Our Treatment Philosophy

The goal of treatment for an eating disorder is to help the individual normalize eating patterns and restore physical health. This involves gaining insight into the reasons an eating disorder has developed and learning healthy alternative coping skills. Family therapy is focused on understanding the dynamics of the eating disorder and how to support the process of recovery. The presence of other mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder and history of traumatic life experiences are considered and addressed.

We organize treatment interventions to assist individuals through stages of readiness to change. These interventions help the individual and their family take the steps necessary to move from denial to a more action-based stage of change. While complete recovery is always the goal of a particular treatment episode, the challenging nature of eating disorders has underscored the reality that, at times, a more realistic goal or outcome is movement over one or two stages toward action.

The length of time an individual spends in each phase of treatment varies, but is largely dependent upon illness severity, motivation and ability to normalize nutrition. Normalizing nutrition and increasing motivation is the initial focus of treatment, particularly when the patient views their eating disorder as a solution, instead of the problem. Once motivation increases, treatment can then proceed to goals such as increasing insight into the factors contributing to the eating disorder and learning alternative coping patterns.

Multidisciplinary Team Approach

The Children's Hospital in Denver has provided a comprehensive, multidisciplinary team approach for the treatment of eating disorders since 1988. Children's provides the only program in the Rocky Mountain region with the ability to manage medically complicated patients with severe eating disorders from childhood through the young adult years.

Our specialized focus on the needs of adolescents, young adults, and their families is achieved with a multidisciplinary team consisting of adolescent medicine specialists, psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, nutritional therapists, social workers, child life specialists, and learning specialists.

Our program is designed to help teenagers and their families cope with—and eventually overcome—the presence of an eating disorder in their lives.

• The goal of our treatment program is to help patients regain their health and gain an understanding of why an eating disorder has become part of their life.
• Our program includes the outpatient consultation clinic, intensive outpatient services, a day treatment program, inpatient medical care, and inpatient psychiatric care. The treatment team includes providers from pediatrics, psychiatry, nutrition, psychology, and therapeutic recreation.
• During the early stages of treatment, when eating symptoms are out of control, the adolescent may require a therapeutic environment to provide structure and self-regulation. The level of care needed varies depending on the severity of the eating disorder symptoms and associated medical problems.
• Inpatient hospitalization becomes necessary when life-threatening behaviors need to be monitored and interrupted. Once an individual becomes medically stable (usually with improved cardiac functioning), the adolescent may be able to benefit from a day treatment program and intensive outpatient services. Sometimes, extended inpatient care is needed to sustain progress.
• Improvement of symptoms usually occurs when the individual with the eating disorder and their family have gained significant insight into the role of the illness in their lives and are motivated to explore different coping strategies.

Parent Involvement in Treatment

Our program is focused on helping parents learn the skills they need to help their child. Parent participation in the program is required, and it is optimal if siblings are also actively involved in treatment.

Parents work together with the dietician to learn meal planning and are responsible for the daily meal plan for their child. In addition, they attend parent groups at 4 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. There is a parent nutrition group on Monday afternoon, focused on gaining skills to use during meal support and supervision. Multifamily group on Tuesday afternoon is an interactive forum where families work together to understand the impact of the eating disorder on their family. In the Wednesday afternoon parent support and skills group, parents gain support and awareness of what it takes to help a child with an eating disorder, and how to take care of themselves as well.

In addition to parent groups and nutrition support, parents also have meals with their child in the program, attend family therapy and are an active part of the treatment team.

Financial Responsibility

Many insurance policies cover medical and psychiatric treatment for individuals with eating disorders. Please consult your policy regarding the specific terms. A referral from the child’s primary care provider is often necessary prior to initiating care at The Children’s Hospital. Limitations within individual policies may lead to expenses beyond insurance coverage. Financial counselors are available to assist families with questions in this area. Our intake and case management staff work with families regarding the complexities of insurance reimbursement and financial expectations for treatment.

Requesting an Appointment

The Eating Disorders Program at The Children's Hospital can be accessed in several ways. If you live in the local area, make an appointment with your primary care provider. Explain the issues and ask for a referral. Have your primary care physician check height, weight in hospital gown, laying down heart rate, and electrolytes. This will help determine whether immediate hospitalization is necessary and the urgency of scheduling an appointment.

If you would like to contact us to discuss concerns about your child, please call (720) 777-6452. Please have the following information available:

• Child’s current weight, height and weight history
• Past and current eating patterns
• Other symptoms or behaviors you are concerned about
• Routine exercise habits
• Medications
• Current care providers (MD, therapist, nutritionist, etc.)