Treatment Options

Outpatient Treatment (OT). OT is the standard first-line treatment for many mental disorders, helping to keep the client at home, in keeping up their daily schedules of work and childcare, while also taking an hour out of their day to receive therapeutic services. OT services are done in a walk-in clinic, and can typically be paid via insurance, sliding-scale, or out-of-pocket-fees.

Intensive Outpatient [Program]  (IOP), increases in the intensity of care, due to the severity of the individual case. Typically IOP will be held in a hospital, or an outpatient facility that specializes in IOP care. IOP spans over three days a week. During IOP clients meet with an onsite care team; a therapist, psychiatrist, dietitian, and registered nurse, are all on site to help the client throughout the day. Meals are given to the clients with varying meal plans (determined by the dietitian on a case by case basis), snacks, groups, and individual sessions are also given to the client. The client, however, may only be onsite for one meal or snack, which can be either during the day or at night.

Partial Hospitalization [Program] (PHP), is similar to IOP in which the client is at an onsite treatment center (with locations varying), however, the largest difference is the amount of time spent on site. PHP clients are typically within the facility five days a week, from 8:30am-3:30pm — a whole day of treatment with 2 meals, and 3 snacks; the client is left with only dinner to be eaten at home, and weekend meals. This is typically the level in which frum Jews try not to go beyond. This level of care provides a high intensity of treatment, while still allowing clients to go home, engage in their communities and religious practices, all while maintaining a sense of normalcy. This level of care can also be very difficult for those who have jobs, school, or other responsibilities inside or outside of the home. Dedicating 8 hours a day, 5 days a week to treatment, especially for adults, takes a lot of planning and dedication to care, of which may cause additional stress in the recovery process. The average length of stay can be less than a month, varying based on clinician recommendation and insurance approval.

Residential, a level of treatment clients and providers alike dread receiving referrals for, is the third highest level of care. Settings of residential care are usually in remote, forest-areas, and housed within — an actual house, made to give a home-y feeling while receiving care. The average length of stay can be between 6-9 weeks or longer depending on severity of the client’s case, clinician recommendation, and insurance approval. Clients are housed in the residential facility; assigned rooms (often with a roommate), an onsite care team, with round the clock medical supervision via registered nurses and or an onsite nurse practitioner. Similar to PHP, clients attend various groups, individual therapy, and have supervised meals 3 times a day with 2-3 snacks, with a customized meal plan decided upon by the dietitian on the clients’ arrival. Residential life can be a hard transition, socially, altering ones’ livelihood, leaving behind family and friends, and succumbing to a world of structure at the temporary sacrifice of one’s autonomy.

Inpatient, the second-highest level of care that is recommended when someone is not responding to a lower-level of care, or evidence treatments suggest a higher level of care would be the most appropriate for the client’s wellbeing. The client may be at high risk of suicide or requires strict treatment within a 24-hour medical and psychiatric facility. Treatment of severe eating disorder behaviors, medical complications, weight restoration, or treatment of co-occurring disorders are of focus in the inpatient setting. 

Acute Medical Stabilization, the highest level of care for someone suffering from an eating disorder. This is recommended for someone who is medically unstable, and is in significant danger. Focuses on the physical stabilization of the client, once this is achieved and maintained over a period of time, the client will be discharged to a lower level of care, typically inpatient services.