Rural Outreach

Throughout 2008, The Eating Disorder Foundation will expand our exciting and unique program supporting people in rural and remote areas who have an eating disorder but who are failing to receive the treatment and the after care they need to recover and to prevent illness relapse. Our program is in two parts:

  1. Sarah, our psychologist, with some current financial backing from Sportsgirl, currently works part time, offering mentoring and support to rural based residents who require city based treatment at the Children’s Hospital and Adolescent Unit Westmead and who are then transitioning back home. This program is of such value to the patients, the families and also to the hospital team, that they have pleaded with us to extend the program. We want to provide a similar service to all Sydney eating disorder units which take patients from country areas.
  2. We intend to run an information and awareness campaign, beginning in three to five rural areas of NSW, offering education and support workshops at the community level, increasing awareness and knowledge about eating disorders, as well as creating networks of local consumers, schools and community health.