When To Refer
Center for Discovery follows strict American Psychological Guidelines to the appropriate levels of care for treating teens struggling with eating disorder or dual diagnosis issues. Below is information on when to refer to adolescent residential treatment and medical complications associated with adolescent eating disorders.
It is often a difficult decision for Physicians, Psychiatrists, Therapist, Registered Dieticians and other professionals to decide on the critical point at which an adolescent needs to be referred to residential treatment. However, this moment is significant to the adolescent's recovery and one of the most important decisions a professional will make for his or her client. Therefore we have outlined a few suggestions on when to refer to residential treatment based on the American Psychological Association Guidelines to Levels of Care (June 2006).
When to Refer to Residential Treatment
- Failure to improve in an outpatient setting
- Inability to provide structured treatment or support system in the home environment
- Inability to stop maladaptive behaviors
- Resistant to treatment or help
- The motivation to recover including cooperativeness, insight, and ability to control obsessive thoughts is poor to fair
- Possible plan for suicide (or suicide ideation) but no intent
Eating Disorder Residential Treatment
If the client is generally <85% ideal body weight (for adolescents one of the determining factors is the rate of weight loss over time)
Client is medically stable to the extent that intravenous fluids, nasogastric tube feedings, or multiple laboratory tests are not needed
Has difficulty with desire to purge and needs supervision during and after all meals
Structure is needed for eating or gaining weight, and the adolescent needs supervision at all meals or will restrict eating
Inability to control amount of exercising