Alsana's Tenth and Long-Awaited Residential Program opens in Huntsville, AL, Expanding Access to Life-Saving Eating Recovery Care

Located in Huntsville, AL, Jemison House RTC fills a significant need for all-body inclusive eating disorder recovery services for higher-acuity clients.

News provided by

Alsana

Nov 16, 2021, 08:44 ET

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Nov. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Alsana, an eating disorder treatment provider and community with in-person programs in Alabama, California, and Missouri and virtual programs that serve clients throughout the United States, announced this week that its tenth Residential Treatment Center (RTC) is now open to serve adult clients of all genders in the greater Huntsville area.

Clients who enroll in a Huntsville program can expect to receive the highest quality of holistic care and treatment designed in alignment with Alsana's Adaptive Care Model^®.

Alsana Huntsville RTC is a 14-bed program that rests on a spacious, 2.3-acre campus, offering an ideal environment for group sessions, mindful movement modalities, a quiet place where clients can spend their free time. It is led by a team of highly credentialed treatment professionals, including Rebecca Barach, M.Ed, MSW, LICSW, Regional Executive Director for Alsana Huntsville Program, who has been helping clients in recovery heal from their eating disorders since 2011.

"It is an honor to serve as part of our dedicated team to provide hope, healing, compassion, and community for adults who are struggling with eating disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions," Barach said. "I am especially proud of the work we've done to ensure that our treatment offerings are inclusive, affirming, and safe."

People in larger bodies often face obstacles and challenges, such as stigma, bias, or weight discrimination, when they attempt to access care. This creates significant and unnecessary risks for this demographic's mental and physical health. Alsana Huntsville RTC was designed to be environmentally and programmatically inclusive for clients of all body sizes and abilities.

Full-size beds are provided in every residential room for client comfort and inclusion. A variety of movement modalities, such as yoga, badminton, and walking are offered during group sessions to support clients in finding exercise that supports their recoveries.

"Eating disorders absolutely do not discriminate, so it is imperative that providers work to become more inclusive, culturally competent, and affirming," said Tammy Beasley, MS, RDN, CEDRD-S, CSSD, longtime Huntsville community member and Vice President of Clinical Nutrition Services for Alsana. "Many people still believe that disordered eating is only a problem for thin, white, young women. The truth is, of the 30 million people in the United States who will develop an eating disorder at some point in their life, most do not occupy lower-weight bodies; most people with eating disorders would be considered 'overweight' or 'average' weight by BMI standards. You have to be willing to listen and see below the surface to know what someone is actually dealing with. Our teams excel in this area, and of that, I am truly proud"

All Registered Dietitians in the Huntsville RTC Program are HAES-trained, and all nutrition education is taught from that perspective.

Gayle Devin, CEO for Alsana, says that Huntsville RTC comes at a time when the demand for eating recovery services and mental health intervention has never been higher. "I believe the Covid-19 pandemic has revealed a significant need for eating disorder treatment services which have required that we expand our programs to meet the moment. As a clients-first eating recovery community, Alsana has kept all levels of care safe and open when clients need help the most. Huntsville RTC will mean even greater access for marginalized communities, and this is only the beginning."

Eating disorder treatment professionals are invited to take part in Alsana's Huntsville Open House Celebration on December 9, 2021.

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About Alsana^®

Alsana is an eating recovery community and treatment center that offers a fresh approach focused on the total health and wellness of each individual client. Alsana's data-driven and evidence-based treatments are built on the foundation of their Adaptive Care Model^®, a five-point approach that empowers clients in every area of their lives by integrating medical, nutritional, and therapeutic care with movement and relational therapies. Alsana is proud to treat a broad spectrum of eating, feeding, and co-occurring disorders and serves all genders, members of the LGTBQ+ community, vegan clients, and, in 2019, they announced programming for clients with ED-DMT1, also known as "diabulimia." Alsana offers care at the residential, day patient, and intensive outpatient levels of care in California, Missouri, and Alabama. From Latin roots meaning "all" or "total health," Alsana offers a new philosophy of eating disorder care that is centered on clients' full well-being, addressing issues that often go untreated. Learn more about Alsana's holistic approach to care at www.alsana.com

SOURCE Alsana