Recovery centre the ‘missing piece’ for those with eating disorders

By Sam Leishman - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on February 11, 2025.

Young Albertans struggling with eating disorders have a new safe haven where they can receive the specialized treatment they deserve.

The Edgewood Health Network (EHN), which manages Canada’s largest network of public and private mental health treatment facilities, opened the EHN Sandstone Recovery Centre in Calgary last year. The first of its kind project was made possible with an investment of nearly $10-million over three years from the province, $4 million raised by the Calgary-based Silver Linings Foundation, which advocates for eating disorder awareness and treatment programs right across Alberta, and further financial support from Recovery Alberta.

“Eating disorders have long been overlooked in mental health, leaving a critical gap in care,” says Cendrine Tremblay, chair of Silver Linings. “After a decade of advocacy, we’re proud to see Alberta’s first live-in recovery centre become a reality. This centre addresses a critical need many families, including my own, have faced.”

There are 12 beds available for patients at the centre, set in a comfortable, home-like environment. EHN says up to 52 young people, between the ages of 12 and 24, can access treatment per year free of charge. Patients living anywhere in Alberta can seek a referral from their family doctor, a nurse practitioner or a psychiatrist.

“One of our criteria is medical and psychiatric stability, but that looks a bit different for everyone,” says Cheryl Fiske, EHN’s Director of National Clinical Programs. “Eating disorders are very complex physically and medically. That’s why it’s so important that we get information from [the patient’s] primary care provider, so then we can evaluate if this person is appropriate for treatment. It’s very important when we think about treatment overall that we match services with severity.”

Once admitted, patients will benefit from 24/7 care from an expert team of doctors, nurse practitioners, registered dietitians, nurses, counsellors and other support staff. Their individualized approach to recovery includes academic support, weekly individual and family therapy sessions, daily group therapy, nutritional rehabilitation and education and wellness activities.

Treatment length typically varies from three weeks up to about four months.

So far, 18 patients have been admitted to the Sandstone facility, with more referrals being processed on a regular basis. Fiske has heard from these patients and their families that this has been a missing piece within eating disorder treatment for far too long.

“Patients and families quite often got caught up in the cycle of needing more intensive services, but maybe not being eligible for an in-patient admission, or day treatment or community-based services weren’t intensive enough,” Fiske told the Herald. “They’re very grateful to have access to this care, especially fully funded.”

This program also takes at least some pressure off other parts of Alberta’s healthcare system, according to Fiske. She explains that a long-term stay at the EHN Sandstone Recovery Centre focused entirely on each patient’s unique goals ends the cycle of seeking care at hospitals and frequent trips to the doctor’s office.

Fiske adds that because there are so few programs that offer this level of care, EHN is hoping to expand its eating disorder recovery services in the future.