THEY ENCOURAGED YOU TO BUY A SCALE??!!!!??
I have no clue what she was thinking but yes. She wanted to “make sure they had the most accurate weight” and decided the recent weight at my doctor’s office was not good enough. I was encouraged to track it at home on my own. I expressed I had a problem with that and was asked, “Oh does weight trigger you?”
I’ve done assessments with Selah in the past, and never have I been faced with that amount of inappropriateness or negligence, but I guess there’s a first time for everything:/
I’m working on issuing an official complaint so this doesn’t happen to anyone else.
That’s reprehensible! I’m so sorry they said that to you both.
I was also told that my BMI was “too high” for my diagnosis that my php team gave me before asking that I step up to a higher level of care. Selah’s nursing director and medical director both told me that my BMI was the sole basis for the diagnosis that they chose to give me, and that as you restore weight that it is “common for your diagnosis to change”. Please, please do research before signing over care to these types of facilities.
Looking for a recent review of the adult PHP program! Some specific questions I have:
How effective/helpful would you say the program was overall for you?
How accepting were the staff in terms of gender and sexual identity? Did group / therapy explore queer identity / LGBTQ+ topics much?
What were groups like/what types of activities do you do? I’m looking for a varied approach, not just CBT and DBT.
Do you ever have to cook your own food?
What was your experience with the medical team?
What are current COVID restrictions? Are there outings/visitors allowed?
Any other things you think someone going to this facility should be aware of?
Thank you in advance!
So you usually need to do their residential program before their PHP even if it’s just a few weeks in Res, I feel the program was extremely beneficial by far one of the best programs I’ve been to. Groups did not explore the lgbtq topics much but they are very inclusive and understanding I myself identify as gender fluid and use all pronouns, one therapist offers emdr we do body image work cbt dbt experiential art equine family focused act and some more. Yes you make your own breakfast and lunch once in PHP and you’ll prepare your snacks when you get to that point as well only day you make dinner is in cooking group once a week! I personally had a good experience with my team there! There are outings and visitations on the weekends and masks are not required!
I will be admitted to Selah House adolescent residential program this Monday. I am afraid that I may have to go inpatient though, due to my heart rate. I also heard that if you are too medically unstable, they will send you to a local hospital. How does that work? Does anyone know how they decide whether to send you to a hospital or keep you inpatient (like what is the criteria)? Also, I would really appreciate an updated review of the adolescent program.
When were you there?
2018 and summer 2021. This review is mainly about my 2021 stay.
How many patients are there on average?
It was 15 total, but I heard they’re redoing some PHP things, so it might be 15 IP/res, 8 PHP now. I discharged before any of that went into place/was confirmed.
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined?
Females only
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc?
Medical doctor or NP daily if you’re IP, and then at admission and as needed in res & PHP. Psychiatrist is weekly for everyone, but the nurses can reach out to him if you have an issue in the meantime. Therapist is 2x per week, and RD is 2x per week. Family therapist is 1x per week, and res and PHP gets individual equine sessions 1x per week.
What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
I wanna say 1:4 or 1:5
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, etc.)?
CBT, ACT, DBT, IFS, Motivational Interviewing, ERP. One therapist uses EMDR for individuals if needed.
Describe the average day:
For res/IP
6:00-7:00: Wake up, hygiene
7:00-8:00: Vitals (could be longer or shorter depending on the nurse and amount of clients)
8:00-9:00: Breakfast
9:00-10:30: Group
10:30-10:45: AM snack
11:00-12:00: Group
12:00-1:00: Lunch
1:00-3:00: Group
3:00-3:15: PM snack
3:15-4:00: Free time/ walk
4:00-5:00: Group
5:00-6:00: Dinner
6:00-7:00: Free time
7:00-8:00: Phone time/ free time
8:00-8:15: HS snack
8:15-9:30: Phone time/ free time. The bedroom opened at 9:00 for changing, showers, if people were ready for bed, etc.
10:00: Must be in bedroom
10:15: Lights out
(On weekends, you could stay up until 11:00).
If you’re in PHP, you are at a different house at night through the morning. You start your day at the PHP house and have breakfast there on your own, then an RC picks you up and takes you to the main house, and everyone does programming together during the day. You leave for the PHP house at around 6:30-7:00 at night, and you have your HS snack there, too.
What sorts of food were available or served?
Lots of variety! They work on a 4 week menu rotation.
Breakfasts included cereal, pancakes, donuts, bagels, parfaits, etc.
Lunches and dinners were things like sandwiches and soups, salads, pasta, fish, chinese, etc.
Snacks were also on a 4 week rotation, and you chose those the day of. There were things like teddy grahams, popsicles, chips, apple + pb, cereal, etc.
Selah does their meal sizes the same, and snack amount is where the individuality kicks in. If you have to weight restore, you’ll choose more snacks, get a Boost Breeze added, a Pro bar added, or a milkshake. It can be a bit overwhelming when your meal plan is so high, but the RDs are great and try to increase you at a pace that’ll challenge you without making you completely miserable.
Did they supplement? How did that system work?
Yes, with Boost. I’m not sure exactly; but I know the dietary care specialist will see how much you’ve completed and customize the amount of supplement you get based on that.
What is the policy of not complying with meals?
If you refuse meals and supplements enough times, your team will talk about upping your level of care or sending you out elsewhere, like a medical hospital or to a different program.
Are you able to eat vegetarian?
Yes.
What privileges are allowed?
Walks, getting off eyesight, getting your phone when you step down to PHP, 4 caffeine Fridays
Does it work on a level system?
Yes, they have bands. Red band is what everyone is on when they admit. No walks, no going off of the front or back porch, no yoga, no walking down to the barn/participating in equine group. You also have to sit in the shower chair. Yellow band means you can go on walks, go off the porch and onto the hammock, do yoga, and walk down to the barn. You get 15 mins of joyful movement each shift/every 12 hours. Green band is all the yellow band privileges plus the ability to walk around to other areas outside, such as the swing down the hill, and you get to participate in “green band group”, which is just a movement group where you can do whatever you want movement wise (understandably), like play badmitton, corn hole, or one time a girl and I did cartwheels on the front lawn.
There’s also a white band, which is eyesight, which everyone comes in on, too. You have to be within eye sight of a staff member at all times. It can be a bit annoying when you’re showering or changing, or even just throughout the day, because you feel like a toddler on a leash, but most people get off it within a week or two. You also have to have the bathroom door cracked while an RC waits outside, who will flush for you. In IP/res, everyone is on eyesight for an hour after meals and 30 mins after snack, regardless of white band or not. PHP is never on eyesight.
