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About Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are complex conditions that emerge from biological, psychological, and social factors. While eating disorders manifest themselves in symptoms related to disordered eating and body image concerns, they are about more than food, body shape or weight. Eating disorders are often are used to help regulate painful emotions, decrease anxiety, cope, and feel in control.

Over time, eating disorders can damage self-esteem and body-esteem and lead to mental and physical health complications, chronic illness, disability, and poor quality of life. Outside of opioid dependence, eating disorders have the highest death rate of any psychiatric illness.

Types of eating disorders

For information and resources about preventing eating disorders, please see our Prevention page.

Resources

Project ECHO Logo


Connecting Primary Care and Behavioral Health Providers
to Eliminate Eating Disorders

What is it?

Project ECHO® Eating Disorders is an ongoing, virtual learning community. Participants gain knowledge and increase their skills in preventing, identifying and responding to disordered eating, body dissatisfaction concerns and eating disorders, the most fatal kind of mental disorder. Evidence-based approaches and best practices in eating disorder care inform all case discussions and teaching.

What does it involve?

90-minute sessions are held on the first and third Tuesdays of every month from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. (ET). Every session includes the presentation of a case which is then discussed as a group, drawing upon the expertise of both session participants and the team of experts from the Western NY Comprehensive Care Center for Eating Disorders (WNYCCCED). A list of evidence-based best practice recommendations is then developed for the presenter to implement in their practice. Each session also includes a brief lecture on a topic related to eating disorders.

Who may participate?

All providers in the fields of family and primary care, behavioral and college health, dietitians and sports/athletics leaders are welcome to attend.

Participation is free and continuing education credits are available for physicians, social workers, LMFTs, LMHCs and psychologists (also for free!).

Register for Project ECHO®

For more information, please contact Project Coordinator Jim Witmer via:

email: Jim_Witmer@URMC.Rochester.edu or phone: 585-275-2936

Project ECHO Team Members

Mary Tantillo, PhD, PMHCNS-BC, FAED, Director
Taylor Starr, DO, MPH, FAAP, Medical Director
Richard Kreipe, MD, FAAP, FSAM, FAED, Senior Advisor
Jim Witmer, MSW, Health Project Coordinator
Aaron Pollard, Technical Director
Michelle Morales, Parent Peer Mentor
Marie Bieber, RD, CSP, CDN, Registered Dietitian
Dayton Walsh, PhD, Psychologist

Project ECHO® Eating Disorders is supported by a grant from the NYS Office of Mental Health.

echo_univ.rochester-logo.png

What is it?

School-based Project ECHO® Eating Disorders is an ongoing, virtual learning community for K – 12 school personnel. Participants gain knowledge and increase their skills in preventing, identifying and responding to disordered eating and body dissatisfaction concerns that can lead to eating disorders, the most fatal kind of mental disorder. Evidence-based approaches and best practices in eating disorder care inform all case discussions and teaching.

What does it involve?

60-minute sessions are held on the second Tuesday of every month from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Every session includes the presentation of a case which is then discussed as a group, drawing upon the expertise of both session participants and the team of experts from the Western NY Comprehensive Care Center for Eating Disorders (WNYCCCED). A list of best-practice recommendations based on this discussion is then developed for the presenter to bring back to their school. Each session also includes a brief lecture on a topic related to eating disorders.

Who may participate?

All personnel of K–12 schools are welcome to attend, as are medical and behavioral health providers who work with this age group. Among those who benefit from participation are administrators, classroom teachers, health and PE teachers, school counselors, social workers and psychologists, food services staff and athletic coaches and trainers. All of these adults in the school can play a critical role in identifying students facing these challenges and helping them to be healthy and more successful in academics and sports.

Participation is free as are continuing education credits for medical providers, social workers, psychologists, LMFTs and LMHCs. 

Register for School-based Project ECHO

How does it help?

A classroom teacher who recently presented a student about whom she was concerned said:

I cannot say enough positive things about the experience of presenting a case to the Project ECHO team. I felt supported from the initial proposal throughout the entire presentation process. The team listened to my case and provided direct, clear, and helpful support. They encouraged the efforts I am making as a supporter of this student while also making suggestions for future actions. They spoke about the case with respect, care, and a deep knowledge of the subject. I am grateful for the support provided during the meeting and all of the follow-up after my presentation. This is an incredibly valuable resource to our community and I hope more people who work with students take advantage of it.

Project ECHO TEAM MEMBERS

Mary Tantillo, PhD, PMHCNS-BC, FAED, Director
Taylor Starr, DO, MPH, FAAP, Medical Director
Richard Kreipe, MD, FAAP, FSAM, FAED, Senior Advisor
Laura Iafrati, MD, Psychiatrist
Jim Witmer, MSW, Health Project Coordinator
Aaron Pollard, Technical Director
Michelle Morales, Parent Peer Mentor
Marie Bieber, RD, CSP, CDN, Registered Dietitian
Dayton Walsh, PhD, Psychologist

For more information, please contact Project Coordinator, Jim Witmer:

Email Jim_Witmer@URMC.Rochester.edu or call 708-794-8637

School-based Project ECHO ® is supported by a grant from the NYS Office of Mental Health.

Our team is available to visit your organization to provide educational presentations on eating disorder topics, including:

  • Screening, assessment and management of eating disorders for primary care providers, dentists, dental hygienists, school/college health and counseling providers, and behavioral health care providers.
  • Biopsychosocial risk factors that contribute to and perpetuate eating disorders.
  • Family-based approaches to treating eating disorders.
  • Eating disorders as diseases of disconnection: A relational/motivational approach to understanding and treating eating disorders.
  • Promotion of body esteem and self-esteem to prevent eating disorders.

Request a presentation by emailing WNYCCCEDCareManagement@urmc.rochester.edu or call (585) 276-6102.

The WNYCCCED, often in conjunction with the two other NYS Comprehensive Care Centers, offers periodic conferences and workshops on a range of topics related to eating disorders and their treatment.

Past conferences have included:

Feb/March 2023:

Panel Discussion: Lived Experience with Eating Disorders

December 2021:

Timely Issues: Managing the Complexity of Eating Disorders

December 2020:

Eating Disorders in Young Adults: Unique Challenges and Effective Solutions, a half-day virtual conference held via Zoom Webinar. Video recording from the conference.

December 2019:

Eating Disorders: How to Recognize, Treat and Coordinate Care, a day-long statewide conference held in Syracuse, NY. PowerPoint presentations from the conference.

Please see our Events Calendar for information about upcoming conferences, or contact Health Care Project Coordinator Jim Witmer to be notified about upcoming conferences and workshops.

  • For a complete list of reference, tools, and national resources please visit our resource library.
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