Alsana's Adaptive Care Model® for Eating Disorder Treatment Outperforms Traditional Treatment Models

The Adaptive Care Model, the blueprint that guides Alsana's holistic approach to care, achieves superior results in reducing the severity of eating disorders symptoms.

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Alsana

Feb 25, 2021, 08:51 ET

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Feb. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Alsana is an eating disorder treatment provider and community with in-person programs in Alabama, California, and Missouri and virtual PHP/IOP programs that serve clients throughout the United States. 2019 and 2020 treatment outcomes data, free to download here, show that these programs, which are designed in alignment with Alsana's Adaptive Care Model, outperform traditional treatment models with more favorable client outcomes as measured by change in eating disorder symptoms from admission to discharge.

Alsana's treatment programs deliver individualized care for clients experiencing a spectrum of eating disorders and co-occurring conditions. The Adaptive Care Model's multidimensional approach to treatment provides healing in all areas of clients' lives through medical, therapeutic, and nutritional care, as well as relational and movement dimensions. Path analysis studies demonstrated that each of these dimensions contribute significantly in reducing eating disorders symptoms.

The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), which is used to evaluate improvement in eating disorder symptoms overall, showed that Alsana clients in 2019 and 2020 demonstrated statistically significant improvement in eating disorder symptoms from admission to discharge (p<.001) with an effect size of .542. These data speak to the effectiveness of the Adaptive Care Model as a whole and notably highlight the positive impact of movement and self-compassion interventions in treatment

The movement dimension, led by Brian Cook, PhD, Vice President of Movement, Research & Outcomes, is just one feature setting Alsana's programs apart. Traditionally, exercise has not been included as a core component in the treatment of eating disorders, given that many eating disorder clients' relationships with exercise at admission are not conducive to their recovery and healing. However, "movement can be an enjoyable and life-giving part of one's recovery," said Cook. "Clients with the medical appropriateness to explore movement need tools, support, and guidance from their treatment team if they are to successfully and safely reincorporate it after treatment." The movement dimension supports clients as they mend their relationships with movement so that eventually, should they choose to exercise, their motivation for doing so will be rooted in self-compassion, not a sense of shame or obligation.

The impact of the relational dimension, led by Amber Claudon, LICSW, CEDS, is measured by the Self Compassion Scale and is distinctive in that it ties all dimensions of the Adaptive Care Model together, creating a matrix to promote recovery. This dimension holds Alsana's commitment to providing healing for all, including families and clients who are members of marginalized groups such as the LGBTQ+ community, for whom access to care tends to be severely limited. More than 30 percent of Alsana's clients identify as LGBTQ+. When surveyed, 92 percent of LGBTQ+ clients in 2019 and 2020 said they would recommend Alsana to others, and 99 percent said they felt their sexual identity was respected and affirmed during treatment.

While Alsana's movement and relational dimensions reflect some of the more unique aspects of Alsana's care, the effectiveness of the Adaptive Care Model is not a function of one dimension or another. Alsana's exemplary treatment outcomes are a result of multidimensional synergy. Leadership and treatment teams work collaboratively to develop, train, and create consistency across all programs and locations. The medical dimension, led by Chief Medical Officer Margherita Mascolo, MD, CEDS and Chief Nursing Officer Lyn Goldring, RN, CEDRN, focuses on helping clients build health resilience to create a strong physical foundation for full recovery. The therapeutic dimension, led by Nicole Siegfried, PhD, CEDS-S, Chief Clinical Officer, helps clients explore the root causes of their eating disorders in a phased approach that allows for trust-building and connection. And the nutrition dimension, led by Tammy Beasley, RDN, CEDRD-S, CSSD, LD, VP of Clinical Nutrition Services, strengthens clients' nourishment-related life skills and helps to replace fear and avoidance with permission and progress.

MEDIA CONTACT

Jordan Watson
Chief Growth Officer
310-362-6526
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About Alsana
Alsana® is an eating recovery community that offers holistic, compassionate treatment that focuses on the total health and overall wellness of each individual client. Alsana's data-driven, evidence-based treatment is built on the foundation of the Adaptive Care Model®, a five-point approach that supports clients in every area of their lives by integrating medical, nutritional, and therapeutic care with movement and relational therapies. Alsana is proud to treat a broad spectrum of eating, feeding, and co-occurring disorders and serves all genders, members of the LGTBQ+ community, vegan clients, and, in 2019, they announced programming for clients with ED-DMT1, also known as "diabulimia." Alsana offers care at the residential, day patient, and intensive outpatient levels of care in California, Missouri, and Alabama. Alsana is also proud to offer virtual PHP and IOP services to clients across the United States. Learn more about Alsana's holistic recovery experience at alsana.com or call 310-362-6526. You can also follow Alsana on social media: