When choosing an eating disorder treatment center, especially for adolescents, it’s easy to get overwhelmed y all the questions about what treatment entails. What will the living situation be like? What kinds of treatment should I expect? How do I know this will all work? They’re seemingly endless, and none has a simple answer.
One way you can help to answer some of these questions is to look at the facility’s outcome data. This information outlines the effectiveness of the program’s efficacy in a macro sense by looking at the statistic about clients’ recoveries. Of course, these statistics can’t hope to tell the whole story – every person is different, and every eating disorder requires a different, individualized treatment plan. However, the data can provide some insights to people entering a treatment program, and that can help them make informed decisions about which program to enter.
Below, we’re outlining some of the results from our adolescent treatment programs at various locations throughout the United States. We encourage people looking for eating disorder treatment to ask about the outcome data at their potential choice; you should also speak to a representative to discuss the non-statistical aspects of the program. These might include details about the location, the amenities, the treatment philosophy, academics, and other important factors. With no further ado, here I some outcome data about Clementine programs that might help you decide:
Clementine Atlanta
- 97% of clients with Anorexia Nervosa – restricting demonstrated clinically significant weight gain and reported decreased urge to restrict.
- 100% of clients with Bulimia Nervosa reported improvement in or complete cessation of compensatory behaviors.
- 91% of all clients improved in eating disorder symptoms on the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDEQ) global score, 88% improved in trauma (based on improvement on PCL5 if they had PTSD at Admission), and 80% of clients improved on depression symptoms.
- 17% of clients received Cognitive Processing Therapy to relieve trauma symptoms and, of these, 88% demonstrated significant improvement in their trauma symptoms (as measured by PCL-5 scores) that could be considered remittance of symptoms.
Clementine Woodlands
- 95% of clients with Anorexia Nervosa – restricting demonstrated clinically significant weight gain and reported decreased urge to restrict.
- 100% of clients with Bulimia Nervosa reported improvement in or complete cessation of compensatory behaviors.
- 90% of all clients improved in eating disorder symptoms on the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDEQ) global score, 77% improved in trauma (based on improvement on PCL5 if they had PTSD at Admission), and 81% of clients improved on depression symptoms
- 60% of clients received Cognitive Processing Therapy to relieve trauma symptoms and, of these, 78% demonstrated significant improvement in their trauma symptoms (as measured by PCL-5 scores) that could be considered remittance of symptoms.
Clementine St. Louis
- 100% of clients with Anorexia Nervosa – restricting demonstrated clinically significant weight gain and reported decreased urge to restrict.
- 100% of all clients improved in eating disorder symptoms on the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDEQ) global score, 75% improved in trauma (based on improvement on PCL5 if they had PTSD at Admission), and 75% of clients improved on depression symptoms.
Our sister programs also track their outcome data; while they are not solely focused on adolescents like Clementine, they feature connected philosophies and methodologies in their programs. Here is some data from Monte Nido:
Monte Nido East Bay
- 77% of clients with Anorexia Nervosa – restricting demonstrated clinically significant weight gain and reported decreased urge to restrict.
- 100% of clients with Bulimia Nervosa reported improvement in or complete cessation of compensatory behaviors
- 88% of all clients improved in eating disorder symptoms on the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDEQ) global score, 87% of clients diagnosed with PTSD at admission improved in symptoms of trauma, and 91% of clients improved on depression symptoms.
- 35% of clients received CPT. Of these, 87% demonstrated significant improvement in their trauma symptoms (as measured by PCL-5 scores) that could be considered remittance of symptoms.
- 100% of clients with Binge Eating Disorder improved to the same extent as clients with other diagnoses on measures of eating disorder symptom severity, quality of life, and depression.
Monte Nido Chicago
- 76% of clients with Anorexia Nervosa – restricting demonstrated clinically significant weight gain and reported decreased urge to restrict.
- 91% of clients with Bulimia Nervosa reported improvement in or complete cessation of compensatory behaviors
- 96% of all clients improved in eating disorder symptoms on the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDEQ) global score, 92% of clients diagnosed with PTSD at admission improved in symptoms of trauma, and 85% improved in depression symptoms.