They also have blue band, which you get if you’re struggling with fluids, over or under. You have to hit between 72-120 oz of fluids per day, and if you go over or under repeatedly, you get the blue band, which is where an RC must pour your drinks for you.
How do you earn privileges?
Complete your meals, become medically stable, progress in therapy, gain weight (if needed), participate in groups.
What sort of groups do they have?
Body image, yoga, equine, art, process, chapel, timeline sharing, and then random CBT/DBT/IFS/play therapy groups.
What was your favorite group?
I always love a good process group, as well as timeline. Hearing peoples’ stories made me feel much closer to them. Plus, the main group therapist is AMAZING. He is truly great at his job. Equine group wasn’t my favorite, but I love the equine specialist and individual sessions with her.
What did you like the most?
THE STAFF. THE STAFF. THE STAFF. Truly the greatest people I’ve ever met.
What did you like the least?
Weekends were boring, and sometimes, if there’s a high acuity client, it takes a toll on the staff which makes the other clients feel a bit neglected.
Would you recommend this program?
Absolutely. You have to be ready to put hard work in. They can be strict, but not to the point where they’re doing the work for you. If you want to be challenged while having a great group of people walk alongside you, go to Selah.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
Walks, yoga group, or other light movement if you’re green band.
What did people do on weekends?
Groups happen until lunch, and then after that, it’s visitation time or free time. A lot of people napped or went to the art room.
Do you get to know your weight?
HARD NOPE.
How fast is the weight gain process?
I want to estimate at about 2-3 lbs per week.
What was the average length of stay?
Average is about 6-8 weeks. Some people were there for 4, though, others as long as 15. It really depends. My first time there I was 6 weeks, and then 10 my second time.
What was the average age range?
Early-mid twenties, with a couple 18-19 year olds and some 30+ sprinkled in there.
How do visits/phone calls work?
There’s set phone times every night and visitation is on weekends.
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)?
None until you’re PHP
Are you able to go out on passes?
My first time there, yes. We’d do things like build a bear, the movies, hobby lobby, etc. The second time around, we didn’t due to COVID, so we’d do innings, like getting a certain amount of $ to spend on Amazon, or a pour paint project or something of the sort. Innings were really hit or miss.
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team?
Yes, they do! You can’t discharge until you’ve made appointments with all your providers outpatient.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?
Not that I’m aware of.
would you mind explaining how visitations worked with covid? I might be admitting there soon and would really love to know how that worked while you were there!
I am getting ready to probably go to Selah Adult unit… can someone please tell me how goal weights are set? Is it individual, or do they use the Hamwii formula for Ideal Body Weight based on height? Or do they use a BMI, like what? Would someone be able to share the snack sheets and the menu? Thank you!
Carrots, I say this in the nicest way possible, because I can empathize, but I really think you need to reevaluate your priorities for treatment. At the end of the day, your recovery cannot be dependent on a particular goal weight – it has to come from genuine behavioral changes and consistent nutrition while allowing your body to rest and heal. Obsessing over how your “goal weight” will be calculated or trying to figure out what you’ll be eating is just your eating disorder’s way of trying to take over, and will not serve you well in treatment. I wish you good luck and hope that you can get the help that you need.
I got accepted and am admitting to Selah adult inpatient/residential Tuesday morning. I am so scared. Could someone please do a full recent review? Thank you! When were u there, how many patients, ages, how often do you see each member of your treatment team, what therapies, describe daily schedule, how do meals/snacks/meal plan work, what are the meals and snacks like as far as what they are, what happens if you don’t finish a meal/snack what is supplementing like and what if you don’t finish it, how do levels and privileges work, what groups and what is your favorite group, what did you like the most and the least, would you recommend, what level of exercise is allowed and when, what are weekends like, did you get to know your weight/goal/trends/range and did the dietitian be open and talk with you and share info or stuff with you, how fast is weight gain process, how long is length of stay, are you weight restored before PHP, how do visits/phone calls work? Do you go on passes and do you do challenges, what is the electronics policy, what do they do for holidays,? What happens when you get there after paperwork, do you have a nursing assessments, like labs and weight and all that? Do they measure your height when you arrive too or just take whatever height you tell them you are and write that down? I am self-conscious being so short that it makes me nervous to be measured, Do they make you wear a gown for the whole nursing assessment including labs and vitals and height if they measure that? THNAKS SOO MUCH!!!
Hi,
My adult daughter is considering Selah House. May I ask how you’re doing and what it was like for you?
It was a great experience! My team was wonderful! I recommend Selah House or Magnolia Creek… great places to heal!
Carrots, would you be able to answer some of the review questions available here on EDTR based on your experience at Selah House? If you’ve been to Magnolia Creek as well, I’m sure the community would benefit from a review of that program, too.
I’m not at my laptop, otherwise I’d post the review template here for you.
Carrotscakepopsandbalance, thank you for sharing this! And thank you so much Anonymous for the follow up. Carrotscake, can you answer some of the suggested review questions I have pasted below about your experience at Selah House (and, if applicable, at Magnolia Creek)? It’s awesome you had such a great experience! It’s really important and helpful to also share some of the “day in, day out” info about what it is actually like at the treatment program, so that people can learn what made it such a great experience for you, and figure out whether they should go there too. These questions can be helpful for that:
Ideas of things to answer:
* When were you there?
* What level(s) of care did you do (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP)?
* If applicable: Is it wheelchair accessible?
* How many patients are there on average?
* Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined?
* If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people?
* How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc?
* What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
* What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, etc.)?
Describe the average day:
* What were meals like?
* What sorts of food were available or served?
* Did they supplement? How did that system work?
* What is the policy of not complying with meals?
* Are you able to eat vegetarian?
* What privileges are allowed?
* Does it work on a level system?
* How do you earn privileges?
* What sort of groups do they have?
* What was your favorite group?
* What did you like the most?
* What did you like the least?
* Would you recommend this program?
* What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
* What did people do on weekends?
* Do you get to know your weight?
* How fast is the weight gain process?
* What was the average length of stay?
* What was the average age range?
* How do visits/phone calls work?
* What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)?
* For inpatient/residential: Are you able to go out on passes?
* For PHP/IOP: What support do they provide outside of programming hours?
* What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team?
* Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?
* If applicable: How is the program responding to COVID? (Less patients, virtual programming, no visitors, masks, social distancing, etc)
* Other?
