INTRODUCTION

The Cape and Islands Family Support Network is an initiative established by Dawn Hynes, MSW, Founder of Hynes Recovery Services, a trusted resource in the eating disorder community. Over the years, their organization has received countless requests from families in this region, desperate for guidance in securing treatment for a loved one exhibiting body image and/or eating concerns. Unfortunately, there have been very few resources in this area - resulting in clients traveling great distances in order to receive the medical and psychological care required for individuals with this potentially life-threatening illness.

Our team truly understands how overwhelming it can be for family members to be in this challenging situation. Unfortunately, there isn’t always a clear answer as to what should be done – for example, should we wait until our loved one is ready for treatment, or is it best to look into planning an intervention in order to maximize our chances of securing treatment? We will take the time to listen to your concerns and recommend providers who can offer guidance in prioritizing next steps in this process. We can also help identify evidence-based treatment resources, and if needed, share referrals for recovery coaching and/or family therapy services.  (Please note that there may not be experienced providers in every community - during these times, our role will then be to identify mental health clinicians who can provide consultation services to members of an existing outpatient treatment team).

PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

Our team understands the unique challenges that clients are confronted with when faced with the significant impact of an eating disorder diagnosis. The Cape and Islands Family Support Network will offer clients the opportunity to be fully supported in their recovery from an eating disorder. Our provider and treatment affiliates are equipped to handle clients in both the early stages of an eating disorder, as well as those that may have been living with the devastating effects of this illness for some time. Clients and their families will receive not only information and education regarding all aspects of a loved one’s eating disorder, they will also have the opportunity to be connected to the top eating disorder experts in their geographical area. Full recovery is indeed possible. Allow us the opportunity to help you start this journey...and let the healing begin.

“Eating disorders affect millions of young people and it is estimated that only one in thirty-five individuals in crisis seek some form of treatment. Therefore, it is crucial that all of us play a part in reducing the shame and stigma that exists with regards to this potentially life-threatening illness. We must also consider establishing affiliations that better provide the resources and treatment necessary to allow for the healing to begin. I'm honored to be part of a leadership team that shares my passion for supporting these clients in crisis. In addition, we are all sincerely grateful to be partnering with the entities below who are dedicated to supporting clients throughout all stages of the recovery process”.

          – Dawn Hynes, MSW, Founder of Hynes Recovery Services

The Cape and Islands Family Support Network and FLIHH (Foundation for Learning and Inspiring Health and Healing) are excited to be collaborating on important training initiatives for the Cape and Islands community. Consultation services will be available to health care practitioners seeking guidance on how to best support a client struggling with body image and/or eating concerns. (One-hour consultation sessions can be scheduled on an as-needed basis). In addition, we feel a multi-disciplinary supervision group would be a great opportunity for practitioners in this region to share their cases with colleagues, receiving feedback on therapeutic approaches. There will also be the opportunity to learn evidence-based treatment modalities from a seasoned clinician that would greatly benefit their clients with an eating disorder diagnosis.

Our team is honored to have Sheri Damon, LMHC, running this supervision group. Sheri is a holistic psychotherapist providing individual, group and family therapy, training, speaking engagements and supervision, mind-body-spirit wellness retreats, and consultation. Her background includes providing supervision to professionals training at Cambridge College as well as conducting a South Shore eating disorders supervision group. Sheri’s therapeutic approach will include the following group goals: developing competence in both clinical and interpersonal skills; treating comorbidity (depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder and substance use disorders); incorporating case reviews leading to the development of structured treatment plans; identifying challenges in working with families and collaterals, subsequently developing strategies to overcome these obstacles; and explaining the rationale of interventions using appropriate literature.

The Cape and Islands Family Support Network will share our newsletters each Spring and Fall with members, offering an overview of new programming initiatives, upcoming events, and highlights of organizations providing services on behalf of this clinical population. Each newsletter will also include an update on our eating disorder network and recognition of new affiliates available to support clients in crisis.

There will also be the opportunity for members to join our "ED Recovery on Campus" listserv, comprised of students and their families, as well as administrators, health care practitioners and educators at all grade levels (including campus staff within the university community). Participating in a listserv is a great way to stay connected to a group of individuals committed to a particular issue. Those which address mental health concerns offer members the opportunity to learn about: awareness events, new resources for their clients (and support system), evidence-based treatments, research updates, upcoming webinars, and relevant training initiatives/conferences. It is our hope that this listserv will be a helpful tool for both networking and learning.

If you'd like to become a member and receive both our newsletter and listserv posts, please reach out and let us know!

Individual Membership: Open to all Cape and Island residents interested in receiving our newsletters and/or listserv announcements.

Provider Membership: Open to all outpatient providers with a current private practice in the Cape and Islands region. (Exclusions are for practitioners also working in a higher level of care setting). In addition to receiving our newsletters and listserv announcements, approved members may also complete an “Individual Provider” form which will be included within our in-house Cape and Islands Provider Directory. This resource (updated bi-annually) will be referenced when establishing treatment teams for clients in our care.

Treatment Program Membership: This level of membership is open to all entities which offer clinical services to clients and/or families (interventionists, behavioral health / case management organizations, group practices, eating disorder programs and addiction facilities providing the following levels of care: Outpatient, IOP, Partial, Residential, Inpatient, Transitional, Sober Living, etc.). Benefits include access to newsletters, listserv posts, and highlights of your organization through various outreach initiatives. In addition, each treatment program member can also have their program highlighted in our Spring and Fall newsletters.

Non-Profit Membership: Benefits include access to newsletters and periodic listserv announcements. Your organization will also be highlighted through various outreach initiatives.

Educational Membership: Benefits for school administrators and clinical staff will include access to both newsletters and listserv announcements. In addition, your school will also be highlighted within our newsletter as a supporter of this collaborative network.

Please note that if your entity does not fit into any of the categories outlined above, our team is willing to explore a membership that suits the unique needs of your organization.

NETWORK MEMBERS