Legislative Gudieline 5

Within the selected service area, the Comprehensive Care Center for Eating Disorders will sponsor programs that increase the awareness, early identification and treatment of eating disorders.

Discussion:

Article 27-J requires Centers to conduct community education, prevention and information and referral activities.

Through increasing public awareness and prevention activities, the Centers will increase knowledge necessary for the early identification of individuals who may develop or have developed eating disorders. Early identification is beneficial to earlier recovery and can lead to the early identification and subsequent treatment of common co-morbidities such as depression, anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder.

Community Education

Comprehensive Care Centers for Eating Disorders will provide and coordinate community education programs and access to resources addressing the range of disordered eating behaviors and eating disorders. The aim of these programs is to make the public aware of the problem of eating disorders in the community, review risk factors and warning signs, and inform the community about resources for preventing and obtaining treatment for eating disorders. Community programs should include specific outreach to parents, teachers, coaches, dance instructors, school nurses, athletic trainers and others frequently in contact with children, adolescents, and young adults, as well as lending libraries and up to date Web based materials. In addition, Comprehensive Care Centers for Eating disorders will broadly disseminate information regarding referral mechanisms to New York State's regional Centers.

The Comprehensive Care Centers will sponsor programs for the education of primary care practitioners in the community including pediatricians, mental health professionals, general/family practitioners, dentists and other health care providers who may come in contact with individuals suffering from eating disorders. The goal of these programs will be to increase health care provider knowledge of eating disorders, their signs and symptoms, methods of early identification, and available treatment and referral options. The Comprehensive Care Centers for Eating Disorders will provide telephone consultation to community providers about the identification and diagnosis of eating disorders. The Centers will also maintain educational resources that may be used by community providers to increase their knowledge.

Formal and informal linkages between community providers and the Comprehensive Care Center are encouraged to ensure prompt referral and treatment for individuals identified as having or potentially having an eating disorder.

Prevention Programs

The Centers will also implement and coordinate population-based prevention strategies for children and adolescents. These programs will be practice guideline based or designed around promising prevention strategies. Evaluation of these programs will be an integral part of the Centers' research and evaluation activities.

Information and Referral

The Centers will serve as a resource for health and mental health providers, school personnel parents and the public, providing information about the prevention and treatment of eating disorders. Information and referral is particularly important for parents and concerned others of persons who have not yet entered treatment to facilitate entry into the care system. Individualized information and referral will be available by phone or in person during business hours.