Eating Disorders &
Stepped Care
What is Stepped Care?
Stepped care is an evidence-based, staged system involving a series of interventions, from the least to the most intensive, that can be matched to a person’s needs. This model of care allows people to 'step up' or 'step down' the intensity of treatment based on people’s needs and preferences.
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 behaviors for a sustainable period of time. Requiring more support is not negative, it simply means that is the stage where one is at in their recovery.
Why Stepped Care?
The potential long-term impact of a stepped care model for eating disorder treatment includes increasing the capacity for treating eating disorders in Canada, bridging gaps in current care services, and reducing the economic burden of eating disorder management on the healthcare system.
The stepped care journey below shows an overview of typical care pathways for eating disorder recovery in Ontario. To learn about stepped care service providers available to residents of Ontario, Canada - scroll down to 'Ontario Service Providers by Step'.
*Many treatment services are currently virtual due to COVID-19
Ontario Service Providers by Step
This information was collected via NEDIC’s Find a Provider Tool, for the purpose of separating supports into stepped care sections. This list is not exhaustive and may be subject to change. Please note that many of the hospital-based programs listed below only serve residents of a specific region of Ontario (their "catchment areas"). 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
Monday to Thursday, 9:00 am – 9:00 pm EST
Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm EST
Saturday & Sunday, 1:00 pm – 7:00 pm EST (Instant Chat only)
Intensive Inpatient Programming
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Toronto General Hospital~ - Eating Disorder Program (ages 17+) - Toronto
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Credit Valley Hospital - Eating Disorders Program (ages 18+)- Mississauga
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The Hospital for Sick Children (children & adolescents) - Eating Disorder Program (ages 8-18) Toronto
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Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) - Regional Eating Disorders Program for Children and Adolescents (ages 8-17) - Ottawa
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Ottawa Hospital - Regional Centre for the Treatment of Eating Disorders (ages 18+) - Ottawa
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McMaster Children’s Hospital - Eating Disorder Program (ages 8-18) - Hamilton
Residential Programming
*limited OHIP coverage
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Bellwood Health Services~ - Eating Disorder Program (ages 17+) - Toronto
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Homewood Health – Guelph (private in-person treatment, age 16+)
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Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences - Eating Disorders Unit (ages 12-17) - Whitby
Day Hospitalization
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Credit Valley Hospital - Eating Disorders Program (ages 18+)- Mississauga
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The Hospital for Sick Children (children & adolescents) - Eating Disorder Program (ages 8-18) Toronto
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North York General Hospital - Eating Disorders Program ages 12+) - Toronto
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Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) - Regional Eating Disorders Program for Children and Adolescents (ages 8-17) - Ottawa
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Ottawa Hospital - Regional Centre for the Treatment of Eating Disorders (ages 18+) - Ottawa
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McMaster Children’s Hospital - Eating Disorder Program (ages 8-18) - Hamilton
Hospital-Based Intensive Outpatient Programming
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Toronto General Hospital~ - Eating Disorder Program (ages 17+) - Toronto
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William Osler Health System - Eating Disorder Clinic (ages 12+) - Brampton
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North York General Hospital - Eating Disorders Program ages 12+) - Toronto
Hospital-Based Outpatient Programming
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St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton - Eating Disorders Program (ages 16+) - Hamilton
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The Hospital for Sick Children (children & adolescents) - Eating Disorder Program (ages 8-18) Toronto
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Health Sciences North - Regional Eating Disorder Program (ages 8+) - Sudbury
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Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) - Regional Eating Disorders Program for Children and Adolescents (ages 8-17) - Ottawa
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London Health Science Centre - Adult Eating Disorder Service (ages 17+) - London
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Ottawa Hospital - Regional Centre for the Treatment of Eating Disorders (ages 18+) - Ottawa
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McMaster Children’s Hospital - Eating Disorder Program (ages 8-18) - Hamilton
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South Lake Regional Health Care (adolescents & young adults) - Newmarket
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Lakeridge Health Network - Eating Disorder Program (adolescents & adults) - Oshawa
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Woodstock General Hospital - Eating Disorder Program for Youth and Adults (ages 12+) - Woodstock
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Health Sciences North - Regional Eating Disorder Program (ages 8+) - Sudbury
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Peterborough Regional Health Centre - Eating Disorder Program (ages 8+) - Peterborough
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Alexandra Marine & General Hospital - Huron Outreach Eating Disorders Program (ages 12+) - Goderich, Wingham, Clinton, Exeter, and Seaforth
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Halton Healthcare - Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders Program (Under the age of 18) - Oakville
Community-Based Individual Programming
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Body Brave~ (ages 17+)
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Bulimia Anorexia Nervosa Association (BANA) (ages 20+)
Community-Based Group Programming
*including Peer Support
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Body Brave~ (ages 17+)
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Sheena’s Place (free group support, age 17+)
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Eating Disorder Support Network of Alberta~ (reduced cost group support, age 18+)
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Silver Linings Foundation~ (reduced cost group support, adolescents & adults)
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Hopewell Eating Disorder Support Centre (ages 17+)
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Danielle’s Place (ages 8-17)
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Eating Disorders Nova Scotia~ (free peer support, age 14+)
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The Looking Glass Foundation (free peer support, age 14+)
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Fighting Eating Disorders in Underrepresented Populations (FEDUP) (free peer support for gender-diverse folx & QTBIPOC folx)
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Nalgona Positivity Pride (free peer support for Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) age 18+)
Self-Guided Support
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Body Brave~ (ages 17+)
Information and Resources
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National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC) - 1-866-NEDIC-20
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National Initiative For Eating Disorders (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.
Note: Providers noted with an (~) consider themselves ‘Inclusive and affirmative of gay, lesbian, and bisexual people’ and ‘Inclusive and affirmative of trans*, Two-Spirit and non-binary people’ within NEDIC’s Find A Provider Tool filters.
Additional Resources
A Guide to Discussing Your Concern with a Primary Care Provider
In order to feel more prepared, you can save or print these guides to fill out and take to your primary care provider when discussing your concerns.
Pathways to Care by Black Health Alliance
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.
Resources for all Canadians from the National Eating Disorders Information Center (NEDIC)
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Find a Provider Tool: search for eating disorder service providers within your local area
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Community-based services by Province: information about community-based service providers by Province