Milestones In Recovery
Eating Disorder
Treatment in Florida

At Milestones, our facility and programs are nationally accredited by the Joint Commission and licensed by the Agency for Healthcare Administration and provide top quality eating disorder treatment in Florida.

We understand eating disorders are complex conditions requiring specialized care and attention. Our team of dedicated professionals is comprised of a multidisciplinary group of credentialed and board-certified therapists, physicians, registered nurses, dietitians, and experienced support staff. Our facility and programs are nationally accredited by the Joint Commission and licensed by the Agency for Healthcare Administration and provide top quality eating disorder treatment in Florida. At our South Florida campus, we treat people coming to us from all over, locally, and out of the area. As one of the first programs to offer residential treatment for eating disorders, Milestones brings with it the expertise and know-how that only come with time.

Providing effective treatment for an eating disorder is hardly ever a matter of “one size fits all.” Despite different forms of eating disorders having commonalities in symptoms, we strive to acknowledge the specific needs and experiences of each person entrusting us with their treatment. With that in mind, a wide range of evidence-based modalities are part of what is offered. These include, but are not limited to individual and group therapies, family counseling, nutritional guidance, experiential therapies, medication management laboratory services, initial medical and psychiatric assessment, and ongoing consultations with our medical specialists.  In addition, focused attention to such frequently co-occurring issues as trauma, substance use, and mood disorders are addressed during an individual’s stay. Perhaps the most understated benefit of Milestones is the therapeutic community providing structure, support, and a “real world” environment. Doing so makes Milestones unique by affording the opportunity to practice recovery from the tyranny of an eating disorder before leaving the program.

We provide comprehensive eating disorder programs in Florida. Our treatment programs are designed to address the unique needs of each individual, recognizing that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to recovery. We provide a range of evidence-based treatment modalities, including individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy, nutritional counseling, medical monitoring, and experiential therapies. By integrating these modalities, we address eating disorders’ physical, emotional, and psychological aspects, fostering holistic healing and long-term recovery. Whether you are in Florida or anywhere else in the country, we are happy to help.

The overall mission at Milestones is best summed up by this metaphor: “Feed a person a fish and they’ll eat for one day, teach a person how to fish and they’ll eat for a lifetime.” To accomplish this the program incorporates supervision and guidance with meal planning and meal preparation, grocery shopping, apartment-style living, and an array of daily living activities: all with the notion the last day in treatment and the next day back home should be as seamless as possible. The “culture” at Milestones is one of collaboration between the professional staff and the people who are seeking help. Because of this, we only accept people into our programs who are willing, able, and ready to make a commitment to their recovery. Doing so makes for a community of like-minded people with a singleness of purpose – recovery.

Although each component of the treatment process is integral to achieving a sustained recovery for the individual, we also recognize eating disorders affect family, friends, and employers. To this end, we offer counseling opportunities to individuals requesting family, significant other, or employer communication. This is, of course, only with the written consent of the person who is admitted to the program.

In accordance with state and federal law, confidentiality and privacy is protected for each patient and Milestones will not and cannot acknowledge or speak to anyone with whom we do not have a written release to speak with.

Apart from the residential program, Milestones offers two other levels of care for those who would benefit from “stepping down” or transitioning to a lesser level of care. In some instances, these programs are offered as an alternative to a higher level of care such as residential. These determinations are a collaborative decision between individuals and the clinical team upon review of a preadmission assessment, discharge planning, and/or a preadmission interview.

To provide comprehensive eating disorder treatment in Florida, our PHP or Partial Hospital Program, aka day treatment, follows the same schedule, and several of the components our residential participants experience. The program averages approximately six hours daily and is usually attended no less than five or more than seven days weekly. PHP participants are not monitored or offered the supervision and amenities common the those in the residential program after hours. Hence, they are “commuters” with “room and board” not being a part of this level of care and the responsibility of the individual. More recently, telehealth and virtual PHP and IOP attendance is offered as an option for those individuals unable to attend in person as state and national regulatory guidelines permit.

The IOP or Intensive Outpatient Program is identical to the PHP program apart from being half-day or averaging three hours daily. Determining the exact schedule, morning or afternoon is flexible and determined by participants and staff. Like the PHP program, participants do not reside at the residences or participate in the evening and after-hours schedules.

Equally important to gaining a “foothold” in the recovery process is the “now what, so what” question of how I keep from relapsing back into the behaviors and mental anguish of my eating disorder. Stopping and staying stopped are both challenging. A key element to “staying stopped” is to first recognize the work does not end with going home or leaving a treatment program. At Milestones, we provide eating disorder treatment in Florida and we are more apt to consider staying stopped a matter of remission and not a matter of having been “cured.” Achieving long-term, quality recovery begins with acceptance of the need to do things differently than prior to treatment. Starting with discharge planning and continuing with aftercare. Ongoing support is an essential key to longevity. Part of our core mission is a commitment to offer each graduate an opportunity to participate in any of several dedicated aftercare and alumni programs. Whether in-person or via telehealth, our alumni and aftercare director, Bonnie Malcome, is onsite to make available the resources and support to ensure long-term “sober living” becomes a reality.