Unlike Renfrew or Alsana etc, Selah House’s company, Odyssey Behavioral, gives each of their ED clinics a different name. So it is difficult to trace. I was in another one of their ED clinics, the Toledo Center for Eating Disorders, Apr-Jul 2019, which was a traumatic waste of my resources (see my review.) Worse, their lack of not only recompense but even response to my complaints cultivated a passion for better care and I’ve been monitoring them ever since with a growing sense of responsibility for getting the truth out and fighting their censorship. The first Google reviews you see for Selah are from fellow clinicians which appears solicited. I assure this, the one I’ve been leaving, is not: 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 TCED since Odyssey took them over. TWO POINT THREE. Odyssey is the same company who runs Selah. 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, 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 Selah 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 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.
When were you there?
September 2019
How many patients are there on average?
They take up to around 10 inpatient and residential. PHP programs with inpatient/res during the day. There were 4 inpatient/res and around 8 PHP when I was there.
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined?
No males.
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc?
I saw the medical doctor daily because I was inpatient but nobody else did that often (I was the only inpatient at the time). I only saw the psychiatrist once per week and it was over video call and very unhelpful. I saw the therapist and dietician maybe twice per week each for very short amounts of time. Also very unhelpful.
What is the staff-to-patient ratio?
There was usually two techs there with us during the day and one during the night when inpatient/res got small. Therapists and dietician are around during the day.
What sort of therapies are used (e.g., DBT, CBT, EMDR, etc.)?
DBT, nothing really helpful
Describe the average day:
7:00- weight, meds, vitals, get ready
8:00- breakfast
9:00- group
10:30- morning snack
11:00- group
12:00- lunch
1:00- group
3:00- afternoon snack
3:30- free time
5:00- dinner
6:00- assignments, free time, movies, phone calls
8:00- evening snack
9:00- showers, get ready for bed, free time
10:00- lights out
What were meals like?
Family style. There was usually a measuring cup so you knew how much to get. It went on a four week rotation. Some things were set and some things you would choose different options from a menu.
What sorts of food were available or served?
Eggs, donuts, yogurt, bagels, cereal, casseroles, sandwiches, wraps, soups, etc. Typical treatment food, nothing out of the ordinary. Most of it was ok. There was a dessert with lunch or dinner a few times per week.
Did they supplement? How did that system work?
Yes. You get ensure for not completing but they don’t make you drink it so it’s hard if you aren’t super motivated. They don’t do feeding tubes. You have like an ice cream shake during snacks if you need to weight restore.
What is the policy of not complying with meals?
They didn’t really do anything. There weren’t many consequences. If you struggle with fluid intake they’ll make you wear a blue band and the techs have to measure and serve all of your fluids.
Are you able to eat vegetarian?
Yes.
What privileges are allowed?
Equine therapy, going outside and down the hill and to the hammock. Not really sure because I never got any privileges.
Does it work on a level system?
Yes, they have different colored bands that represent what privileges you have, mainly to do with walking and going outside. I was on red band the whole time so I couldn’t do anything.
How do you earn privileges?
Completing meals, not having medical complications
What sort of groups do they have?
The groups were weird. They didn’t really follow what the name of the group was and it felt like the therapist would just freestyle it. They were heavily based on group discussion and you were forced to speak up even if you weren’t comfortable doing so.
What was your favorite group?
None
What did you like the most?
The other girls there and a couple of the techs
What did you like the least?
My treatment team. They didn’t try to help me at all. The nurses even told me that they never gave me a chance. They were trying to get me to transfer to a different program from the start and it was really frustrating because my OP therapist talked to them for a long time before admission to make sure that they could accommodate me. They also wouldn’t let me discharge with any of my meds so when I got to the new treatment center I didn’t have any meds for almost a week and it took forever for Selah House to send them even though they told me that they would overnight them.
Would you recommend this program?
NO.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed?
Walking and yoga if you get to those levels
What did people do on weekends?
Visitors, passes, outings (if you’re not inpatient), watch movies
Do you get to know your weight?
No.
How fast is the weight gain process?
Not sure.
What was the average length of stay?
Not sure since I was told that I had to transfer after two weeks.
What was the average age range?
20
How do visits/phone calls work?
Visits are on the weekends. You can make phone calls at night.
What is the electronics policy (e.g., cell phones, iPods, Kindles, laptops, tablets)?
No personal electronics for inpatient/res. PHP always had their phones out which was frustrating.
Are you able to go out on passes?
Yes at certain levels
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an outpatient treatment team?
No
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country?
They paid for my flight and hotel room the night before admission
If applicable: Do they support the gender identities of transgender and nonbinary people?
I don’t think so, but not entirely sure.
Other?
They claim to have inpatient level of care but are not equipped to handle difficult cases. Do not recommend.
Any recent adult house reviews? I was there in 2018 but know things have changed since then
Doors anyone have a recent review of the adult program?
So I heard that they do skin checks everyday if you self harm. How invasive is this. It always stresses me out like it’s a strip search.
I was there in 2017 and the skin searches were on everyone when you first arrived but only continued if you had a history of self harm. I was on skin checks the whole eight weeks I was there. I am very modest and have body image issues and never felt invaded during skin checks. It just feels very routine. You are in a gown for vitals anyway and they ask to see each arm one at a time and each leg up to the hip one at a time (so you can hold the gown over yourself in other places) and then I believe also asked to see your stomach. If there was any new self harm to see, in that moment they never antagonized or questioned. They would just confirm that it was new and make a note. I felt very taken care of by the nursing staff at Selah throughout my entire stay.
When were you there: Nov-Dec 28, 2017
Describe the average day: It really depended on the day, and if you are IP or PHP (I don’t know about the residential program, I stepped down from IP to PHP in about a week and a half.
IP: Wake up about 7, vitals, breakfast at 8, group, snack at 10am (everyone is required to be at the table even if you don’t have a snack mandated. You can choose to have a snack if you don’t have a required one), group till lunch (some people get pulled for sessions), lunch at noon, group/sessions, snack at 3, group, dinner at 5, group, snack at 8, freetime/phone time till lights out at 10pm (11pm on fridays and saturdays)
PHP: you don’t have to get up at a specified time in PHP, you just have to have had vitals done and have ate breakfast by 9am. You do not have to eat breakfast as a group, it’s just whenever you are done with vitals. You have to have your bed made and whatever you want out of the bedroom by 9 as the bedroom is locked at 9am and not unlocked until after nightly check in. After breakfast, it’s:
Group at 9, snack at 10:30, group, Lunch at noon, group, snack at 3, group, dinner at 5, nightly check-in, and then the bedroom is unlocked and you have free time till 8pm snack, then programing is done after snack and you can go to bed whenever you want. Most people use the evening free time to catch up on assignments, watch TV/movies, play on their phones/laptops.
