New outpatient clinic in Jeffersonville aims to help people with eating disorders

JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) -- A new outpatient center in Jeffersonville specializes in unique disorders that can have dire consequences.

Selah House specifically helps people struggling with eating disorders. It’s the only Indiana facility to provide a partial hospitalization program south of Indianapolis, and for people across the river in Kentucky, it’s the only program of its kind.

Dorothy Hickerson, clinical practice director of Selah House, first launched it in December.

“It’s a lot of responsibility," she said. "This community needs these services.”

Hickerson said eating disorders are severe diseases, and some of the most deadly in terms of psychiatric illnesses.

“They’re second in line only behind opioid disorders," she said. "Every 52 minutes, someone dies from an eating disorder."

Hickerson said Selah House helps people with both the eating disorder itself and accompanying mental health disorders.

"Unlike another disease — say alcoholism, I can choose to stop drinking forever — I can't choose to stop eating," she said. "So it's important that you treat the underlying disorders. I like to say that an eating disorder is usually a symptom. It's not the primary issue. There are underlying co-occurring disorders that go along with it: depression, anxiety, a lot of trauma history."

All clients are connected with therapists, dietitians and group support.

“I think for all of us that work here, being able to help our clients is a passion for us," Hickerson said. "Otherwise, we wouldn’t be here."

Selah House’s intensive outpatient program (IOP) is held three to five days a week, depending on the client’s need, for three hours a day. The partial hospitalization program (PHP) is the next level of care, which is five days a week, six hours a day. It also includes additional medical services through a registered nurse and a psychiatric nurse practitioner.

These programs compliment its partner Selah House Anderson, located near Indianapolis. That location offers most services including inpatient and residential services.

However, Hickerson said like many eating disorder treatment centers, it gets clients from far distances, including out-of-state. When a client lives far away, once it's time for them to transition to a lower level of care, they wouldn't have anywhere else to go, faced with remaining residential or leaving.

"So the idea is if we have people from this area, and our catchment area goes from Columbus, Indiana, all the way across Kentucky, so they will step them down to PHP services here and then IOP services here," Hickerson said. "Then they have an opportunity to come home to finish the treatment."

The location being near the river also allows them an opportunity to reach people that, either because of cost or logistics, weren't able to access care before.

"I have known some people that had eating disorders — especially young people that have really struggled — their parents have really struggled to find treatment for them and not had any luck," Hickerson said.

Hickerson finds insurance can be a barrier to treatment.

"I think it's because a lot of people don't see eating disorders as something that needs to be treated," she said. "We are in network with Humana and Blue Cross Blue Shield and are continuing to work to add additional insurance payments every day. We offer self-pay, obviously. But we also do payment agreements and discounted treatment, especially as a new center. We try really hard, as an agency obviously does, to make sure that cost is not a barrier to treatment."

Hickerson said right now they serve clients ages 16 and up but plan to start an intensive outpatient program for younger kids later this year. In the meantime, current clients are adding their own touches to the space, requesting salt lamps, colorful art and weekly affirmations written on a hallway chalk board.

Hickerson said they want clients involved with how things should look and what should be available, to ensure everyone feels comfort while getting the help they need.

"It doesn't mean that you're a failure, doesn't mean that you're worthless, it doesn't mean that there's something wrong with you," Hickerson said. "It just means that you need some help to get through this bump in the road and move through your journey so that you can get to a good place where you're healthy: emotionally, physically and socially."

Selah House encourages anyone struggling with an eating disorder, or anyone who knows of someone struggling with an eating disorder, to reach out. People can call 812-884-1642, or reach out through the center's website.

The office is located at 4500 Town Center Blvd. in Jeffersonville.

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