Post 7

This past Thursday I had the opportunity to visit the Rosewood Outpatient clinic. I also got to talk on the phone with the inpatient clinic, as touring wasn't possible unless I was an admitted patient.

What I found about the  clinic is that it is intensive outpatient therapy. Basically what this means is that patients come in a whopping 3 times a week for 3 hour sessions. Immediately after a patient from the inpatient center is discharged, they are sent to the outpatient clinic. The inpatient center is in Wickenburg, Arizona and the outpatient center is in Chandler, Arizona. The two are about 1.5 hours apart.

One of the biggest issues with inpatient is that insurance will only cover a patients stay for a certain period of time, rather than covering it until they're done. A bigger issue with outpatient therapy is that insurance usually doesn't cover it at all. The doctor at Rosewood outpatient told me he has experienced a very low relapse rate with this intensive therapy, but not everyone can afford it. All too often a patient would be discharged from the inpatient clinic and wouldn't be able to afford the outpatient treatment, so they fall back into the same cycles. The inpatient center has a beautiful location and lots of land, offering horse riding and art therapy.

Rosewood offers several different options. A patient doesn't have to do inpatient therapy to receive the outpatient program. The outpatient program also has options, intensive or non-intensive. Furthermore there are degrees of hospitalization as well, depending on the patient's needs. The programs are very much catered to the individual's needs and their general health. Before doing either Inpatient or Outpatient, patients are required to complete blood work so the doctor knows their general health.

Another cool aspect of Rosewood that isn't found everywhere is the Alumni program. Individuals that are finished with their treatment can still meet with the doctor once a week or biweekly or even just once a month to make sure they're still on the right path. Rosewood seems to be a community and the doctors and employees are very committed. The doctor told me that one of the most important thing in treating especially underage patients is getting the family involved. The doctor gets immediate family in a single session and makes sure they understand the course of the treatment, and how to be supportive. Also, there are group sessions that are anonymous that anyone can attend but is recommended for friends and family of someone suffering. Patients that attend "Eating Disorders Anonymous" do not have to be patients; many people go just to talk to people similar to them.

Rosewood is one of the biggest eating disorder treatment chains in the country, with a quite high success rate.