What were meals like? It runs on a four week rotation, y you fill out a menu before the week starts so you don’t have to think about it at all during the week. They do have vegetarian options at every meal now. You don’t have to be a vegetarian to be allowed to pick the vegetarian option. Food is served “family style”. I really liked that food was served this way because right from the beginning (well, that is once you’ve reached eating at the table with everyone), you are learning portioning your own meals. The way this worked was they would have a measuring spoon in each dish of food and then the RCs would watch to make sure you got the right amount. You can move to intuitive potions after a while where you aren’t allowed to use the measuring cups/spoons and while you can ask staff for guidance on portioning, they really want you to decide how much you need. However, if you’re consistently taking too little, they will redirect you. They play lots of table games at meals and meals could be fun depending on what staff was there. In IP/resi they check your pockets and sleeves as you get up from the table. In PHP you are not checked and trusted that you didn’t hide food.
What sorts of food were available or served? They have a really wide variety of food choices. From mac and cheese and chicken nuggets at one meal to a chef salad at another. One of my favorites was the perogies with kale and cheese sauce.
Did they supplement? How did that system work? Yes, supplement on top of meals if weight gain is needed…if not then no. if you didn’t finish a meal you would be supplemented but that really was not encouraged and you were only allowed two refusals.
What privileges are allowed? In the IP/Resi house: visitors on weekend, passes on weekends once you have moved up on the “levelsâ€, phone time every night. In PHP all of the above are a given, also, passes out and your cell phone and laptop.
Does it work on a level system? yes, activity bands and observations levels. activity: red= no activity. you cannot walk down to the barn, but get driven. Yellow=moderate activity. you can walk to the barn and to the mailbox. green= full activity! you can go on 3 walks per week :). They also have “blue band” now. If you aren’t drinking enough fluids (they monitor and log fluids in the IP/Resi levels but not at PHP), you will be given a blue band to wear and staff will be in charge of pouring all of your drinks for a few days.
Obs: white band: eyesight – you must be in eyesight of the staff at all times. They will have someone in the room with you watching you sleep (this freaked me out at first). Yellow and pink band – modified observations. You are still on eyesight after meals, but you can walk from room to room without having to have a staff walk with you. You don’t have to have a staff member in the room watching you sleep. No band – No observations: You are free to move about the house without staff watching you. However, regardless of band status *EVERYONE* is on eyesight for 60 minutes after meals and 30 minutes after snacks. Bathrooms are always locked at this IP/Resi house, so you have to have a staff let you into the bathroom. If you are off of observations, you can use the bathroom with the door closed if it isn’t after meals or snacks, but staff still has to flush for you.
If you needed to use the bathroom while on obs, you had to leave the door cracked and staff stood outside it. Regardless of observations staff flushes all toilets at the IP/Resi House. If you get to move to PHP, bathrooms are unlocked, and you are allowed to go to the bathroom and flush your own toilets at any time. However, you can ask for staff to stand outside the door and flush for you if you are struggling and they will.
What sort of groups do they have? body image, art therapy, equine, dance and movement, pilates, nutrition, spirituality, chapel, community, outings, processing, writing, etc.
What was your favorite group?art therapy was totally my favorite! I really loved equine, too. When/if you move to PHP you no longer have group equine but individual sessions.
What did you like the most? THE STAFF, is AMAZING! they care about each client so much!
What did you like the least? I’ll write more about this below as I don’t think my experience is typical, but I didn’t always feel like I was being heard and listened too.
Would you recommend this program? Without hesitation. I’m really struggling right now and wish I could go back.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed? its pretty minimal…walking and yoga is maximum exercise.
What did people do on weekends? you have a weekly outing, pottery, go to movies, go to parks, build a bear, pedicures, go on passes with family/friends, have visitors, tv, art, journal.
Do you get to know your weight? no
How fast is the weight gain process? I do not know this. I was not on weight gain.
What was the average length of stay? minimum is 6 weeks. This really depends on your insurance. What I really loved, however, is that you have a guaranteed length of stay going in. So if they tell you 6 weeks, you’re going to be there AT LEAST 6 weeks. It was nice not to have to worry that insurance was going to kick me out after 3 weeks.
What was the average age range? at least 18 for PHP. The teens are now in with the IP/Resi adult clients. so anywhere from 13 and up.
Now some notes on my personal feelings about my stay?
I have some very mixed feelings about Selah House. I really overall believe it to be a wonderful program. I really do. I think I got stuck with a therapist that didn’t get me and wouldn’t listen to me. All of the other staff were wonderful.
I was only in IP for a week and a half before they stepped me down to PHP. I was not happy about this. I begged them to give me more time in the more supportive environment, that I didn’t feel ready for less support. My insurance really forced their hand. But I was not ready for PHP and didn’t feel like they fought my insurance as much as they should have. I was still actively using behaviors in IP, and they knew this. I was exercising and self-harming daily and they knew this. I was very honest about things. They still moved me to PHP where I really struggled. The night before moving to PHP, I had a full out breakdown and sobbed in my closet for an hour until my roommate found me and went and got staff. I was so, so scared to move down to PHP. I knew I wasn’t near ready.
PHP would have been great… if I would have been ready for it. But I wasn’t. It just gave me all the room i needed to jump head on back into behaviors and they knew this as I was telling them and begging for more help. I begged for an extension to stay longer than my 6 weeks, and they would not give me one. They told me they were sure I could manage at an IOP level. But IOP wasn’t a for sure thing, and my insurance refused to cover it and I have relapsed.
I felt like they gave up on me. I felt like I was begging them to hear me that I was struggling and scared and they didn’t want to fight with my awful insurance so they gave up. and it honestly hurt. Also, I was very clear from the very first intake interview that my goal from day one was to not only get the ED behaviours under control, but address the trauma that is fueling my ED and keeps me sick. My therapist’s version of “dealing with the trauma” was to have one session on containment skills and then never let me talk about it again. If i tried to talk about it, she’d tell me to use my containment skills.
Overall, as I said, I think Selah is a great program and I’d love to go back. But I just had a hard time getting my therapist to HEAR me.
Bethany, I’m sorry about your experience. Did they tell you a length of stay upfront? And if they tell you 6 weeks, can that be within any of the levels of care? Like could it end up being 4 weeks res and 2 weeks PHP?
I might be going to Selah, and I am an adult. Do they still separate adults from adolescents? Are you able to smoke? Can you have your phone? Is the minimum still 6 weeks or do they make exceptions? I spoke w/ the coordinator and they said the program has changed and they now allow vegetarianism, can someone confirm? Is the therapy good? How often do you see therapist, family therapist, psychiatrist, and dietitian?
