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Eating Disorders &
Stepped Care
What is Stepped Care?
In a stepped care model, a person is offered the right intensity of treatment and support to meet their needs. Stepped care allows a person to 'step up' or 'step down' the intensity of treatment and support based on their needs and preferences and can change as a person’s symptoms change. Often the goal is to start with the least intensive care that is thought to be appropriate for that person to recover from their eating disorder and minimize disruptions to that person’s life.
The model is founded on the following principles:
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People should not have to wait for a basic level of services
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Different people require different levels of care
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Treatment interventions should be matched to an individual's unique needs
A general guideline in eating disorder treatment is that the right level of care for a person is the one at which they can stop the eating disorder behaviours for a sustainable period of time. Requiring more support is not negative; it is simply what a person needs at that stage in their recovery.
To learn about each stepped care level available to residents of Ontario, Canada - scroll down to ‘Finding Service Providers at Each Level of Care Step'.
Finding Service Providers at Each Level of Care Step
Below, we describe each of the “steps” across the different levels of care and provide a list of publicly funded treatment programs, as well as non-publicly funded support programs available in Ontario that correspond to each level of eating disorder care. This information has been provided courtesy of the National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC) and we recommend you consult NEDIC’s Find a Provider Tool for a complete list of services. The list of services reported below is not exhaustive and may be subject to change.
A Description of Each Step:
Additional Resources
NEDIC provides information, resources, referrals, and in-the-moment support to Canadians affected by eating disorders. If you’d like to talk through some of these care options, you can connect with a trained support worker through their helpline and instant chat service.
Helpline: 1-866-NEDIC-20 (416-340-4156 in Toronto)
Instant Chat: www.nedic.ca
For information about eating disorder services in Ontario, please visit ConnexOntario or contact them at 1-866-531-2600 (toll-free). The ConnexOntario program allows you to search for treatment services for mental health, gambling and addictions in Ontario. Their database includes support and treatment programs funded by the Ministry of Health, as well as those from charitable organizations and other government resources.
NIED exists to give hope and support to individuals with an Eating Disorder and their caregivers. We do this by developing and sharing educational resources and information, conducting, or participating in research, and taking action to address the needs of Canadians impacted by Eating Disorders.
Pathways to Care is project, created by Black Health Alliance, aimed at removing barriers and improving access to mental health and addictions services for Black children, youth and their families in 6 cities across Ontario. You can explore mental health resources for Black folks using their Interactive Map and ConnectMe tools.
Health Care Connect is a program launched by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to help Ontarians without a family health care provider find one.
