Eating Recovery Center Northbrook
Location Details
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Schedule a Free AssessmentA renowned program, ERC Northbrook offers full residential, partial hospital, and intensive outpatient treatment for adolescents and children with serious eating disorders.
Providing 36-beds on two floors for eating disorder patients of ALL genders, this center is overseen by a renowned team of highly experienced eating disorder experts, and focuses on evidence-based psychotherapy treatment and age-appropriate groups with emphasis on practicing newly learned skills.
Informed, inclusive, and with the expertise to treat any condition no matter how complex, our therapeutic and nature-themed environment hosts large windows to overlook the outdoor trees, and helps to light the path for patients towards interrupting maladaptive thoughts and behaviors to live a better and more fruitful life.
Highly Effective Eating Disorder Treatment near Chicago
Eating Recovery Center (ERC) Chicago in Northbrook offers evidence-based eating disorder treatment for children and adolescents of all genders. Offering residential, partial hospitalization (PHP), and intensive outpatient (IOP) levels of care to patients age 10 and up, our site is overseen by a renowned team of highly experienced eating disorder professionals. Our therapeutic space features large windows overlooking trees and the natural beauty of the outdoors. Colorful, nature-themed décor provides an inviting and healing environment — lighting the path forward to recovery.
Accredited by the Joint Commission, ERC operates numerous treatment centers for adults, children and adolescents in the Chicago area including sites in downtown Chicago, Northbrook and Oak Brook.
- Trusted by over 20,000 patients and their families
- 87% of former patients agreed that their experience at ERC was helpful.
- 91% of parents of former patients would recommend ERC to others in need of services
- Specialized treatment designed by a team of experienced clinicians
Find Recovery with Evidence-Based Therapies
Expert Medical Care for Eating Disorders
Eating disorders can lead to numerous health and medical complications. Young people are at risk for heart damage, hormonal changes and an increase in injuries. With proper care and weight restoration, mental and physical health improves, and a full recovery is possible. At ERC Northbrook, our highly experienced physicians and clinical providers provide care for children and adolescents with complex medical and psychiatric disorders.
- Patients are monitored by physicians, including psychiatrists and primary care doctors.
- 24/7 nursing support available in the residential program. We can safely manage refeeding for patients needing weight restoration.
- Supplemental tube feeding is available for patients in residential care if medically necessary.
- Registered dietitians work closely with patients to help them overcome fears around food and eating.
ERC Northbrook is also a teaching affiliate of Northwestern University Medical School and Rush University Medical School.
Empowering Families Each Step of the Way
The mental health crisis among our nation’s youth is no secret. Eating disorders, mood and anxiety disorders, self-harm and suicidality are now common in teens and tweens. ERC Northbrook was established to meet a growing need for effective eating disorder care, and prevent the cycle of crisis intervention at hospitals and emergency rooms. At ERC Northbrook:
- We invest heavily in patients and their families, providing caregiver education, support and family therapy.
- You’ll learn how to interrupt your loved one’s eating disorder with skills from family-based treatment and emotion-focused family therapy (EFFT).
- Work with therapists trained in ERC’s nationally validated psychotherapy model featuring the most up-to-date and evidence-based eating disorder therapies.
"Our mission is to take the very best care of our patients. Every day we work toward this goal: to take the very best care of individuals with eating disorders. "Based on each patient’s unique needs, our treatment team will develop a customized, evidence-based treatment plan using approaches drawing from family-based treatment, emotion-focused family therapy, and other therapy modalities. Our goal is to meet patients and families where they are at.
Who We Treat
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Children & Adolescents
We can help guide you and your child on a path to long-lasting change and healing.
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Adults
We provide eating disorder treatment and mood and anxiety disorder treatment for all genders ages 18 and older.
Conditions We Treat
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Eating Disorders
An eating disorder is a treatable mental illness that includes a number of different symptoms, including extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviors surrounding weight and food issues.
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Anorexia
Anorexia nervosa is characterized by an obsessive fear of weight gain and a refusal to maintain a healthy body weight.
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Atypical Anorexia
You can’t tell if someone has an eating disorder just by looking at them. See how atypical anorexia affects people in a variety of body shapes and sizes.
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ARFID
ARFID is a lesser known eating disorder that frequently begins as early as infancy or childhood, but adults can also suffer.
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Binge Eating Disorder
Binge eating disorder is characterized by frequent overeating – at least once a week for three months – combined with a lack of control, intense feelings of distress and several other characteristic behaviors.
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Bulimia
Bulimia is characterized by patterns of bingeing and purging.
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Compulsive Overeating
Compulsive overeating can involve binge eating and weight gain, but it can also involve other behaviors.
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Diabulimia
The term diabulimia is used to describe the diagnosis of an eating disorder in an individual with type 1 diabetes. These patients intentionally misuse insulin for weight control.
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OSFED
Some eating disorders do not meet all of the diagnostic criteria for specific diagnoses like anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.
Levels of Care Offered
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Inpatient
Our Inpatient programming is designed to support adults, children and adolescents of all genders who are acutely ill and are experiencing medical and mood instability as a result of their eating disorder.
