ABSTRACT

A collaborative approach is essential to effectively identifying and treating eating disorders on college campuses. Training and communication are important to successful outcomes. This chapter advocates for a treatment approach based in inclusive and cohesive teams, such that key pieces of information from a wide range of sources can coalesce into a clear picture. Working with college students with eating disorders and body image issues is challenging. This population represents a unique combination of problems that manifest in multiple layers of distress and behaviors that impact various aspects of a student’s life. The University of Richmond (UR) Eating and Body Image Concerns Treatment Team has been active for more than 25 years. Its core group is made-up of representatives from the Counseling and Psychological Services, the Student Health Center, the Dean of Men, the Dean of Women, the UR Dining Services, the UR Police Department, and the UR Athletics Department, if student athletics are involved. In addition, faculty is often involved in cases, and housekeeping staff has occasionally provided valuable information on students’ behaviors and are contacted for input. The case discussed later in this chapter would not have been resolved without a report from housekeeping about finding regurgitated material in the sink of the bathroom shared by both students and staff. I made a report to housekeeping about cleaning the bathroom and was told this was not the first report they had received concerning vomit in the bathroom of our building. So the question is, who should be at the treatment team table? Anyone who has information that will help assess and design appropriate treatment plans should be invited to the table.