Background: The purpose of the presentation is to help bridge the gap between residential and outpatient dietary programs including a conversation regarding the misconceptions and controversies about the many different dietary meal plans and dietary approaches used in the treatment process. This presentation will outline dietary solutions for the successful transition of a client between the levels of care, increase the understanding for structured meal plans within residential treatment environments, differentiate between various meal plans and provide an explanation of the importance of dietary training for new dietitians entering private practice with a specialization in eating disorder care.
Objectives:
- Utilize knowledge regarding the "love/hate" relationship the client often has towards registered dietitians.
- Explain how dietary eating disorder recovery is about the food as it relates to nutrition healing, while also working within the confines of a “corporate” agenda within RTC care.
- Utilize knowledge for collaboration, compassion and care for all dietary approaches to meal planning and food/meal support in the recovery process.
- Outline the current Guidelines for RDs in Mental Health/ED Care – essentially, we do not have a Standard of Care to follow which leaves the field open to many different ideas
- Outline the positives and negatives
- Meal Plans Vs. Intuitive Eating Vs. Mindful Eating Vs. Plate Model Vs. Percentages, etc.
- Decreasing client confusion about why there are so many different approaches
- Transitioning between care (when meal planning methods are different)
- Working with client burn-out and confusion
- Identifying your clients’ individual nutrition “well-being” for recovery outcomes
- The role of the RD in ED care – treatment center “models”
- Growing roles for leadership and standardization – Nutrition Directors on the rise
- Pros and Cons for working within a “corporate” agenda
- Why transition through the levels of care is so effective (step down process)
- Working through professional burn-out and fatigue
- Working with conflicting methodologies within the treatment team (OP)
- Growing roles for leadership and standardization – Nutrition Directors on the rise
- Growing number of RDs in Private Practice
- Appeal! HAES, Meal Planning structure, care approaches/practices, schedule, autonomy in care practices
- Concerns: TX Centers need great RDs, consistency is key (training, young RDs, turnover)
- How to work with other RDs (or professionals) who don’t share your methodologies or beliefs regarding best nutrition care
The goals for this presentation are to explain dietary solutions for the successful transition of a client between the levels of care, increase the understanding for structured meal plans within residential treatment environments, differentiate between various meal plans and provide an explanation of the importance of dietary training for new dietitians entering private practice with a specialization in eating disorder care.
Megan is the Director of Nutrition for ViaMar Health in Florida and a Lecturer at Arizona State University teaching graduate and undergraduate courses; including the development of an eating disorders and addictions graduate course. Megan is an 11 year Certified yoga instructor, a Certified Eating Disorder Dietitian (CEDRD) and Approved Supervisor through the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals (iaedp). She additionally serves as the Chair Elect for the Behavioral Health Nutrition practice group through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and serves as the Phoenix Ambassador of the International Federation of Eating Disorder Dietitians.
Julia Cassidy is the Director of Dietary for Center for Discovery where she has worked for over 15 years. Julia is a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and a Licensed Body Positive facilitator. Julia is also the Co-Chair for the Nutrition SIG with AED (Academy for Eating Disorders. Julia has presented on the topic of eating disorders, food exposures in the treatment of eating disorders and intuitive eating both nationally and internationally. Through her passion of nutrition, food, positive body image and eating disorder recovery, Julia oversees 17 Dietitians nationwide and has developed the RD Manual in addition to updating the nutrition program, which focuses on using food exposure and response prevention, used with all clients in the adolescent residential programs at Discovery.
