Intensive Outpatient Programs

The Pediatric and Adolescent Eating Disorders Center at Atlantic Health System Children's Health offers intensive outpatient programs for adolescents ages 13 to 21 and children ages 8 to 12 who are either receiving care for the first time or have graduated from our partial hospitalization program.

Eating disorders treatment consists of:

• Medical monitoring – The physical complications of an eating disorder are assessed through daily weight measurements, vital signs and medical evaluations.
• Nutritional counseling – A registered dietitian helps patients select their meals and assists parents with meal planning and coaching techniques they can use at home.
• Group psychotherapy – Therapist-led groups emphasize psychoeducation and skill building.
• Multifamily group therapy – Both parents and patients join therapist-led groups that focus on learning behaviors that support recovery.
• Multifamily meals – Parents and patients eat together in a therapeutic environment. Therapists and nutritionists are on hand to provide coaching and assist with meal portioning, supervision and interruption of eating disordered behaviors.
• Therapeutic supervised meals – Patients eat snacks and meals together in a therapeutic environment. Mental health assistants, therapists and dietitians are on hand to provide supervision and coaching and assist with the interruption of eating disordered behaviors.

Individual therapy and psychiatric care may be provided depending on a patient’s individualized treatment plan. Physician services are provided by Atlantic Medical Group and are on staff at Goryeb Children's Hospital.

Parents are required to join multifamily meals and multifamily groups, as well as attend Family-Based Treatment and nutrition sessions.