Virtual Eating Disorder Treatment Program Geared for Jewish Adults

Walden Behavioral Care, a specialty health care system focused on the treatment of eating disorders, recently announced the launch of its B’SHALOM intensive outpatient program. The virtual program is available to adults in Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont.

The B’SHALOM treatment team are members of the Jewish faith as well as licensed professionals who understand the importance of kosher meal planning, rituals around food, historical context, and the role of religion in eating disorder recovery.

“Walden is committed to providing personalized programming to all of our patients,” says Rebekah Bardwell Doweyko, LPC, CEDS-S, assistant vice president for Walden. “B’SHALOM in Hebrew means ‘with peace,’ and we wish to provide our patients with an opportunity to feel peace in their bodies, peace in their healing, and peace in their treatment.”

The program’s multidisciplinary team is made up of experts including Doweyko, Clinical Supervisor Lead Lieba Swartz-Brownstein, LICSW; Rabbi Shlomo Bogart, LPCA; Rabbi and Counselor Eli Bogart; and Art Therapist Rebecca Weinberger, MAATC, LPCA.

"Walden has never had a one-size-fits-all approach to eating disorder care,” says Paula Vass, LICSW, MBA, chief operating officer for Walden. “The evolution of virtual health care has allowed us to launch innovative programming like Rainbow Road and now B’SHALOM, which offer culturally competent treatment for patients who are seeking care by clinicians with a deep understanding of their unique circumstances and challenges."

— Source: Walden Behavioral Care

Collaboration Provides School Social Workers With Case Management System

The School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA), a membership organization empowering school social workers and promoting the profession of school social work, is partnering with ECINS, a global provider of a unique, collaborative, cloud-based case management system, to enable school social workers to create better outcomes for students. In response to the devastating mental health crisis facing today’s students, ECINS and SSWAA are offering free access to a comprehensive Student Support System tailored to the specific needs of school social workers.

According to a recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics, as many as 60% of students expressed “strong distress,” including anxiety and depression. School social workers are on the front lines, helping students scarred by the pandemic and grappling with anxiety, depression, learning loss, and a confluence of other mental health challenges. As the US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy states, “Mental health challenges in children, adolescents, and young adults are real and widespread. Even before the pandemic, an alarming number of young people struggled with feelings of helplessness, depression, and thoughts of suicide—and rates have increased over the past decade.”

School social workers are on the front lines in this time of escalated need, making it critical that they have the insights and tools necessary to support their students effectively; however, the majority operate with limited resources and insufficient systems.

“School social workers have been getting by for far too long without a comprehensive, integrated system to manage their caseload. We’ve worked with SSWAA to tailor our case management system to meet the unique needs of school social workers, and the response has been overwhelming,” says Gary Pettengell, cofounder and CEO at ECINS. “We are excited to make our Student Support System easily accessible to schools across the country in order to further our mission of enabling early intervention to support better outcomes.”

ECINS is now offering SSWAA members free access to their Student Support System with special discounted member subscription rates following the introductory period.

“The ECINS Student Support System is exactly what school social workers need in today’s world—we’ve never come across anything as all-encompassing,” explains Rebecca Oliver, executive director of SSWAA. “Our goal is to get this in the hands of as many schools and districts as possible, ultimately using the system as a foundation for standardizing best practices in school social work across America.”

Learn more about the strategic partnership between ECINS and SSWAA.

— Source: ECINS