I went to Selah House in 2014 and it was the best treatment center I have been to. Equine therapy was so much fun as well as art, body image, and self-care. Once you reach a certain point in your treatment, you go on a meal outing to a restaraunt of your choice with your therapist and dietician. You also go on a shopping trip to the mall once you’re weight restored with the body-image therapist. Staff are very caring and helpful. They also have family days where you do lots of family work and weekly family sessions.
What were meals like? everyone sits at a long table with 3 staff. there are games and always someone to talk to if you are struggling. everyone eats the same at meals. at snacks it’s based on your needs.
What sorts of food were available or served? you have 2 meal options. at breakfast you chose your fruit, apple, half a banana or an orange. you chose a dairy at every meal. it’s on a 4 week rotation.
Did they supplement? How did that system work? yes, if you have to gain weight you are given a shake and you get to chose the flavor. depending on your needs they will put extra supplements in it.
What is the policy of not complying with meals? they sit with you for a long time encouraging you. otherwise you are given a supplement. you can only refuse 2 times or you are sent to the hospital.
Are you able to be a vegetarian? no. there are 2 vegetarian options a week.
Does it work on a level system? yes. first coupledays you have to sit in the shower and can barely move at all, just sitting. then you can walk to groups without being pushed in a wheelchair. after that once you’re at a good weight you can walk around during equine, and walk down to the pond. also, at first your always on eyesight, then you are sometimes, like in the bathroom and at night when your sleeping. eventually, you don’t need to be on eyesight except for an hour ater meals and 30 minutes after snacks.
How do you earn privelages? by complying with meals, gaining weight and doing well in therapy and recovery
What sort of groups do they have? body image, art, process, self-care, yoga
What was your favorite group? body image
What did you like the most? The staff, many had recovered from an eating disorder.
What did you like the least? Having to gain weight
Would you recommend this program? Yes!
What level of activity or exercise was allowed? Walks and eventually light weight lifting.
What did people do on weekends? Spend time outside, art, skype sessions with family, outings, journaling…
Do you get to know your weight? No.
How fast is the weight gain process? 1-3 pounds a week.
What was the average length of stay? I was there for 13 weeks. Minimum is 6 weeks, but everyone is different.
What was the average age range? I was in the adolescent unit. 12-17, sometimes 18.
How do visits/phone calls work? Visits on weekends as approved by your treatment team and daily phone calls after night snack.
Are you able to go out on passes? Yes, after a certain point in your treatment. There’s a group outing on Saturdays.
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an OP treatment team? They help you set up a team at home.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country? I don’t know.
When were you there: Apr-July 2015
How many patients on average? Maximum 10, but we rarely had a full house. Maybe about 8 on average.
Does it treat both males and females? If so, is treatment separate or combined. No, just females.
How often do you see a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist (therapist), nutritionist, etc?
You see the psychiatrist for her groups, but your needs get communicated to her through the head RN. You see your therapist twice a week. You see your nutritionist once a week, but she is almost always available to talk if you need to.
What is the staff ratio to patients? Very high. There were about 4 to 5 RCs for 8-10 of us. The nurses also helped some.
What sort of therapies are used? (DBT, CBT, EMDR) etc? A combination of all. There are no direct DBT or CBT groups, but they are intertwined in the lessons.
Describe the average day:
6:30: Wake up, Vitals, and Hygiene Time
8:00: Breakfast
9:00: Group
I think it was 10:00: snack
11: group
12: Lunch
1:00: Homework and Session Time
3:30: Snack
4:00: Homework and Session
5:00: Dinner
6:00: School
8:00: Snack
8:15: Phones and Night meds started. It depended on if we had staff. You still had until 8:30 to complete snack.
9:20ish: Hygiene
10:00: Lights Out
What were meals like?: They were really fun. We often played games or had conversation. There was almost always a staff member next to you or across from you. A lot of support was offered and if you needed to, a RC would take you to a small table for extra support. Everyone ate the same thing, which made it easier. You could complete with ensure, but they always wanted to encourage you to eat it.
What sorts of food were available or served?: It was different everyday. I never got bored with the food. Snacks also changed every week, which was nice.
Did they supplement? How did that system work? They used shakes, which were really good. They also used Boost Breeze.
What is the policy of not complying with meals?: If you refused to eat your snack or meal 2 times, you were sent to the hospital.
Are you able to be a vegetarian?: No. They have veggie options but you can only choose two a week, I believe.
What privelages are allowed?: Everyone pretty much has the same privileges. No phones or computer access (unless at school or with your therapist). It was very nice. Everyone got to actually know each other! If you misbehave they will take away your outing privilege for that week.
Does it work on a level system? Yes! There is Red Band, which means you have to be in a wheelchair when leaving the house, and cannot participate in certain activites. Yellow Band: Is where you are medically stable and you can go on outings without the wheel chair. Green Band: This is for when you are approaching being weight restored, or you are healthy and compliant. You can do light exercise with the dietitian or a RC. The campus is beautiful for walking.
How do you earn privelages?: Behave and comply.
What sort of groups do they have?: Body Image, Experimental, Art, Christian groups, process group, equine therapy, etc. We get a lot of free time during the afternoon.
What was your favorite group?: I loved process and Body Image.
What did you like the most?: The staff. Absolutely the staff. They were all so kind and attentive. They wouldn’t let you get away with anything. They all knew what they were doing. I think everyone has their one staff member that they really connect with. They really impacted my recovery.
What did you like the least?: I loved everything, but I guess the one thing I didn’t like was the refeeding and weight restoration process. But you have to go through that anyways. I felt nauseous a lot and I still had to eat, but they were good with letting me rest and stuff. Plus, I have stomach issues so don’t let that scare you. Also, the aftercare planning is not great. They kinda just shove you out there. I relapsed because of that but I also didn’t have any iop in my area.
Would you recommend this program? 100 percent YES. Selah House saved my life. I am serious. I would not be the prospering, alive, bright, person I am today without them. If you aren’t Christian, this place will work. I had an atheist friend and she still loved it. They don’t press anything on you.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed? NONE. It was so great and so freeing. A lot of girls there had exercising problems. It was so nice to be able to relax. At first, its so uncomfortable, but it gets better. Once you are on green band you are allowed a certain number of walks a week and can do light workouts with the dietitian. Other than that, like I said, none.
What did people do on weekends? We didn’t do much of anything. Visitors came and we watched a lot of movies. We had an outing every Saturday night and we went to Equine on Sundays.
Do you get to know your weight? Nope!
How fast is the weight gain process? It really depends on the person.
What was the average length of stay? Minimum of 6 weeks, but I would say the average is around 9.
