CHILD & ADOLESCENT
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Download Brochure (pdf) |
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Clinical Staff Bios (pdf) |
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Self-Evaluation |
A Thin Line (pdf) |
The Klarman Eating Disorders Center at McLean Hospital
Esther Dechant, MD, Medical Director
Patricia Tarbox, LICSW, Program Director
Founded with the generous support of the Klarman Family Foundation, the Klarman Eating Disorders Center at Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital provides state-of-the-art treatment for eating disorders in girls and young women ages 13 to 23. Housed in its own newly renovated building on the grounds of McLean, the Center provides a unique therapeutic environment that is conducive to recovery.
Treatment Team
The Center is comprised of a highly trained multidisciplinary team, many of whom are on the Harvard Medical School faculty. The staff consists of expressive therapists, nurses, nutritionists, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and teachers. The team members follow each patient throughout her course of treatment at McLean. Center clinicians and McLean staff are particularly skilled at treating co-existing conditions, such as substance abuse, depression, trauma-related disorders, anxiety disorders and other co-occurring psychiatric conditions.
Assessment, Treatment Planning and Therapeutic Modalities
Bowditch Building |
Treatment plans are individualized for patients at each level of care and are based on a contract with the patient, her family and the center staff. The plans are continually reviewed and re-negotiated as needed, and integrate the following:
- thorough initial psychiatric evaluation;
- medical history and physical examination;
- psychotherapeutic interventions for the individual and family;
- nutritional assessment and ongoing therapy;
- cognitive and dialectical behavior therapies;
- symptom management skills;
- ongoing psychiatric assessment, including medications;
- creative arts, vocational therapy and body image work;
- educational classroom through grade 12;
- social skills and interpersonal relationship training;
- relapse prevention, and
- close coordination of care and discharge planning with community-based treatment team.
A Continuum of Expert Care
A discussion group in the Klarman Center 
A bedroom in the Klarman Center |
The Residence
The Residence at the Klarman Center provides a supportive, highly structured environment that allows patients to take full advantage of all of the above treatment modalities. The Residence provides an attractive, home-like setting that offers both privacy as well as a strong sense of community. It is designed to help patients maximize their ability to use the full spectrum of available therapeutic services. The overall goals of a patient stay include improved symptom control, enhanced self-esteem and a greater sense of personal and family well being.
Partial Hospital
Partial hospital services are fully integrated into The Residence. At the partial hospital, the patient continues treatment during the day and through a supervised evening meal. Patients are then able to practice their newly acquired coping skills at home in the evening. The emphasis is on providing a smooth transition to home by learning and practicing the necessary skills that help reduce the potential for relapse and provide a sufficient level of stability for the patient to succeed in outpatient treatment.
Outpatient Treatment
Referrals are made to qualified clinicians to address psychiatric, psychological, nutritional and medical needs.
Helpful Links
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- Academy of Eating Disorders aedweb.org
- Anna Westin Foundation annawestinfoundation.org
- Eating Disorder Hope™ www.EatingDisorderHope.com
- Eating Disorder Resources www.bulimia.com
- Eating Disorder Resources: www.mirror-mirror.org/eatdis.htm
- Eating Disorders Online www.eatingdisordersonline.com
- Multi-service Eating Disorder Association www.medainc.org
- National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders anad.org
- National Eating Disorders Association www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/p.asp?WebPage_ID=337
- Newton Wellesley Eating Disorders and Behavioral Medicine www.nwedbmed.com
- The Gail R. Schoenbach F.R.E.E.D. Foundation freedfoundation.org
Information
For further information, call 617.855.3410 or fax 617.855.3409 or send an email to Klarmancenter@mclean.harvard.edu. McLean Hospital accepts Medicare, Blue Cross and many other private health insurances and managed care plans.
About McLean Hospital
U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks McLean Hospital the nation's top psychiatric hospital. McLean is the largest psychiatric clinical care, teaching and research facility of Harvard Medical School, an affiliate of the Massachusetts General Hospital and a member of Partners HealthCare.