Child and Youth Eating Disorders Program

Michael Garron Hospital’s (MGH) Child and Youth Eating Disorders Program provides care to patients between the ages of 12 and 18 (new referrals accepted up to 17 years, 6 months), in the MGH catchment area, who are struggling with an eating disorder. Two levels of care are offered for eating disorder treatment: outpatient services (Child and Youth Eating Disorders Outpatient Clinic) and intensive outpatient services (NourishED Pathways).

Our treatment philosophy

Our program is committed to delivering evidence-based treatment with a patient and family-centered approach to support the recovery process. We strive towards providing the most appropriate level of care to best address the treatment of the eating disorder and facilitate a return to physical, psychological and functional well-being. 

To learn more about our services, please see the descriptions below. 

child and youth eating disorders outpatient CLINIC

The Child and Youth Eating Disorders Outpatient Clinic offers regular visits, typically involving family therapy with a specialized therapist and medical monitoring by an adolescent medicine provider. Services may also include:

• Individual therapy
• Nutritional support
• Psychiatric consultation

A referral is required to join this program. Referral forms should be completed in full by a physician. 

nourished pathwayS 

NourishED Pathways provides additional on-site and at-home support to patients who require more intensive management for their eating disorder. The program operates Monday through Friday, including one day on-site. Services may include:

• All Child and Youth Eating Disorders Outpatient Clinic supports (listed above)
• Home instruction with a Toronto Catholic District School Board teacher
• Home support with a Child and Youth Counsellor
• On-site group programming including meal support, academic support, psycho-education and skill building

A referral is required to join this program. Referral forms should be completed in full by a physician. 

REFERRALS

In order to be assessed for admission to the Child and Youth Eating Disorder Program, patients must be referred by a physician or nurse practitioner. Referral forms can be submitted via OCEAN e-referral.  If you do not have access to OCEAN, the referral form can be downloaded from the right column of this page.

Once a complete referral has been received and accepted, patients will be offered a consultation appointment in the form of a focused assessment with an interdisciplinary team. This appointment will help the team understand the nature and severity of a patient’s eating disorder and determine a treatment plan (if applicable). Patients will be triaged according to need for care and, if they accept the treatment recommendations, will be placed on a waiting list. Patients will be contacted as soon as a spot becomes available.

We accept eReferrals from Primary Care!  Find us on the OCEAN Health Map.

Ocean eReferral Sign up

If you are a primary care provider and want to sign up for OCEAN eReferral, complete the online quick form or email @email.

Resources

Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre 

The Kelty Mental Health Resources Centre offers reliable and evidence-based information and resources for eating disorders. The Centre’s YouTube channel offers a number of excellent resource videos on meal support and developing a greater understanding of eating disorders and their treatment.

F.E.A.S.T. - Families Empowered and Supporting Treatment of Eating Disorders

F.E.A.S.T. is an international non-profit organization for caregivers of loved ones suffering from eating disorders. F.E.A.S.T.’s mission is to support caregivers by providing information and mutual support, promote evidence-based treatment and advocate for research and education to reduce the suffering associated with eating disorders.

About Kids Health – The Hospital for Sick Children of Toronto

• Anorexia Nervosa: Overview 
• Anorexia Nervosa: Signs & Symptoms
• Anorexia Nervosa: Medical Complications

Maudsley Parents

Maudsley Parents is a volunteer organization based on the Maudsley Approach for Family Based Therapy.

Books:

• Help Your Teenager Beat an Eating Disorder
  James Lock, MD, PhD and Daniel le Grange, PhD
• When Your Teen Has an Eating Disorder: Practical Strategies to Help Your Teen Recover from Anorexia, Bulimia and Binge Eating Disorder
  Dr. Lauren Muhlheim
• Help for Eating Disorders: A Parent’s Guide to Symptoms, Causes and Treatment
  Dr. Debra Katzman and Dr. Leora Pinhas
• A Parent’s Guide to Defeating Eating Disorders
  Dr. A. Boachie and Karin Jasper
• Brave Girl Eating: A Family’s Struggle with Anorexia
  Harriet Brown