Initial Evaluation
Program Overview
Program Times
Nutritional Rehabilitation
Individualized Treatment Plan
Individual and Group Therapy
Typical Daily Schedule
Visitation, Phone Calls, Internet and Mail
Medication and Medical Services
Family Involvement in Treatment
Discharge Planning and Continued Care
Cost: Economical and High Quality Care
Summary of Program Components

Initial Evaluation
Prior to admission to the Centre Syracuse Partial Hospital Program, a comprehensive clinical assessment is conducted with each program participant to gather information regarding the current symptom picture, the history of eating problems, health history, family history, current and prior medications, and overall emotional and physical health. Information is also obtained from standardized forms and questionnaires. It is important to have information from both interviews and questionnaires so that we do not overlook important details of your current situation or your history.

Partial Hospital Program Overview
The Partial Hospital Program (PHP) meets 7 hours a day, 5 days a week. It provides a safe, supportive, structured and nurturing environment that enables people suffering from eating disorders to address the main symptoms of the eating disorder as well as to identify and begin to resolve the emotional issues that have contributed to the development and maintenance of symptoms. Our experience in the past 10 years has shown that most individuals with serious eating disorders can be safely managed at the partial hospital level of care. See more on this.

Program Times

5 Days a Week (Monday through Friday)
7 Hours a Day (11:30 am to 6:30 pm)

Nutritional Rehabilitation
The Partial Hospital Program provides complete nutritional rehabilitation that historically occurred primarily in inpatient settings. The goal of this aspect of treatment is to help patients achieve and maintain a healthy body weight, as well as to develop appropriate eating patterns that will lead to true control over the eating process. A food plan is tailored to each patient’s individual needs and is supervised by a dietitian or a physician. Meal planning and meals are supervised by specially trained staff members. The Partial Hospital Program provides two meals and a snack Monday through Friday and program participants are assisted in developing a food plan for times outside of program hours and on the weekends.

Individualized Treatment Plan
In the first week, an individual treatment plan is developed for each program participant, who is assigned to one or two Centre Syracuse staff members to meet with individually. We encourage patients to express any concerns that they have about the treatment format so our staff can explain the rationale behind the various aspects of treatment. Ongoing medical needs are evaluated and addressed by a staff psychiatrist and consulting physician.

Individual and Group Therapy
The psychological therapy in the program involves a mix of individual and group therapy. It is tailored to meet the needs of each program participant based on our ongoing assessment of problems and progress. Group therapy led by experienced staff is strongly emphasized in the PHP program since it provides an opportunity for learning from interaction with other people suffering from eating disorders. The group format can play a valuable role in recovery by providing hope, reassurance, and understanding. Nevertheless, our approach is very flexible. We recognize that some people take longer than others to feel comfortable in groups and one of the aims of individual therapy is to work on overcoming some of the fears and inhibitions that some experience in a group setting.

Typical Daily Schedule

11:30 a.m.: Weigh-In & Lunch Preparation
12:00 p.m.: Supervised Lunch
1:00 p.m.: Group (either psycho-educational or psychotherapy)
2:30 p.m.: Break
2:45 p.m.: Supervised Snack
3:15 p.m.: Group (either psycho-educational or psychotherapy)
5:00 p.m.: Dinner Preparation & Dinner
6:00 p.m.: Post-Dinner Wrap-up Group and Activities
6:30 p.m.: Program Ends- (Participants move to an Independent Living apartment or commute home)

Visitation, Phone Calls, Internet and Mail
Centre Syracuse (CS) offers an independent living apartment within one mile of the CS campus that is a safe and comfortable living option for many women participating in the Partial Hospital Program. (more) Visits from family and friends are encouraged; however, it is best for this to be prearranged with the clinical staff. The aim is to make the visits beneficial for the program participant by considering all factors pertaining to their treatment goals and progress. Hotel accommodations are available within a five minute drive from Centre Syracuse. Centre Syracuse staff will assist with hotel accommodations.

A phone is available in the room in the independent living apartment. Calls should be made before or after program hours unless it is an emergency. Use of cell phones during program hours is not permitted.

Internet access is available for program participants living in the independent living quarters.

Mail is delivered and picked up at the front desk daily Monday through Friday.

Medication/ Medical Service
Medication/Somatic Service provides medical interventions including physical assessment, prescription, or supervision of medication(s). This service is aimed at educating patients who require medication so they may develop an understanding of their medication regimen and other health issues. These services are provided by our staff psychiatrist.

Family Involvement in Treatment
Program participants are encouraged to have some family involvement as part of treatment. Family meetings or therapy sessions may be scheduled regularly or periodically, depending on the plan for care that is developed with the patient and the treatment staff. This may change over the course of treatment.

Discharge Planning and Continuing Care
Discharge planning for the Centre Syracuse Eating Disorders Program begins upon admission. The treatment team works closely with each patient to set realistic goals for treatment and to develop a continuing care treatment plan. Aftercare involves a range of options, including weekly aftercare groups, relapse prevention therapy or phone follow-up to provide safeguards against relapse. We also assist patients and their families who need referrals for additional treatment or support in their home communities.

Cost: Economical and High Quality Care
The Centre Syracuse Partial Hospital Program (PHP) was designed to provide effective and high-quality care while at the same time being more affordable than inpatient hospitalization, the level of care typically recommended to those suffering from serious eating disorders. Centre Syracuse PHP was modeled after the River Centre Clinic, with its more than 10 years of experience and evidence from more than 600 new admissions to their program. Comparing the cost with typical inpatient programs indicates that the Partial Hospital Program can provide 10-12 weeks of highly specialized treatment for about the same overall costs as 10-14 days of typical inpatient treatment. This is because the PHP provides therapeutic services similar to inpatient programs; however, costly overnight stays are avoided. Moreover, treatment is 5 days a week rather than 7 days a week, and this translates into considerable savings during the course of treatment (a 20 day rather than a 30 day month). More on Costs Most insurance companies recognize partial hospitalization as the appropriate and cost effective level of care for most patients with eating disorders when treatment is delivered by highly experienced staff. The lower daily rates allow treatment to be of sufficient duration that it can have a much higher likelihood of success.

Click Here to See Guiding Principles of Treatment

Summary of Program Components

1.) Psychological assessment and medical evaluation.
2.) Education about biological and metabolic changes that occur with eating disorders.
3.) Individual counseling to identify the emotional, psychological and interpersonal factors that led to the development and maintenance of the eating disorder.
4.) Individualized treatment planning designed to identify treatment goals.
5.) Group counseling by specially trained staff who understand eating disorders.
6.) Nutritional counseling to provide education about healthy eating and nutritional myths.
7.) Structured eating (two meals and one snack daily) to facilitate the development of healthy, nutritious, and appropriate eating patterns.
8.) Monitoring of diet, weight, and medical status.
9.) Support from other program participants who also have eating disorders.
10.) Support and information for relatives of program participants.
11.) Family therapy and family support group.

Centre Syracuse is certified as a Partial Hospital Program by the New York State Office of Mental Health.