About this course
As individuals with eating disorders increasingly seek greater flexibility and convenience in their treatment, providers are facing increasingly complex clinical and treatment challenges. Some clients prefer virtual care, others want in-person treatment, and many seek hybrid models that offer both. Simultaneously, a widely reported trend across the field shows individuals presenting with higher acuity than ever before. Clinicians in both outpatient and higher levels of care are encountering more cases where individuals or families express interest in treatment options that may not match the intensity required for the clinical severity of illness. Often, clients are unable-or unwilling-to engage in the level of care indicated by best practice standards.
This raises difficult questions for providers:
-Should we adhere strictly to established level-of-care guidelines, such as those from the American Psychiatric Association, the REDC, or the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine?
-Should we offer less intensive options in response to client preference, even if they fall short of clinical recommendations?
-Can we find a middle ground that preserves clinical integrity while increasing flexibility?
-What lessons can we learn from other areas of behavioral health and medicine?
This panel features three seasoned clinical leaders from a multidisciplinary treatment team who will share their real-world experiences navigating these questions. They will present their program's efforts to design and implement flexible care pathways that maintain clinical rigor while honoring client and family preferences. The session will include insights from data on client preferences, reflections on staff training needs, and discussion of the complex balance between meeting clients where they are and delivering clinically sound care. Audience participation will be encouraged throughout the session to foster shared learning and community dialogue around these timely and challenging issues.
