Partial Hospitalization Programs

The Pediatric Eating Disorders Center at Atlantic Health System Children's Health offers partial hospitalization programs for adolescents ages 13 to 21 children ages 8 through 12.

Eating disorders treatment in our partial hospitalization programs includes:

• 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.
• Individual psychotherapy – Patients meet regularly with a licensed therapist to learn skills for managing eating disorders and related symptoms that may be interfering with daily functioning.
• Group psychotherapy – Therapist-led groups emphasize psychoeducation and skill building.
• Psychiatric care – A psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner provide regular support and medication management, if necessary.
• Family-Based Treatment
• 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.
• Parent skills groups – Our multidisciplinary eating disorders team provides psychoeducation lessons. Additionally, parents of recovered patients return to offer encouragement and support.
• Creative arts therapy – Patients express their emotions through music and art therapy groups.
• Yoga – Our staff is trained in the techniques of child yoga exercises.
• Pet therapy – Visits from therapy animals reduce stress and help the healing process.
• Education and school services

Parents are required to join multifamily meals and multifamily groups, participate in a parent skills group, and attend weekly Family-Based Treatment and nutrition sessions. Physician services are provided by Atlantic Medical Group and are on staff at Goryeb Children's Hospital.