What was the average age range? 12-18. A good mix of everything.
How do visits/phone calls work? You have a visiting and call list. You get 15 minutes every day to call. Your visitors come to the house and you guys can play games and talk and stuff.
Are you able to go out on passes? Yes! Once you are on green band, you can go on passes. They are usually during the weekend, but sometimes they make exceptions.
What kind of aftercare do they provide? Do they help you set up an OP treatment team? They find a therapist and stuff for you. It’s not great, but you need to take initiative and do some things too.
Are there any resources for people who come from out of state/country? I mean, they will take you places so if you need to go to the Airport or dentist or something, they got you.
Other?
Equine: At first, I despised it. It’s usually really hard. Horses are such intuitive animals and it’s amazing. The therapists there are so insightful and wonderful. I wish I didn’t take it for granted.
This place is amazing and I would highly recommend it. I would recommend it to anyone. They help out a lot if you have problems with your insurance, which is very nice. This is probably the top ED treatment facility in the US. They genuinely care about you, not just as a client, but a person. You build relationships with people that you’ll never forget. I miss this place everyday.
10/10
I was here from feb to April 2014
This is a very good program for eating disorders. They know they’re stuff about eating disorders and how to treat them and the weight restoration stuff. If you’re looking to delve into more serious stuff along with your ED like trauma then I would recommend castlewood. I went there and they’re the best in trauma. The staff at Selah are the most compassionate people ever. They’ll be the whole reason you’ll stick it out in treatment when you wanna leave AMA. They have nurses round the clock and they are awesome too. But if you seriously struggle with self harm and suicidal thoughts then be careful about going here or they’ll ship you off to the pysch ward in a heartbeat and not even tell you where you’re going.y experience at Selah was great despite the traumatic abrupt ending by them shipping me off to the pysch ward without them telling me where we were going.
Schedule:
6am wake up. Vitals. After vitals get ready for the day
8am breakfast
9am group
10am snack
10:30 group
12 lunch
1-3 pm individuals
3pm snack
3:30- 5pm individuals/ group
5pm dinner
6-8pm free time
8pm snack
8:30 bedrooms open and you can get meds, go to bed or shower,etc
It worked by the level system. Red, yellow, green and they also have this thing called arms length which I was on quite a lot! Red no activity and have to sit at all times , yellow could do yoga and green you could do yoga and 2 short walks a week with the dietitian. Arms length means that you have to have a staff member at “arms length” from you at all times to babysit you. You get this usually if you’re a self harmer and still do it there.
The food was pretty good, especially for treatment food. The snacks were really good too and they always had so much variety. And if you have some restoration to do you’ll probably have to do shakes. Which on the bright side they are so delicious! Strawberry golden Oreo is the best!!
Therapy isn’t the best but hey, we’re all underweight and trying to get our shit together and get healthy so that isn’t the top priority in the moment. But when you’re ready to deal with that shit go to castlewood in St. Louis!!
I am being admitted to Selah House next week and would really appreciate any recent reviews. From what I’ve read and seen on their website, they seem like a wonderful program and I am looking forward to receiving the help they offer.
Thank you!
Hi, so sorry to disturb you, but would you be able to do a review or did you like it/ was it useful ?
I hope the place did work & you are doing well 🙂
A user is looking for any recent review on Selah House? If anyone has any information it would greatly be appreciated, thank you!!
Has anyone been in the adult program in the past year or two that could either do a review, or that I could email to ask questions? I’m currently in the admission process, however I’m not set on going yet.
New review? and how do passes work out, how long til u reach them and are YA allowed gone like just 3 hours or more??
I just wanted to add some things. I got back from Selah Adolescent about 3 weeks ago and it honestly saved my life. Their focus is really on intuitive eating. I really didn’t have much weight gain, but a lot of my friends got to pick to shakes every morning for the next day and it was hell for them at first, but eventually they all get sad when they get off of them. Since I’m not 18, I was forced there and I didn’t want recovery at all and didn’t even begin to think that it was possible. Now i know that all foods fit in moderation. It’s really amazing. The staff is so incredible. I was crying harder than I’ve ever cried in my life when I left Selah. They are my real family, and I know that will never change.
Could you please please please do a full review? Do you know how they are with self harm and PTSD really looking at going here
Review please?!?!
Does anyone know if Selah requires you to get to a certain % of IBW?
recent full review? how are they in working with trauma and self harm issues?
I cannot say enough good about Selah House. They saved my daughter’s life. Yes, it will be costly, even with insurance. But they are top-notch professionals, and at a vulnerable, frightening time in our lives, they were incredibly skilled, compassionate, and worth trusting.
Hi there, I may be going to treatment for a 3rd time very soon. The first 2 times I went to treatment I went to Remuda Ranch, before they changed & after. One thing that is really keeping me from being all for Selah is the food issue. Remuda does all organic & freshly made food which is really important to me. I just wanted to know from someone who has been to Selah recently, how does their food measure up? Is it homemade & fresh? Is it more focused on true health & restoring your organs & body or is it more focused on overcoming fears & giving you a lot of “scary” foods to help you mentally? I hope this makes sense. Any answers would be appreciated!
I was at Remuda May 2013, and November-December 2012. None of their food was fresh or organic.
Any thoughts people have on any or all of these questions is appreciated!
How are they working with insurance and financial stuff? I’m not sure if they are in network on my policy but the program sounds perfect for me.
Also, how many individual therapy sessions do you get per week?
Do they go strictly by BMI with weight gain, or do they take into account weight history and an individualized approach to restoration?
Thank you.
Selah was awesome in helping with insurance. The insurance rep truly felt as though they were “on my side”, actively advocating for my daughter with the insurance company. She communicated OFTEN and celebrated each approved days of coverage/appeal with us.
Are you required to stay for a certain length of time?
Yes. There is a minimum length of stay, but your stay may be longer. There is a lengthy, thorough assessment before you go to determine exactly what your individual needs are.
Does insurance actually cover this place as an inpatient facility?
Do they tube?
Do you actually ride during equine therapy? The website mentions something about non-riding activities.
Will they allow the use of Lactaid chewable pills for those who are lactose instollerant?
I agree with most of what was already said, but I wanted to add some things. I can’t say enough good things about Selah.
The people and the program are amazing. The RCs (Recovery Care Specialists who are the staff) truly care about the clients. Since there are only 8 women as clients at a time, you receive very personalized and close attention. Many of the staff members have recovered from eating disorders, so I felt a real sense of trust and connection with them.
Family days at Selah are fantastic because each client gets individual family days. That means that I got to spend two days together with my family and therapists.