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Residential
Within ERC Pathlight's step-down model of care, the Residential eating disorder treatment program as well as the Residential mood & anxiety treatment program offer medically stable patients a highly-structured and supportive 24-hour treatment environment.
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Partial Hospitalization
Our Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) offers some of the same intensity and structure of Residential mood, anxiety, and eating disorder treatment while providing additional opportunities to practice recovery outside of the controlled eating disorder treatment environment during evenings at home or in peer-supported apartment communities.
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On-Site Intensive Outpatient Treatment
Our Intensive Outpatient program is a flexible mood, anxiety, and eating disorder treatment program that allows patients to work, go to school, or care for children during the day and sleep at home at night.
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Virtual Intensive Outpatient - Eating Recovery At Home
ERC is removing the barriers that can keep patients with anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders from receiving treatment. Through telebehavioral health programming, Eating Recovery At Home (our virtual Intensive Outpatient Program) offers the same proven care as our in-person treatment centers.
Eating Disorder Treatment — Backed by Research
We provide the full continuum of care, allowing patients to work with the same treatment team throughout their entire stay at each level of care. We are also able to support tube feeding in treatment for those who need it.
24/7 Care in Residential
Residential care provides 24/7 medical and nursing support to individuals with complex eating disorders. From day one, family involvement is critical to recovery. As we care for your loved one, we will teach you how to be a bridge to recovery until they are ready to manage recovery themselves. In all of our programs, you’ll work with:
- Psychiatrists
- Primary care doctors
- Primary therapists
- Family therapists
- Case workers
- Alumni support
7-Day Partial Hospitalization (PHP)
Young patients in PHP benefit from care provided 7 days a week.
- Research shows that 5-day (weekday-only) PHPs may lead to increased eating disorder behaviors over the weekend.
- Since eating disorders don’t take the weekend off, we don’t either.
- Programming 7 days a week offers your loved one the best chance of recovery.
As young patients become more stable in PHP, outings become more frequent, and therapy deepens. Families are heavily involved in meal planning and preparation in PHP.
3-Day Intensive Outpatient (IOP)
IOP offers young people the chance to work on their recovery skills while becoming more involved in school, at home and with their friends and favorite activities. IOP takes place 3 hours a day for 3 days a week and is ideal for families who live near the treatment center. Young patients that do not live near the treatment center may be interested in our virtual IOP called Eating Recovery At Home. All of our IOP programs provide:
- Individual and group therapy
- Nutrition & meal guidance
- Family therapy & education
- Alumni support
Work with a Specialized Team
At ERC Bellevue, you’ll work with the same highly experienced therapist and psychiatrist in our residential and partial hospitalization program (PHP) programs. These individuals will be by your side when you step down to an intensive outpatient program or outpatient care. Find your way to recovery with help from your:
- Primary therapist
- Registered Dietitian
- Primary care physician
- Psychiatrist
- Nursing staff
Treatment eventually comes to an end, but our support doesn’t. You’ll continue to receive our support and assistance as you reintegrate into school, work and life outside of treatment.
PHP: Eating Disorder Day Treatment
Research shows that eating disorder patients in 5-day (weekday-only) programming struggle with eating disorder behaviors over the weekend. Since eating disorders don’t take the weekend off, we don’t either. We provide programming 7 days a week for individuals in residential and PHP levels of care, because it offers you the best chance of recovery.
Our Nutrition Approach
Eating disorders can be devastating. We have tailored our nutrition approach to incorporate interventions that are most effective at helping young people recover from eating disorders. We meet regularly with families and caregivers in our beautiful teaching kitchen where we teach skills and fundamentals of nutrition, food portioning and food plating — helping caregivers feel confident in providing meal support themselves. As they make progress in treatment, young patients are able to go on outings to practice the skills they learn in treatment. Outing options include:
- Group outings to nearby restaurants
- Individual outings with a clinician to work on food exposures
- Community outings: nail salons, bowling, parks, shopping
Travel and Housing Accommodations
If you are traveling for care, you are not alone. Many individuals seek care with us from out of state, particularly families coming from Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana and throughout the Midwest. Our travel concierge and family support services are here to eliminate unnecessary stress for you and your family. To help make the admissions process as smooth as possible, we can help coordinate and answer any questions related to:
- Transportation
- Accommodations, hotels and lodging options
- Local resources
Travel concerns don’t have to get in the way of your loved one receiving the quality treatment they need and deserve. If you need help finding short-term housing nearby, we can help, with dedicated apartment housing for families at ERC Northbrook.
Supporting Young Patients and Their Families
Family-Based Treatment That Works
Supporting families and caregivers is our biggest strength, and parents and caregivers join us for 1-2 family sessions per week. We’ll give you a toolbox filled with eating disorder recovery skills as you:
- Learn about meal planning, preparation and portioning
- Participate in weekly nutrition education groups
- Join your loved one onsite or for virtual meals
Robust Family Programming
It’s overwhelming when the person you love most is suffering so much. Find support and community here with multiple family and caregiver events. Take part in our:
Family mentors, whose children have been through our program, are here to help you navigate the unique challenges associated with eating disorders.