- 32% of clients received Cognitive Processing Therapy to relieve trauma symptoms and, of these, 86% demonstrated significant improvement in their trauma symptoms (as measured by PCL-5 scores that could be considered remittance of symptoms.
Monte Nido Roxbury Mills
- 70% of clients with Anorexia Nervosa – restricting demonstrated clinically significant weight gain and reported decreased urge to restrict.
- 100% of clients with Bulimia Nervosa reported improvement in or complete cessation of compensatory behaviors.
- 97% of all clients improved in eating disorder symptoms on the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDEQ) global score, 82% % of clients diagnosed with PTSD at admission improved in symptoms of trauma, and 86% of clients improved on depression symptoms.
- 19% of clients received Cognitive Processing Therapy to relieve trauma symptoms and, of these, 79% demonstrated significant improvement in their trauma symptoms (as measured by PCL-5 scores) that could be considered remittance of symptoms.
What Treatment Looks Like Beyond the Data
For people, especially adolescents, entering a residential eating disorder treatment program, the immediacy of the situation takes precedence over lists of data and figures. As wonderful as it is to know how effective the program is in a clinical sense, what often matters more is what the day-to-day or even minute-to-minute experience will be like. Parents also have various concerns and questions about the treatment experience.
To that end, Clementine Programs is devoted to providing as much information as possible to potential clients and their families. Our admissions specialists are also available to provide detailed answers about the admissions process, the facilities, nutrition, academics, and financial considerations and insurance. Here are some of the things to expect from a Clementine treatment program:
Academics and Education
It’s important not to let residential treatment interfere with your life more than it has to; although clients will need to take a leave of absence from work or school, there are often ways to alleviate the disruption. For adolescents, the worry is often that they will fall behind in academics. At Clementine, we believe in preparing our clients for returning to daily life, and academics is a big part of that. Clients can expect:
- Two hours of daily work on content areas
- Personalized education plan with state-certified educators on-site
- Ongoing, weekly communication and coordination with parents and schools
- Referrals to specialty tutors available on request
- School and life balance and college readiness
- A successful return to an adolescent’s home academic environment.
- Consideration of covid-related coordination with home schools
Nutrition
Restoring one’s connection to food and eating is paramount for a full recovery. At Clementine, we base our nutrition programming on mindful eating with a focus on the developmental needs of the individual. Using principles of mindful eating, we normalize food and eating, offering therapeutic opportunities to utilize family support and increase autonomy in recovery. Here are some of the nutritional aspects of our program to expect:
- Kitchens that are open and accessible as in a home-like setting; at any time throughout the day, individuals can request and be provided with more food for satiety
- Recognition that healthy, recovered people come in all shapes and sizes
- Recognition that all bodies deserve to be nourished and experience satiety
- Behavior-focused, rather than weight-focused, philosophies
- Belief that weight loss attempts and focus are contraindicated for recovery from all eating disorder diagnoses
Family Involvement
Treatment is focused on the individual to be sure. However, those closest to an adolescent in treatment must also be involved in the process. Because of this, families are a fundamental part of orientation. From meeting with the treatment team upon arrival, to learning what the more encompassing plan for care will be. This “family roadmap” provides an understanding of how the family component is integrated into the program and what the client and family can expect:
- Weekly family therapy (on-site or remote)
- Weekly multi-family group (on-site)
- Parent education program every other weekend (on-site) | Psychoeducational seminar | Parent-only support group | Nutrition planning, meal preparation, portioning, and behavior management skills
- Varied and individualized exposure opportunities to practice meals and support the reintegration of the adolescent into family mealtimes after discharge
Treatment for Eating Disorders at Clementine Programs
We hope that we’ve been able to provide some helpful information about the effectiveness and experience of treatment at Clementine programs. If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with an eating disorder and are looking for treatment, we hope you consider our programs and learn as much as you can before making your decision. You can see more about the program here, and more research data here. We’re always available to talk you through the admissions process; our admissions specialists can be reached at +1 (888) 228-1253. We hope to hear from you and help you begin your journey to a full recovery.