Cambridge Eating Disorder Center

A great program with a great staff for the most part. They really care about you and your recovery and work with you individualy to make sure your treatment is tailored to you. And they have never given up on me, which means a lot. Also my treatment team was very dedicated to my recovery! You can tell they truly care! The owner is very knowledgeable and really cares about each patient. She has done a lot to help me. Although I still struggle I can’t thank cedc enough for there compassion and dedication to care! I wouldn’t be here today with out them!

I was a patient in early 2022 so this review applies to this time period. The treatment was okay. Communicating with staff can be very frustrating. At the moment, I’d suggest getting residential treatment somewhere else. A ton of staff are leaving right now and they are discharging patients way too fast. Discharging patients so fast is what’s making the place a revolving door. If you want a lower risk of relapse, find somewhere else for now. Overall, the group therapy and food was pretty good. They have vegetarian options, but not vegan ones. If you’re a minor, you only get your phone 30-60 minutes a day so be prepared. I mostly read lots of books, made bracelets, knit, talked to people, collaged, etc. and you don’t even miss your phone that much. I cant speak for the patients now but every single girl I met there was absolutely lovely and there’s usually minimal drama. Girls here usually are kind with good intentions and want out. Staff made meals easier with games and music which is definitely a plus. I don’t feel as if I was prepared enough for the real world outside of the bubble that is CEDC treatment. Overall, a pretty good place to go if you need residential treatment, but at the moment the place is kind of a mess.

I lucked out at CEDC and got an amazing team in the Fall of 2020, who stuck by my side through everything and checked in on me every single day I was there. I truly felt cared for and supported in my recovery process. I have been to CEDC 2 times. Both times I benefitted from the aid of amazing staff, valuable group therapy. and manageable yet challenging meal plans that really helped me start to combat my ED. Not a lot of patients understand that treatment is a lifelong commitment that can only be enacted by oneself. Of course a good team and useful staff can support the process, but treatment is not meant to be easy and the only way to truly combat your ED is rely on yourself to challenge thoughts and behaviors everyday. It is in the moments where recovery and breaking barriers seem impossible that breakthroughs are made. Commit yourself to recovery and rely on yourself to use the resources available to your benefit.

To keep this short and sweet, this place has horrible communication. I was left waiting for a call about admission that never came. More details below.I called CEDC and spoke with them about becoming a patient. They scheduled me with an evaluation. The intake coordinator Kristen didn’t send me my intake email like she said she would. I requested it again at the end of my evaluation about a week later. It did come but it was missing information and forms that were listed in the instructions. Like a form I was to give to my doctor.After my intake evaluation I called the intake coordinator 2x for information on what was next. I was not called back.I found another employees number in the paperwork, the sent me so I called them and they didn’t have much information. I was told they had a program for me and I was on a waitlist but they didn’t know how long it would be.After 7 weeks I emailed the intake email for an update on the waitlist. Its now going on 11 weeks since my eval and I never got a response. I’m uneasy knowing I gave this place personal information like my medications list, contact info, probably my ssn , and copy of my insurance card.I probably won’t hear anything from them, but before writing this review I figured I’d give them a chance to reply. I highly doubt in 11 weeks my spot on the waitlist hasn’t come. If by chance I am still on a waitlist, they should still update potential patients. There is no excuse to ignore calls and emails. Seeking help with an ED is a scary time for a lot of people and this kind of response can be very discouraging. This whole experience was unacceptable.I ended up going to another facility and the staff there has been very helpful and friendly.

There is nothing more upsetting than to find out those you have entrusted to care and treat your child are unskilled and and inexperienced. They continue to state they are capable of treating patients with ARFID, but the reality is, the center uses the same treatment as they do for other eating disorders. While there may be a small number of overlapping similarities, ARFID is drastically different than anorexia and bulimia. Treating the residents as if they all are anorexic and bulimic was traumatizing for my daughter who had idea way she wasn’t allowed to go the bathroom with the door closed.The residents are not allowed outside for the first two weeks, not because they need to be medically cleared". To clarify

I would leave 0 starts if at all possible. I was here sometime ago and it was the most awful treatment center I have ever been to. They had staff had ED's and would make comments during meals. I watched a girl have a seizure right in front of me and all the did was take her bp... no medical care was given. Groups were of no use and were very out dated in content. I was made to make a meal that almost killed me...it was shrimp and I couldn't breathe as I'm severely allergic. Overall, I would give this place 0 stars if possible. I signed myself out after 16 days living in hell.

