Residential Treatment Programs or Corporations

There are several posts in this blog about how to choose the level of treatment: hospital, residential program, day program or outpatient team. When residential seems to be the best option, choosing the right program has become increasingly difficult in recent years.

The trend in the residential treatment model in the last five years is concerning and creates a dilemma for families and clinicians. Venture capital companies have bought the most successful residential programs and aggressively expanded their reach in recent years. The increasingly corporate approach to eating disorder treatment combined with the shift in philosophy from clinical care to financial gain has greatly changed the landscape.

I don’t want to ignore the benefits though. There are many more programs accessible to patients and families than there were before. These new companies have tried to expand and replicate the successful treatment models created by the parent companies and founders. The resources for clinicians have multiplied greatly. For instance, the number of outpatient programs in the New York City metro area has multiplied several fold in the last decade.

The problem with the corporate takeover in the eating disorder treatment world is that a plethora of programs doesn’t increase the likelihood of recovery. The most successful programs created an environment of clinicians and programming that helped patients see the path of recovery. From the initial intake coordinator to every staff member of a program, each person had the clear motive of enabling recovery.

Now the staff and leadership of eating disorder programs are charged with building a company and, more importantly, a brand. The focus is to make sure clinicians know the outreach team and the name to increase referrals. Rather than hearing from the clinical staff, I am much more likely to be enticed to a free expensive dinner than to be lured by their clinical competence. Where does recovery fit into the business model?

For patients and families, the key to this decision is to learn about the individuals who run and work at each specific program. Even these financially driven companies hire excellent, caring clinicians. If those carers run an effective program, the clinical care will help people start down the road to recovery. Word of mouth can lead people to the best decisions for their care and hopefully drown out the flashy marketing that has unfortunately clouded those seeking help for their eating disorder.