NEDC- eLearning - Foundations of Eating Disorders: Initial Response

Organisation / Service

NEDC

A prompt, skilled initial response can be pivotal for someone experiencing an eating disorder. Early engagement, access to an initial assessment, preliminary diagnosis, and timely referral to appropriate services are essential to support safety and improve health and quality of life outcomes.

National Strategy Standards and Actions

Initial Response

1.1 Training providers to ensure that mental health professionals are trained to conduct an initial eating disorder assessment including psychiatric risk, make a preliminary diagnosis, provide psychoeducation, refer the person to the appropriate level of treatment, and continue to engage the person and family/supports throughout any waiting time for treatment.  

3.1 Training providers to ensure that dietitians are trained to conduct an initial eating disorder assessment, including a dietetic assessment, provide nutrition education and dietetic intervention, refer the person for assessment of medical and psychiatric risk and a preliminary diagnosis, and continue to engage the person and family/supports throughout any waiting time for treatment. 

4.1 Eating disorder service development organisations to continue to develop and disseminate online/face-to-face training, validated assessment tools, and psychoeducation resources to support health and mental health professionals in assessment, preliminary diagnosis, and in engaging the person and family/supports.