Step Care is a multidisciplinary, specialised eating disorder service developed under the HOPE Provider Collaborative.
There are three Step Care pathways which aim to close gaps between in and outpatient services, enhancing continuity of care.
The team make sure that individual care plans are complete and manage risks.
Their goal is to ensure continuity of care between outpatient and inpatient services. They do this by providing an intensive, time limited, online eating disorder treatment service.
This is built upon the integrated enhanced cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT-E) model.
All therapeutic interventions are delivered online through both individual sessions and a structured group timetable.
Additional elements typically delivered in a day or inpatient setting, such as meal support, are incorporated into the treatment. Patients are supported by a team of experts including a nursing team, psychology team, dietetic team, and an art therapist.
To start treatment with Step Care, patients need to:
- agree to participate in the treatment
- be able to eat and drink through the mouth
- be able to ensure personal safety, and
- agree to community-based physical health monitoring e.g. weight measurements, blood pressure.
The Starting Well pathway helps with admission avoidance or prepares patients for hospital admission. Patients on this pathway are supported to restore weight and reverse malnutrition. At a 4-week review, a decision is made on next steps.
This pathway typically lasts for up to 8 weeks but can be extended for up to 8 additional weeks, depending on treatment effectiveness.
The Staying Well pathway is for patients who have completed inpatient treatment and are stepping down into the community.
The team work with a patient and their community team to ease treatment transition, aiming to support them in sustaining treatment progress, and prevent relapse.
This pathway lasts for up to 8 weeks with the duration decided at a week 4 review.
The Working Towards Recovery pathway is for patients who have had only partial weight restoration during an inpatient admission.
Patients on this pathway are supported to sustain treatment progress and explore treatment goals in relation to enhancing their overall quality of life.
This pathway lasts for up to 8 weeks with duration decided at a week 4 review.
Note that referrals into any of the above pathways can only be made by a patient’s Adult Community Eating Disorder Service (ACEDS) professional.