The co-morbidity of Eating Disorders and Mood and Anxiety Disorders are on the rise. Children, adolescents, and adults are facing increased academic, social and environmental challenges that threaten their sense of safety and self. Traversing four unique sessions, ERC/Insight behavioral health clinical experts will integrate the latest research in the medical complications and neurobiology of eating disorders and loss of control eating pathology (Binge Eating Disorder). The presenters will highlight innovative treatments that outline critical skills and empower families to help their loved ones heal from complex mental health conditions.

This free event is sponsored by Maine Township's MaineStay Youth & Family Services and Chicago Behavioral Hospital. It is appropriate for clinicians and includes 5.5 free CEUs for social workers, professional counselors, marriage and family therapists, psychologists, and nurses.

Continental breakfast, provided courtesy of Chicago Behavioral Hospital, will be available from 8:30-9:00 am. A complimentary box lunch will be provided by ERC/Insight and will include turkey, ham, roast beef, or veggie sandwich, chips, and choice of brownie or cookie. Advance registration is requested as seating for this event is limited. The workshop will be held in the TenHoeve Center at Oakton Community College, and attendees will receive additional details and parking instructions closer to the event date.

We will be collecting donations at this event to support WINGS, a local nonprofit providing a pathway to independence for adults and children who are escaping from domestic violence and abuse. Attendees are encouraged to bring hand soap, hand sanitizer, body wash, lotion, garbage bags (13 gallon and 30+ gallon), and Pull-Ups (size 4/5, sm/med up to 65 lbs, large/x-large up to 125 lbs).

Topics and Facilitators

• Session 1 - Medical Complications of Eating Disorders
  Delia Aldridge, MD, CED-S, Medical Director Suburban Eating Disorder Services
• Session 2 - Overcoming Obstacles in the Treatment of Loss of Control Eating Pathology: Innovating and Applying Novel Treatments For Comorbid Mood/Anxiety and Eating Disorder Symptoms
  Laura Lange, LCSW, Director Binge Eating Treatment & Recovery
• Session 3 - Emotion-Focused Family Therapy: Incorporating Caregivers Into Their Loved One’s Treatment at any Age
  Jennifer McAdams, MA, LCPC, CED-S, Clinical Director of Eating Disorder Services, Chicago
• Session 4 - Implications and Interventions in the Use of Radically Open Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
  Ellen Astrachan-Fletcher, Ph.D., FAED, CED-S, Regional Clinical Director, Illinois

Workshop Agenda

Session 1 - Medical Complications of Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are treatable conditions that include a number of different symptoms, including extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviors surrounding weight and food issues. Eating disorders are sometimes causing a number of life-threatening physical and psychological complications. In fact, those with anorexia, one of the most familiar eating disorders, have the highest mortality rate of any mental health disorder. Participants will learn about medical complications associated with anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorders and be able to recognize when patients need a higher level of care.

During this presentation, participants will learn to:

• Identify medical problems related to bulimia nervosa, and how to manage them
• Identify medical problems related to anorexia nervosa, and how to manage them
• Identify medical problems related to binge eating disorder, and how to manage them
• Recognize when a patient needs a higher level of care for ongoing management of medical problems
  
  

Session 2 - Overcoming Obstacles in the Treatment of Loss of Control Eating Pathology: Innovating and Applying Novel Treatments For Comorbid Mood/Anxiety and Eating Disorder Symptoms
Binge Eating Disorder is the most underdiagnosed, undertreated and most common eating disorder and is pervasive across race, gender, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. Diagnostic criteria for loss of control eating disorders are typically misunderstood across health care providers and patients with BED and loss of control eating disorders commonly have barriers in regards to accessing adequate care to treat their eating disorder. This talk will uncover barriers, myths and diagnostic criteria for loss of control eating disorders and take a deep look at innovative treatments to help target and treat loss of control eating disorders with co-morbid mood, anxiety, and trauma.

During this presentation, participants will learn to:

• Review how to identify loss of control eating disorder patients, explore differential and comorbid diagnoses for these patients, and identify barriers to treatment-seeking
• Identify neurobiological foundations in the pathophysiology of loss of control eating disorders
• Explore innovative treatments for loss of control eating pathology and common comorbidities including mood disorder symptoms and trauma symptomatology
  
• Describe when to refer patients to a higher level of care
• Discuss the benefits of a higher level of care setting in treating loss of control eating disorder pathology
  
  

Session 3 - Emotion-Focused Family Therapy: Incorporating Caregivers Into Their Loved One’s Treatment at any Age
Emotion-Focused Family Therapy was created for caregivers to increase their self-efficacy through learning how to coach their loved ones during times of struggle. This approach is effective with any age population; and will explore techniques around validation of a loved one’s emotions, while increasing the ability to effect symptom interruption. Dr. Adele Lafrance’s therapeutic model can be applied through a wide range of diagnoses and disorders.