Absolute garbage. If I could, I would give CEDC zero stars. They lack communication skills that people suffering with ED's need very much. At the end of March 2022, I was given my evaluation and after that was told it would be a two to three weeks wait before I would be able to go down. I waited every day getting anxious about when the one week warning call would come...it never did. I eventually called back and was then told it would be another two to three weeks wait. I waited and waited every new day, I was growing more and more anxious to go down. I needed to get better, I just couldn't do it on my own and I need residential help. After three weeks they never called. So I eventually called them again. I spoke with the director, who might I say is a very inconsiderate human being, who has no empathy towards the patients she is supposed to help, and is very poor at what she does. She then proceeded to tell me it was going to be a longer wait. I had already waited for over a month. At this point I was sick of everything CEDC had put me through, with all their terrible misleading information and letting me get my hopes up every new day. I eventually was told that I could be on more than one waiting list. So I found two new programs that I proceeded to join the waitlist for. Overall, I recommend looking at any other place besides CEDC, and joining more than one wait list. Keep your options open. Don't let CEDC give you misleading information that can get your hopes up and make you mentally exhausted.

I was there back in 2016. I have had my fair share of treatments and this was one of the worst. I was never told why they were doing certain things, nor was I explained that they were there to help me and wanted to see me get better. I felt like I was there to hep pay the bills with my insurance money and I would have received treatment elsewhere. My doctor didn't trust me or my actions, the therapist didn't seem to care nor help with some things I was battling mentally. Overall, I would never suggest someone to receive treatment here. I left back in 2016 and have yet to get my discharge papers. I have called, email, written letters and even shown up asking for them. They used the excuse that they were relocating paperwork and would contact me once things were more organized. I had asked for them a week after I left. Seems a bit fishy. Not once did I feel safe, comfortable or even slightly normal at this place. Please, Please find anoher place to get the help you need.

I would like to take the time to introduce myself. My name is Teresa and my daughter Carmella is diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. When I realized what was happening with my daughter I brought her right away to her pediatrician who in turn told us about Sol Stone in Elmira. Very shortly after her visit to Sol Stone she went to Cambridge Eating Disorder Center known as CEDC. The reason I mention both places is because they collaborated and made it a smooth transition for Carmella to get the level of care that she needed. CEDC responded promptly and they were on top of everything. They welcomed us with open arms and made you feel loved before you even arrived.I can not say enough about the Cambridge Eating Disorder Center. My words will not give it justice. I am truly grateful for the level of care and support provided by the staff at CEDC. Carmella was assigned a staff of professionals that assessed her needs and treated her with the specific care that she needed. It was tailored specifically for her. They provided the love, care and support that was necessary to set Carmella up for success. They were all wonderful. They kept you in the loop and abreast of everything that was going on. There was definitely a home /CEDC connection throughout the process.Having a daughter that went through CEDC I want you to know that my daughter felt safe the whole time that she was there. She felt loved and supported. As parents, safety is one thing that weighs heavy on our hearts. Carmella herself told me she felt safe there and when she left she missed the staff and the friends that she bonded with while navigating through the eating disorder. She is home now and is starting outpatient therapy. She is still navigating through this disorder but with coping skills and strategies in place to help her with the next step. I truly believe that inpatient care at CEDC saved my daughters life. I also strongly feel that the inpatient care is a necessary step prior to starting with outpatient care. I think they are both necessary and important. They both play an important role. I just know Carmella needed CEDC first and I can’t thank them enough.Carmella spoke very highly of the staff on her team. I would like to share that her case manager McKenzie Sheridan was like a safe haven for Carmella. Carmella told me that while I was not able to be with her she identified with McKenzie as someone she trusted, respected and admired. She felt that Mckenzie truly cared. She probably felt that way because McKenzie went above and beyond. I wanted to highlight McKenzie because she made me feel that way as well during our family meetings. Having said that, let me assure you that the rest of the staff was phenomenal as well.Another very positive aspect of CEDC is that they teach the person receiving the care strategies and skills to set them up for success inside and outside CEDC. The staff also worked closely with me giving me books and articles to educate myself with eating disorders.I have seen my daughter use the strategies and skills that were taught to her during her stay. She was able to apply them to life at home. Again, I am grateful for all the staff at CEDC. The work they do, the level of support they provide and the love they show is appreciated. CEDC saves lives.Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts about CEDC. They will not steer you wrong.With Love,Teresa