Equine therapy is led by two of the most insightful people I have ever met.
The dietary component is really great, too. One of the dieticians is recovered from an eating disorder. All the clients eat the same meals, which are served family style. There is a lot of variety in the meals, and they are made up of normal foods.
Any food additions that needed to be made were added to snacks so that I still knew what constituted a normal meal. I eventually was increased to “shakes” which are some sort of supplement-based thing that tastes really good. I got to pick what kind I wanted, like strawberry, chocolate, or vanilla with a lot of different add-ins like cookie dough, candies, or fruit. Also, the clients actually plan and prepare the dinner on Tuesdays, so we got to practice cooking.
When you become weight-restored and are emotionally in a good place, you get to practice intuitive eating, which means you get to pick out any snack and also portion it.
There are some spiritual-based groups, which I found to be very helpful.
Pre-2012 Reviews
When were you there: jan-march 2008
Describe the average day: wake up, vitals, shower, breakfast is at 8. morning group, equine or nutrition group, lunch (at noon), family therapy work or body image group, snacks at 3, some more groups , dinner at 5, and for the most part you are done after dinner–their are some laid back groups after dinner like beading and stuff but its just a time to relax and do assignments.
What were meals like? You have options it runs on a three week rotation, you have 3 vegetarian options per week and you fill out a menu before the week starts so you dont have to think about it at all during the week. like liann said, they seem big at first but get easier.
What sorts of food were available or served?they do have veggie options but its limited since so many girls come in wanting only to eat veggie options because its safe, not because they are actually vegetarians. their are dairy options and all that…
Did they supplement? How did that system work? Yes, supplement on top of meals if weight gain is needed…if not then no. if you didnt finish a meal you would be supplemented but that really was not encouraged and you were only allowed two refusals i believe.
What privelages are allowed? visitors on weekend, passes on weekends once you have moved up on the “levels”, phone time every night.
Does it work on a level system? yes, activity and “emotional readiness”. activity: red= no activity. you cannot walk down to the barn, but get driven. blue=moderate activity. you can walk to the barn and to the mailbox:) green= full activity! you can go on 3 walks per week
What sort of groups do they have? body image, art therapy, equine, dance and movement, pilates, nutrition, spirituality, chapel, community, outtings, processing, writing, etc. (I kept Lianns answer, the groups are the same)
What was your favorite group?art therapy was DEFINITELY my favorite! and body image was a love hate thing…for me it was the hardest group but one ofthe most productive.
What did you like the most?THE STAFF, is AMAZING! they care about each client so much! you are NOT a number there and they invest so much time and energy into you.
What did you like the least? I hated beading group. I am awful at beading…it was such a disaster for me! haha.
Would you recommend this program? YES- it saved my life! i wouldnt be alive if it wasnt for them and not just physically, but emotionally–im REALLY LIVING.
What level of activity or exercise was allowed? its pretty minimal…walking and pilates is maximum exercise.
What did people do on weekends? HAIR CUTS haha, pottery, go to movies, go to parks, build a bear, pedicures, go on passes with family/friends, have visitors, tv, art, journal.
Do you get to know your weight? no, and IT IS THE BEST!!!! seriously. going in that sounds so scary and horrible but you learn to TRUST YOUR TEAM and like liann said, you know whether or not you are in your range and you are aware of what your gaining or losing looks like…you are very much aware of whats going on.
How fast is the weight gain process? not very fast, the program itself is fairly long so you have plenty of time not only to gain but to adjust to a different body.
What was the average length of stay? minumum is 6 weeks, 45 days. i was there 2 months, id say that was pretty average…some more, depends on your needs.
What was the average age range? at least 18 for residential…most of the girls i was with were early 20′s but their were some like me who were 18 and some in 30′s and above.
LikeLiann said Selah is AMAZING and I’d recommend it to ANYONE ifyou are ready to go in and work your ass off. it is like a family there and they love on your so much and KNOW when you are trying to get away with crap–they know all of the tricks and it doesnt work. i NEVER thought recovery was possible, i basically went in because i didnt want to have a heart attack and die, i thought i could manage my behaviors and never feel ok, but thats not true. i feel ALIVEand am even ok with my body most of the time…eating is not awful anymore! i have LIFE in my eyes and it radiates from me! Message me with any questions
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no cell phones or laptops, going into it i thought i was going to die but it ended up being SO NICE….NO outside distractions from recovery or contradictions or harmful people to bring you down…you can use the phones they have there. for me, i was allowed to check my school email because i was on a med leave from school and still recieving emails from profs and stuff.
bathrooms are locked and a residential counselor has to unlock them for you. they wait outside the door while you are in there and then flush for you.if you are a threat to yourself you are on what is called “arms length” and a residential counselor cannot let you farther than an arms length away from them, so in that case they come inside the bathroom with you. at first i was so horrifed by this and felt so degraded…but it really was for the best. i was safe to be in a bathroom by myself because i would have hurt myself in the 20 seconds no one could see me. once you move off of arms length they allow you to partially shut the door and they just stand outside.
self harm…if you struggling with self harm actively you will be on arms length and have skin checks every morning. if you cut yourself, based on the severity, you will be sent to the psychiatric hospital for an eval–this is not part of your treatment costs so this is out of pocket if you are sent to the psych ward. this CAN be avoided, they hate sending people to the psych ward. i got skin checks every morning, which also intitially felt degrading and i cried about stuff but it got easier and also was for the best. i went in to selah house expecting to deal with eating disorder symptoms and wasnt even expecting to deal with self harm but that also was dealt with. once you are not an active threat to yourself you an be within eyesight of a residential counselor (rather than arms length) an eventually are allowed personal time where you are not watched, but you’ll get skin checks every day you are there.
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anonymous post:
-How much free time do you actually have each day? (i.e. that i could use to study)
-Can you describe an average day of meals?
-How many girls are typically there?
-Can you do equine therapy if you have osteoporosis?
-If you are on weight gain do you have to use ensure to gain?
-Anything you think i should know before going in?
-i have been to a number of larger treatment centers (remuda, center for change, renfrew). Would you recommend this small setting over other programs? If so why? I have amazing insurance and can go wherever i want, so trying to be sure this is the best option.
