Eating Disorders Day Treatment Program

The Eating Disorders Day Treatment Program is an intensive day treatment program located in the community.  We specialize in the treatment of eating disorders (including Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorders) for transitional aged youth.  

We provide individual and group care; our role in day treatment is to provide structure, support, and guidance.  You are responsible to do the work, which involves taking an active role in recovery.  Day treatment aims to provide intensive eating disorder treatment while allowing you to participate in other activities that are important to you such as work, school, and socializing. 

Registration for this program is done on a referral basis only. Referrals are accepted from physicians and nurse practitioners

For more detailed information on this program, please see our patient guide available here. 

What is day treatment?

Day treatment is a form of outpatient care.

  • Part 1 involves you spending half-days with our team (including a psychiatrist, nurse practitioner, therapist, and dietitian), Monday through Friday for 12 weeks. The program involves individual counselling, medical monitoring, group therapy, family/friend support, and meal support.
  • You may choose to opt into Part 2, which involves less frequent visits to further your treatment for 8 weeks, while encouraging you to apply skills in your usual life setting. 
What kind of treatment is offered?
  • Our therapy model is based on cognitive behavioural therapy enhanced (CBT-E) and dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)
  • These therapies address thoughts, behaviours, and how to regulate emotions that make it hard to overcome eating disorder symptoms
  • Nutrition care aims to normalize eating patterns and increase compassion and care around food and eating
  • Meal support (involving eating with our Day Treatment team) helps you to practice skills and to receive support and guidance along the way
  • Medical monitoring supports keeping you well and informed about how your health affects your day-to-day life.

Our Program Philosophy and goals are emphasized throughout the program:

  • Restore physical health (including normalization of eating and weight restoration)
  • Symptom interruption (e.g., interruption of bingeing, purging, restriction, excessive exercise)
  • Acquisition of recovery-oriented skills (e.g., mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness skills)
  • Improve participants’ quality of life.

Admission criteria 

We treat individuals (16-24 years old) who meet the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 (DSM-5) diagnostic criteria for moderate to severe Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa or other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorders. 

For individuals with a BMI below 16 or weight less than 80% predicted body weight using weight for age percentiles, we recommend a higher level of care for more intensive symptom interruption. If you are a health care provider and require assistance with accessing the appropriate level of care for individuals with a lower BMI or medical complications resulting from the eating disorder, please contact us for further information.

Please note that our program does not currently accept referrals for Binge Eating Disorder, rumination disorder, or Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).

Registration for this program is done on a referral basis only. Learn how to make a referral here. 

Intake Assessment Process

Upon receipt of referral to our program, an initial assessment will be completed to better understand the clients’ current difficulties and treatment needs before being placed on the waiting list.  Wait times will vary and will be discussed during the assessment process.  Please be aware that consultation notes will be sent to the referral source (typically the health care provider) unless otherwise instructed by the client.

All patients entering the program first receive a psychiatric assessment with our team psychiatrist, as well as an initial medical assessment by the nurse practitioner.  All patients will complete a baseline laboratory investigation including bloodwork.

Contact Us 

Phone
613-544-3400 ext. 2506
1-855-544-3400 (toll-free)

Fax
613-548-6007 (prescription renewal requests only)
613-545-1364 (referrals only)

Email
@email (referrals only)
@email (general inquiries)

Mailing Address 

190 Wellington Street, suite 302
Kingston, ON K7L 3E4