Support for Students
Eating disorders can disrupt a young person’s education. To support our young patients and their developing minds, we offer dedicated time for schoolwork daily. We have two education specialists on site daily that coordinate with parents, teachers and guidance counselors to make sure each student can continue their educational journey. If your child needs individual education support, please let us know and we will work to make that happen.
How to Get Started
Many people think that they can simply treat an eating disorder on their own, but successful eating disorder recovery most often requires a treatment team, consisting of:
- Registered dietitians
- Psychiatrists for medication management
- Therapists with experience treating eating disorders and working with families
If you are concerned about a loved one with an eating disorder, find help here. Our admissions team is standing by to walk you thought the intake process. Get started with a free consultation with a member of our team today. No referral necessary.
How to Pay for Eating Disorder Treatment
As a caregiver of a young person with an eating disorder, your role is to focus on helping your loved one recover. Our role is to help you understand your insurance benefits and what type of eating disorder treatment coverage you may have. Our insurance experts can contact your insurance company for you and communicate your coverage with you in terms you can understand. See what your coverage includes today.
Covered by Most Commercial Insurance Plans
Our patient access team is here to advocate for you. We can help you address financial challenges and work with you to get you the maximum coverage offered by your plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Where is ERC Northbrook located?
ERC Northbrook is located in the heart of the North suburbs, minutes off of Highway 94 and approximately 15 minutes north of Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD). The center is about a 45-minute drive from downtown, depending on traffic.
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How long does eating disorder treatment usually last?
The truth is that the length of time in eating disorder treatment varies for each individual. When your loved one starts treatment, we will be monitoring their progress and ensuring that they are engaging in the level of care that best meets their needs. Family members are updated regularly, and you will be notified if any changes to your loved one’s care need to be made.
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What type of eating disorder support do you offer once treatment ends?
One of the hallmarks of Eating Recovery Center is that we have an entire team focused on outreach and meeting the needs of our patients after they discharge from care. You’ll receive check-in emails and phone calls at regular intervals after your loved one leaves treatment. We will provide you with the resources you need to support your loved one’s recovery, and invite you to take part in events like our free virtual caregiver support groups.
Expert Care for Eating Disorders near Chicago, IL
Meet the leadership team at Eating Recovery Center Northbrook.
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Kim Effertz LinkKim Effertz
Regional Vice PresidentKim Effertz joined Eating Recovery Center and Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center in September 2021 as an Operating Vice President ...READ MORE -
Lara Kenik Link
Lara Kenik
Regional Nursing DirectorLara Kenik joined Eating Recovery Center/Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center (ERCPL) in August 2016 as a full-time overnight nurse ...READ MORE -
Delia Aldridge Link
Delia Aldridge
Medical DirectorDr. Delia Aldridge is a Board Certified Psychiatrist with 20 years of experience in treating adults and adolescents with eating ...READ MORE -
Kelsey Estry Link
Kelsey Estry
Regional Nutrition DirectorKelsey Estry, MS, RD, LDN, is a graduate of Michigan State University. She completed her Dietetic Internship at Loyola ...READ MORE -
Steven F. Crawford Link
Steven F. Crawford
Regional Medical DirectorDr. Steven Crawford is the Medical Director at Eating Recovery Center and Assistant Chief of Psychiatry at University of ...READ MORE -
Ellen Astrachan-Fletcher Link
Ellen Astrachan-Fletcher
Regional Clinical DirectorEllen Astrachan-Fletcher, PhD, FAED, CEDS-S, is the Regional Clinical Director, Midwest for Eating Recovery Center and Pathlight ...READ MORE -
Zach Marselle Link
Zach Marselle
Director of Operational ExcellenceZach joined ERC and Pathlight in 2020, bringing a combined 15 years of experience between healthcare administration and public ...READ MORE -
David Drajkowski Link
David Drajkowski
Clinical DirectorDavid Drajkowski, MSW, LCSW, has worked in the eating disorder field for over 20 years, providing therapy in various treatment ...READ MORE -
Heather VanHooser Link
Heather VanHooser
Chief Nursing OfficerHeather joined ERC Pathlight as Chief Nursing Officer in 2023. She holds three bachelor’s degrees, a MBA, and a Master’s in ...READ MORE
Find Virtual Eating Disorder Treatment in Illinois
We also offer virtual eating disorder treatment for individuals in Illinois through our Eating Recovery At Home program. Individuals in all cities and towns across Illinois, including the cities listed below, are eligible to participate in Eating Recovery At Home.
- Chicago
- Aurora
- Joliet
- Naperville
- Rockford
- Springfield
- Elgin
- Peoria
- Champaign
- Waukegan
- Cicero
- Bloomington
- Schaumburg
- Evanston
- Arlington Heights
Explore Our Other Locations in Illinois
Eating Recovery Center Chicago Oak Brook
1010 Jorie Blvd Suite 200
Oak Brook, IL 60523
United States
Eating Recovery Center Chicago - Erie
1 E Erie St Suite 400
Chicago, IL 60611
United States
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