Everyone Belongs Here

Diversity and inclusivity lie at the heart of our organizational values, driving our commitment to fostering an equitable and welcoming environment for all patients and employees.

At EDCare, we understand that eating disorders can affect anyone. We are dedicated to addressing the disparities in diagnosis and treatment faced by individuals in the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, the LGBTQ+ community, and those in larger bodies. Acknowledging the systemic challenges these communities encounter, we are steadfast in our mission to bridge the gaps in access to quality mental health services.

Our endeavor to create a more inclusive culture is reflected in our treatment approach, which is tailored to meet the unique needs of every individual who walks through our doors. EDCare upholds a comprehensive standard of care that is sensitive and responsive to the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our valued patients.

Meet Our Team

What Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Mean to EDCare

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are values to which EDCare employees have a strong commitment. As the DEI Committee, we have developed definitions that best reflect what these words mean to us and how we hope for them to show up at our treatment centers.

Diversity encompasses all the ways in which people differ. This includes, but is not limited to, race, body size, disability, religion, sexual orientation, and gender, as well as diversity of thoughts, ideas, and values.

Equity is the fair opportunity for all people, created by those who are willing to identify and eliminate barriers. Improving equity involves increasing justice and fairness within the procedures of EDCare and requires an understanding of how historical trauma plays a role in the root causes of outcome disparities.

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Inclusion is the act of creating safe environments that embrace differences and offer respect in both words and actions for all people.

At EDCare, diversity looks like:

  • Honoring the various identities of the people we serve and our staff by being aware of their unique needs.
  • Incorporating important aspects of identity in how we approach treatment in nuanced and clinically effective ways, without ascribing to a “one size fits all” approach.
  • Offering groups such as weight stigma, and gender & sexuality as a way to address and explore the intersections of identity.

At EDCare, equity looks like:

  • Taking a wide variety of insurances, like Colorado Medicaid and TRICARE, to meet the needs of those who might otherwise not be able to access treatment.
  • Admissions teams across all sites go to great lengths to advocate for patient care.

At EDCare, inclusion looks like:

  • In-services on culturally sensitive topics, such as weight stigma, Health at Every Size & Weight Oppression, White Fragility, and a two-part series from Queer Asterisk
  • Employee willingness to engage in open conversations without judgment
Equality = Sameness
The assumption that everyone benefits from the same tools, resources, and type of assistance.

Bike Example: everyone gets the same bike regardless of individual needs and differences. One size fits all mentality. 

©2017 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Equity = Fairness
Everyone get the tools, resources, and type of assistance that fits their individual needs.

Bike Example: everyone has access to a bike that fits their individual needs. 

Research and Statistics

  • Black teenagers are 50% more likely than white teenagers to exhibit bulimic behavior, such as binging and purging.1
  • Hispanic people are significantly more likely to suffer from bulimia nervosa than their non-Hispanic peers.1
  • BIPOC are significantly less likely than white people to be asked by a doctor about eating disorder symptoms.1
  • Black people are less likely to be diagnosed with anorexia than white people but may experience the condition for a longer period of time.2
  • Latina and Native American women are less likely than white people to receive a referral for further evaluation or care no matter how severe their symptoms of an eating disorder.3
  • Perceived racial discrimination in healthcare is most common among Black people (12.3%), followed by Native Americans (10.7%) and white people (2.3%).4
  • Black people, Hispanic people, and some Asian people, when compared with white people, generally have lower levels of health insurance coverage, with Hispanics facing more barriers to health insurance than any other group.4

Sources:

  1. “People of Color and Eating Disorders” by the National Eating Disorders Association
  2. “Race, Ethnicity, and Eating Disorder Recognition by Peers” by Margarita Sala, Mae Lynn Reyes-Rodríguez, Cynthia M. Bulik, and Anna Bardone-Cone
  3. “We Are Failing at Treating Eating Disorders in Minorities” by Kristen Fuller, MD for Psychology Today
  4. “Perceived Discrimination and Privilege in Health Care: The Role of Socioeconomic Status and Race” by Irena Stepanikova, PhD and Gabriela Oates, PhD

  • Gay men are seven times more likely to report binging and twelve times more likely to report purging than heterosexual men.1
  • Gay and bisexual boys are significantly more likely to fast, vomit, or take laxatives or diet pills to control their weight.1
  • Transgender college students report experiencing disordered eating at approximately four times the rate of their cisgender classmates.2
  • 32% of transgender people report using their eating disorder to modify their body without hormones.3
  • 56% of transgender people with eating disorders believe their disorder is not related to their physical body.3
  • Gender dysphoria and body dissatisfaction in transgender people is often cited as a key link to eating disorders.2
  • Non-binary people may restrict their eating to appear thin, consistent with the common stereotype of androgynous people in popular culture.2
  • Best practices for treating transgender people with eating disorders include acknowledging the complex nature of the body, validating and affirming their identity, continually pursuing clinical training, supporting access to transition, and facilitating access to care.3
  • Common barriers to treatment for LGBTQ+ people include a lack of culturally-competent treatment, lack of support from family and friends, and insufficient eating disorders education among LGBTQ+ resource providers who are in a position to detect and intervene.4

Sources:

  1. “Eating Disorders in LGBTQ+ Populations” by the National Eating Disorders Association
  2. “Eating Disorders in Transgender People” by Lauren Muhlheim, PsyD, CEDS for Verywell Mind
  3. “Transgender Clients’ Experiences of Eating Disorder Treatment” by Mary E. Duffy, Kristin E. Henkel, and Valerie A. Earnshaw
  4. “We Are Failing at Treating Eating Disorders in Minorities” by Kristen Fuller, MD for Psychology Today

  • Women with physical disabilities are more likely to develop eating disorders than other women.1
  • 20-30% of adults with eating disorders also have autism.2
  • 3-10% of children and young people with eating disorders also have autism.2
  • 20% of women with anorexia have high levels of autistic traits. There is some evidence that these women benefit the least from current eating disorder treatment models.2
  • ADHD is the most commonly missed diagnosis in relation to eating disorders and disordered eating.3

Sources:

  1. “The Connection Between Disabilities and Eating Disorders” by Montecatini and Eating Disorder Hope
  2. “Trajectories of Autistic Social traits in Childhood and Adolescence and Disordered Eating Behaviours at Age 14 Years” by Dr. Francesca Solmi, Francesca Bentivegna, Helen Bould, William Mandy, Radha Kothari, Dheeraj Rai, David Skuse, and Glyn Lewis
  3. “ADHD and Disordered Eating” by James Greenblatt, MD and Walden Behavioral Care

 

  • Less than 8% of people with eating disorders are medically diagnosed as “underweight.”1
  • Larger body size is both a risk factor for developing an eating disorder and a common outcome for people who struggle with bulimia and binge eating disorder.2
  • People in larger bodies are half as likely as those at a “normal weight” or “underweight” to be diagnosed with an eating disorder.3

Sources:

  1. “Eating Disorders by the Numbers” by Millie Plotkin, MLS and F.E.A.S.T.
  2. “Obesity & Eating Disorders” by the National Eating Disorders Collaboration (Australia)
  3. “Eating Disorders Common in Overweight, Obese Young Adults” by Kristen Monaco for MedPage Today
“We encourage our employees and patients to Ask, Listen, Show up & Speak up as allies to one another.” – EDCare’s DEI Committee
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