During this presentation, participants will learn to:

• Identify the categories of caregiver coaching and repair
• Identify the emotional and caregiver responses in emotion-driven situations
• Apply at least one skill from Emotion-Focused Family Therapy with their caregivers
  
  

Session 4 - Implications and Interventions in the Use of Radically Open Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
Radically Open DBT is a new and innovative treatment for issues of emotional over-control created by Tom Lynch. This training is a brief introduction to this treatment which focuses on openness, flexibility, and connection.

During this presentation, participants will learn to:

• Describe key characteristics of the over-controlled style
• Describe the biosocial theory in RO DBT
• Understand the bio-temperamental differences between someone who is OC and someone who is UC
• Name the five emotionally relevant stimuli
• Describe the importance of social signaling
• Describe the novel mechanism of change in RO DBT

Presenter Bios

Delia Aldridge, MD, CEDS-S, Medical Director, Chicago Suburbs
Dr. Delia Aldridge is a Board Certified Psychiatrist, iaedp - Approved Supervisor and Medical Director of Chicago Suburbs, Eating Recovery Center and Insight Behavioral Health since august 2019. Prior to this assignment, she was the Medical Director of the AMITA Health, Alexian Brothers Center for Eating Disorders in Illinois for 17 years where she established a premier refeeding service for pediatric and adult patients with complex psychiatric co-occurring conditions including self-injury, PTSD, mood disorders and substance use disorders. She serves on the iaedp Certification and Supervision Committee and is the Certification Chair for Heartland iaedp, the local Illinois chapter. Dr. Aldridge is Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Rosalind Franklin University/ The Chicago Medical School and teaches medical students about the medical complications of eating disorders.

Laura Lange, MSW, LCSW, Director of Binge Eating Treatment and Recovery
Laura Lange is a licensed clinical social worker and currently the Director of BETR (Binge Eating Treatment and Recovery) at Eating Recovery Center in Illinois. Ms. Lange earned her Master’s degree in Social Work from Loyola University Chicago with a concentration in children and families and mental health. Laura Lange currently focuses her care on the treatment of individuals, groups, and families who suffer from Binge Eating Disorder, Compulsive Overeating, Bulimia Nervosa and co-occurring mood and anxiety disorders using evidence-based practices such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Exposure Response Prevention.

Jennifer McAdams, MA, LCPC, CEDS-S, Clinical Director of Eating Disorder Services
Jennifer McAdams, MA, LCPC, CEDS-S is the Clinical Director of Eating Disorder Services with Eating Recovery Centers-Insight in Chicago, Illinois. Jennifer earned a Master’s degree in Clinical Professional Psychology from Roosevelt University and is both a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Certified Eating Disorder Specialist Supervisor. Jennifer’s primary treatment modality focus has been on Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Exposure Response Prevention, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Emotion-Focused Family Therapy, and Family-Based Therapy. Jennifer has specialized in work with individuals and families in higher levels of care and individuals from adolescence through adulthood for over 10 years.

Ellen Astrachan-Fletcher, Ph.D., CED-S, FAED, Regional Managing Director, Clinical, Illinois
Dr. Ellen Astrachan-Fletcher has a wealth and breadth of experience treating adults and adolescents with mood, anxiety and eating disorders. She is Lecturer at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has over 25 years of clinical and teaching experience in the field of eating disorders and women’s mental health issues and has taught and supervised Psychiatry residents and fellows as well as Clinical Psychology interns and externs for over two decades. She was named Teacher of the Year by the Clinical Psychology Internship and Fellowship Program at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in 2013. Dr. Astrachan-Fletcher is a senior RO DBT clinician, training directly under Tom Lynch and she is a nationally recognized expert in the field of DBT, FBT (Family-Based Treatment), and is a frequent presenter at national eating disorders conferences. Dr. Astrachan-Fletcher has been instrumental in research collaborations with Daniel Le Grange, Tom Lynch, and others. She has helped to make empirically based and innovative treatments translatable for the private sector. She co-authored The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook for Bulimia: Using DBT to Break the Cycle and Regain Control of Your Life (2009), which is used at eating disorders treatment facilities throughout the country.

This program is recognized by IDFPR as providing CEUs for LPC/LCPC and LSW/LCSW under license number 159.001334, LMFT under license number 168.000223, LCP under license number 268.000070, and RN/LPN/APN under license number 236.000127.