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Eating Recovery Center and Pathlight Behavioral Health Centers Open New Ill. Children and Teen Center

August 7, 2019
Eating Recovery Center (ERC) along with sister brand, Pathlight Behavioral Health Centers (Pathlight), leaders in best-in-class treatment for eating disorders and mental health disorders, announce their new Northbrook, Illinois location.

CHICAGO, Aug. 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Eating Recovery Center (ERC) along with sister brand, Pathlight Behavioral Health Centers (Pathlight), leaders in best-in-class treatment for eating disorders and mental health disorders, announce their new Northbrook, Illinois location. The 34,845 square-foot center at 4201 Lake Cook Road, is 20 miles from Chicago, is easily accessible from O'Hare Airport and is 90 minutes from Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan.  

"This is the first generation growing up with social media – and it's taking a toll. Cyberbullying and social media depicting 'perfect lives and bodies', combined with increased pressure, affects their mental health. The number of children and teens hospitalized for suicidal thoughts or attempts has more than doubled since 2008," says Ellen Astrachan-Fletcher, PhD, FAED, CEDS-S, Regional Managing Clinical Director. "We need to help our youth find paths to emotional and physical wellness."

ERC and Pathlight offer two programs for children and teens ages 10-17. ERC provides comprehensive eating disorder treatment for anorexia, bulimia nervosa, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, binge eating disorder and related disorders. Pathlight provides specialized mood, anxiety and trauma-related disorder treatment. Both programs are covered by most major insurance plans.

To meet the growing need for comprehensive treatment, the location includes 18 beds for eating disorders and 18 for mood and anxiety treatment. This residential care serves the increasing need for treatment programs that prevent crisis intervention at hospitals and emergency rooms. 

Young people ages 15-24 with anorexia have 10 times the risk of dying compared to their peers. Unfortunately, only about a third of people with an eating disorder ever receive treatment. Eating disorders can be successfully treated. The earlier they receive treatment, the greater likelihood of full recovery.

As foremost leaders in mental health psychiatry, psychology and medicine, ERC and Pathlight understand parents entrust them with their child's wellbeing. They take this responsibility to heart and commit to providing the very best patient care, including:

  • A compassionate care team that coordinates therapeutic, psychiatric, medical and dietary needs of each patient
  • Evidence-based psychotherapy treatment, with emphasis on practicing newly-learned skills
  • An education specialist who oversees patients' studies
  • Family education, skills building, and support
  • All levels of care under one roof for a seamless transition to different levels with the same care team

"We are experts in treating children and teens, including those with complex illnesses and co-occurring disorders. Everything we do is rooted in evidence-based treatment customized to their unique needs," explains Anne Marie O'Melia, MS, MD, FAAP, Chief Medical Officer. "Families are an essential part of the treatment process. Our robust programming empowers families to become agents of change and healing," Dr. O'Melia continues. While their loved one is in our care, we also equip caregivers with the skills and knowledge they need to effectively parent their child when they return home."

In addition to Northbrook, ERC and Pathlight provide treatment for children and teens at 18 locations in California, Colorado, Illinois, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas and Washington. 

ERC and Pathlight will close their original Northbrook treatment center, moving all Partial Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient programming for children, teens and adults to the new location. Housing will be available for out-of-town families with a child in Residential or Partial Hospitalization care.

About Eating Recovery Center and Pathlight Behavioral Health Centers 
Eating Recovery Center is the only national, vertically integrated, health care system dedicated to the treatment of serious eating and related disorders at any stage of the illness. ERC offers best-in-class treatment programs for all patients struggling from anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder and related disorders.

Pathlight Behavioral Health Centers offers specialized treatment for mood, anxiety and trauma-related disorders.  Both programs treat adults, children and teens and offer multiple levels of care, including Residential, Partial Hospitalization Program, and Intensive Outpatient Program.   Led by the world's leading experts in mental health, ERC and Pathlight provides a full spectrum of eating disorder and mood, anxiety and trauma-related recovery services through an unmatched network of multiple locations across seven states.

SOURCE Eating Recovery Center and Pathlight Behavioral Health Centers

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Eating Recovery Center is accredited through the Joint Commission. This organization seeks to enhance the lives of the persons served in healthcare settings through a consultative accreditation process emphasizing quality, value and optimal outcomes of services.

Organizations that earn the Gold Seal of Approval™ have met or exceeded The Joint Commission’s rigorous performance standards to obtain this distinctive and internationally recognized accreditation. Learn more about this accreditation here.

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