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free time each day: free time begins in the evening. the days are super structured so their is not a ton of free time. on some days their is a group right after dinner, and free time begins after that-other days their is no group and free time starts after dinner. during that time you can watch TV, journal, make and receive phone calls, go in the art room, etc.
average day of meals: breakfast includes a dairy, fruit, and the “main” dish which cou be something like eggs, cereal, a waffle, pancakes, etc. (not all at one to clarify). depending your needs their are morning, afternoon, and evening snacks, and the size of your snack is determined by the dietician. lunch is a dairy and fruit and some kind of “main” dish such as a salad, some kind of wrap, a taco, soup, etc. dinner is similar to lunch.
how many girls: their is a maximum of 8. i was with anywhere between 4 and 6, im not really sure the “Average” count
equine therapy: you cannot ride if you have osteoperosis, you can work with the horses on the ground i believe. if you have osteopenia i think it is your choice to participate in equine–you have to sign more consent forms i think. (if anyone has been there more recently than me and any of this has changed please correct me)
weight gain: carefully monitored…your weight is not going to skyrocket or anything. ensure is used, as is scandashake.
anything you should know: BS is not tolerated…it is great. they see through most typical stuff girls in treatment may be tempted to try. go in ready to work hard!
size: i really enjoyed the small size, although i have not been to a larger treatment center like remuda or renfrew. i know girls i was with HAD been at larger centers and it was at selah house they found their freedom–im not sure if thats simply because of the size. the small size enables the staff to give so much individualized attention and care…you feel so loved and cared for, it truly is amazing. i went in very skeptical and mistrusting of the staff but they earned my trust and proved they would not hurt me and were there for me ALL the time. the small size also allows you to get close with the girls you are there with.
its great you have such good insurance! i hope you give selah house a call and check them out!
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one more note: you have much more freetime on saturdays and sundays. they are very relaxed and a chance to “recover” from the hard emotional stuff you go through during the week.
weight gain: i thought this was cool-they do weight restoration mostly by shakes and stuff–they dont want to teach someone how to overeat by having massive portions and stuff…so no worries there. once your weight is restored you are eating “normally” and doing what you body needs for snacks and stuff.
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anonymous post:
do you HAVE to do ensure for your weight gain or can opt for food? I have never been able to tolerate it…it makes me incredibly nauseous. But dont want to look incompliant to treatment/weight gain…
also…do you get choices for meals/snacks?
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you’d have to talk to selah house about that (food instead of ensure)
you do have choices for meals and snacks. you have choices of what you want your dairy and fruits to be and you always get to choose your snacks. your choices for the main course part of the meal is slightly more limited but you do have options.
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Does Selah ever offer scholarships to those with no insurance coverage and very low income?
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-yes, they do! you’d need to talk to them about that.
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I was trying to get into Selah House this last July and this is the issue I ran into. They do not accommodate milk allergies, and if you can not tolerate milk they will not take you as they will not alter their meal plan. There is a smoking area, and I think they do trauma work. Ultimately what it came down to for me was they claimed they are a small program, and can not accommodate food intolerances.
They do not work with food allergies at all. If you are allergic to eggs, or milk, do not even bother calling. I understand that some people may say they have food allergies because they are afraid of certain foods. I have actual allergy tests. They claimed that they could not work with food allergies because they have such a small program. But when they gave me a referral list, there were programs that were just as small, or only one or two people more. I had a horrible experience with the intake process here. My counselor was so upset she spoke with the director, and even after that, was so upset she told them she would never refer a client there again.
Pencelia, on November 12, 2011 at 12:11 am said: Edit Comment
Would anyone be willing to talk with me if you have been to Selah recently? The vegetarian thing seems to be a hurdle but I tried to explain it and they are going to see what they can do. What happened to normal cereal breakfasts? Do they have the same choices for breakfast all week like most places do?
C, on November 2, 2011 at 11:21 pm said: Edit Comment
could you do a full review of the program….i’ve been interested in Selah for a while. Also, would you recommend it for someone out of state?
(2011)
Yes, you get three caffeines( 12 ounce cans of regular or diet soda, or cups of coffee) a day except for Free Pop Fridays you can have four. hmmm…. I don’t really know much about special diets, but I know they will accommodate to your needs and make sure you are healthy.Monday
6:30 to 7:30- wakeup, showers, vitals,weight
8:00- breakfast
9:00 10:00- process group( talk about our week)
10:00- snack
10:30-12:00- body image
12:00- lunch
1:30-4:30 individuals ( counseling, dietician, equine therapy, family therapy, homework time all individually)
3:00- snack
5:00- dinner
6:30- 8:00 writing group
8:00- snack time
after snack- free time
10:00- lights out
breakfast- toasted peanut butter and banana tortilla, dairy choice( soy milk, skim milk, yogurt( strawberry, or vanilla) fruit choice( fruit cup, orange, half a banana, or apple)
Lunch- hot chicken salad and dairy choice
dinner- burger or veggie burger with cheese, carrots, fries, dairy choice, cookie
some of the snacks are- popcorn, apples, oreos, cheese crackers, granolar bars, chex mix bars, poptarts, etc
they also have many different choices of shake flavors if you need them for additional calories.
Yes, they have about three phones, but since there are only 8 people you don’t have to wait that long for one. There is no specific time limit but they like you to be considerate of others
there are different levels of activity
yellow band- nothing but sitting and breathing. Can’t go on outingsor barn, yoga ( this is if your labs are funky)
red band- This is what you start out on if there is nothing wrong with your labs, no exercise, has to be transported to barn by car. You get to do yoga
blue band- You usually get this band when you’re close to your goal weight. You get 4 fifteen minute walks a week and you get to walk to the mailbox.
We get to go outside during free times or sometimes during a group if it’s nice outside. If you do not have osteopoeinia and you’re on blue band you can go sledding in the winter.
No laptops and cell phones are not allowed, however, you can use a computer for working on assignments in therapy and you can make phone calls at night.
I’m not sure about the cheese, but they did have soy milk. The cook is very kind and they are very willing to taper the meals to your liking as long as it’s not for “eating disordered” purposes.
I always asked for pbj sandwiches on chilli night. lol. Many people there had gi issues, and meds helped in that area. Again, there is a menu, and you have to eat what is given, but changes are made if you sincerely hate something.
Yes, they do lots of trauma work and smoking is allowed, I think, 4 times a day. ( I was never a smoker)
Selah House is awesome and I would definitely reccommend it. I went there February to April 2011
The step down discharge plans are well thought out and planned by your treatment team. They make sure that you have a dietician and therapist that you see weekly. I wish they had a transitional house… but maybe someday…
As for the vegetarian thing… I don’ t think so… although they do have some vegetarian choices you do have to eat meat in the program and they will tell you that while you’re in the admissions process.
They are really great with introducing food to people who severely restrict. They have a gentile meanl plan or a soup liquid plan for newcomers to start and they gradually increase depending on how your body responds.
i talked with selah house this morning and learned that they won’t permit patients to follow a vegetarian meal plan. just thought that might be helpful info to others.