| Valenta Treatment Programs
The Valenta program provides treatment to assist adolescents (female and male) and adults (female only) struggling with:
Anorexia Nervosa (AN)
Bulimia Nervosa (BN)
Various manifestations of these illnesses (medical and behavioral)
Program levels and duration:
Our program offers three levels of care to meet the needs of adults and adolescents:
Program length is variable for each individual patient. We tailor our program to meet the needs of patients but, on average, PHP is four to six weeks and IOP is four to six weeks.
The medical director, staff and patients work together as a team to challenge these complex and dangerous illnesses. Most importantly, Valenta's approach is to build and restore mental and physical health as well as address the symptoms of the eating disorder and empower the patient.
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
Five days a week, Seven hours a day
Valenta's Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) is appropriate for those who meet APA criteria and have limited medical compromise as determined by the medical director. (Higher Level of Care Link) PHP may also be appropriate for those who have completed a medical stabilization, inpatient or residential program already. It is very important to understand that most individual's qualify for at least this level of care during the initial period of their treatment and that it does not require any "failure" of prior outpatient treatment! The patient enters into treatment at this level of care for intensive assessment and stabilization in the outpatient or home setting. PHP assists the patient in establishing the appropriate therapeutic connection with staff and peers. This structured program includes, but is not limited to, various individual and group therapies, and supervised snacks and meals. The medical director and staff closely supervise the patient's care as they resume their nutritional intake, which can be life threatening. For those stepping down from a higher level of care, we assist in supervising the transition to the more demanding and stressful experiences of daily living. The patient and the Valenta team work together to identify the impact, consequences, and distortions of the Eating Disorder.
Click here for additional information
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
Five days a week, Four hours a day
At this level of care, the focus moves to internalizing concepts of health and applying them to the actual challenges faced in daily life. Valenta's Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) includes highly developed therapy, a meal and snack, and other therapeutic activities. Attendance decreases, gradually reducing the number of days in program, as the patient integrates back into their daily lives. The patient will continue to participate in the core components of individual and group treatment. As the patient reduces time at the clinic, they are assisted in reintegrating into school, work or family life, while practicing using the tools and skills they've learned in the program. Support from Valenta can then be specifically tailored to meet the challenges or obstacles that arise during reintegration. This is also the time where patients set up outpatient/aftercare appointments to help ensure continuity of care.
Aftercare Program
Outpatient therapy and treatment
Individual therapy 30 to 180 minutes
Valenta alumni social activities
Additional events to promote and maintain health
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)/Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
Check-in: Vitals are recorded every morning prior to breakfast upon arrival. Weights are checked twice weekly for PHP and once a week for IOP. Patients then complete a questionnaire regarding the previous evening and/or weekend, and any current concerns.
Self-care and Body Concepts: Patients learn about and examine:
- Cultural and social messages regarding gender
- Body expectations and beauty
- The connection between one's view of their body and self-defeating thoughts
- Self-care skills
- The acceptance of the body as having a function beyond appearance
Process groups: Group therapy allows patients to experience the 12 Therapeutic Factors cited by Irvin Yalom: To increase recognition and regulation of mood, to express internalized pain, and to receive support and share accountability with peers. Process groups are a key therapeutic factor within the program to decrease the isolation and shame often associated with eating disorders.
Nutrition: The Registered Dietitian (RD) meets with the patient for individual and family sessions throughout the week. The RD assists to improve the patient's knowledge about nutrition and metabolism as well as working to dispel the overwhelming amount of faulty information and "myths" that are pushed on each of us day to day. The patient learns about the nutritional needs of the body and brain, nutrition myths, restaurant eating, grocery shopping, meal planning and preparation, social eating, and health and exercise. The RD is present and available to the patients throughout the week and is present at most meals to help facilitate the patient's recovery.
Meal Planning: The patient completes and submits program menus for the coming week. The dietitian reviews the individualized meal plans and addresses any questions and/or concerns. Meal plans, including portion sizes, are based on each individual's physical welfare and mental health. The goal is a collaborative relationship between the patient and the treatment team.
Meals and Snacks:
- Breakfast: Individuals in the PHP level of care and staff sit together in a calm and relaxing atmosphere preparing for the day. Breakfast is an extremely important meal as it brings us out of our resting state and gears us up for the metabolic demands of the day. At Valenta, our goal is to help increase the variety of practical breakfast foods patients will actually be able to obtain and prepare independently.
- Lunch: This is a time when all the participants, both PHP and IOP, challenge and overcome the fears of social eating. During the treatment process, patients will be accompanied (escorted and supervised) to nearby restaurants to address challenges of choosing and eating meals in a public setting. Patients have time after lunch to write in their journal, complete assignments and/or to take a walk.
- Snacks: Patients often struggle between meals to regulate their intake, especially over longer periods of time during a day. To meet dietary requirements, those who have restricted intake often benefit from nutrition evenly distributed throughout the day. For patients with bulimia, snacks reduce the tendency to binge.
Valenta offers multiple levels of care and services for the patient and their support network (parents, guardians, siblings, spouses, children, etc.) to help the patient resume normal life and activity. These services include, but are not limited to, working with the Registered Dietitian for meal planning, meeting with the therapist for individual, family, and group therapy, or working directly with the medical director for treatment of additional complex disorders.
For more information on treatment and modalities click here.
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