Behavioral healthcare has undergone significant change that began when the COVID-19 pandemic demanded the industry to shift to providing care via telehealth. As the world went virtual, the healthcare industry followed to maintain continuity of care, with virtual appointments rapidly changing from being a supplemental option to becoming a mainstream, essential component of the healthcare system.

This transition has created a more focused approach to behavioral healthcare. In particular, virtual care has proven to be invaluable for treating eating disorders, as it enables specialized care to be delivered directly to clients' homes. Virtual care also allows for therapies that addresses co-occurring disorders, like Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), to be delivered simultaneously, resulting in a better treatment experience and likelihood of long-term recovery.

Meeting People Where They Are

One of the greatest strengths of virtual behavioral healthcare is its ability to meet clients wherever they are – both literally and figuratively. For those balancing work, school, family responsibilities or lack of transportation, virtual care offers an adaptable, flexible option that fits into their lives. Furthermore, it provides an alternative to not seeking treatment at all.  

This accessibility is especially significant in "treatment deserts," where resources are unavailable or hard to find. It’s also particularly important for eating disorders, because early intervention is vital and can increase the chances of recovery.

We also know clients who consistently engage in treatment tend to experience better outcomes, getting better faster and staying well longer. For clients who may feel ambivalent about recovery, a common feature of eating disorders, virtual care provides an approachable entry point. Clients who are medically stable but not ready to commit to 24-hour care in a residential setting often start with virtual treatment, later becoming more open to exploring higher or lower levels of care depending on their individualized needs and severity of symptoms.

The Unique Challenges of ARFID and Binge Eating Disorder Treatment

Eating disorders such as Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) and binge eating disorder (BED) have emerged as critical areas of behavioral health that require specialized treatment. ARFID, though less well-known than anorexia or bulimia, can have a profound impact, particularly on children and adolescents. It’s characterized by extreme “picky eating” with an aversion to certain foods, which can lead to nutritional deficiencies. BED, the most common eating disorder, involves cycles of binge eating followed by feelings of shame or guilt, which can be difficult to break without the right support. This eating disorder is often missed by medical providers, and individuals are instead recommended medical interventions such as bariatric surgery or GLP-1s, which do not treat BED, have significant side effects and perpetuate the “thin ideal” that can reinforce eating disorders.

Both ARFID and BED require nuanced, specialized treatment. Virtual care has proven to be an important solution for these disorders, as it allows clients to receive care among peers with the same problem in a format that fits into their daily lives without entering a clinical environment. In Monte Nido’s specialty virtual ARFID Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), more than half of the 140 clients have shown significant progress in expanding their food variety. Additionally, 92% of these clients achieved adequate nutritional intake levels by the end of their treatment. For individuals with BED, the average length of time they had the condition prior to treatment was 20 years, with 14 years before any intervention at all. These statistics illustrate the immense need for accessible, effective treatment options that reach individuals earlier in their journey.

Monte Nido’s programs are individualized for clients and their families, because we know family support leads to better long-term outcomes. In virtual IOPs, clients engage in treatment personalized to their needs, such as group therapy or family-inclusive care for conditions like ARFID, where family involvement is critical for helping a loved one continue on their path to recovery.

Virtual care also allows clients to connect with peers who share similar challenges in specialized group therapy, creating a sense of community through shared experiences. For instance, one Monte Nido past client stated, “I am so glad I found Monte Nido’s binge eating disorder program. I would not have had the same experience in a program based on the universal treatment model.” Similarly, parents of children with ARFID can find a sense of belonging in virtual groups.

Balancing Virtual and In-Person Care

While virtual care has become a powerful tool, it’s important to recognize that it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. Just as certain medical procedures can only be performed in clinical settings, some aspects of behavioral healthcare require face-to-face interaction and daily medical or psychiatric monitoring. Individuals with severe or complex conditions often need in-person treatment because virtual is not a suitable or even safe substitution. Monte Nido carefully balances these needs by offering both virtual and in-person care, ensuring each client receives a treatment plan tailored to their unique needs. The flexible approach bridges the gap between intensive treatment and sustained wellness, offering virtual services for Partial Hospitalization Programs and IOPs through secure, HIPAA-compliant platforms. 

Driving Positive Outcomes

Recent Monte Nido outcomes have shown there are improvements across in-person and virtual programming using gold-standard assessments that measure the severity of eating disorder symptoms, as well as depression and anxiety. Clients improve on all measures in both in-person and virtual programs, with the EDEQ Global Score, which measures eating disorder symptoms, improving and the PHQ-9 score, which measures depressive symptoms, decreasing. These improvements highlight the effectiveness of less intensive, yet highly structured, treatment programs in facilitating meaningful recovery for all eating disorders.

Not only are these programs effective, but 88% of Monte Nido clients discharging from virtual treatment described their experience as good to excellent, and clients rated their experience with program staff – including clinical directors, primary therapists, dieticians, recovery coaches and their psychiatric and medical providers – as "excellent" on average, underscoring the high-quality care provided through these platforms.

Additionally, virtual programs may offer a more cost-effective solution for clients. For example, Monte Nido’s virtual BED program can be a less expensive alternative to interventions like bariatric surgery or long-term GLP-1 treatments, while more importantly addressing underlying mental health issues that contribute to weight cycling. Similarly, the ARFID program helps prevent hospital readmissions, reducing healthcare costs for families who might otherwise face repeated hospitalizations.

The Future of Behavioral Healthcare

No longer just about offering basic mental health services, the future of behavioral healthcare is about innovation, accessibility and improving outcomes through highly individualized care. By leveraging both virtual and in-person treatment options, we can ensure behavioral healthcare is more effective and accessible than ever before, meeting clients where they are – both physically and emotionally. 

With a focus on evidence-based outcomes and a commitment to delivering high-quality individualized care, Monte Nido strives to help clients and their families find the support they need to achieve lasting recovery. We’ve seen positive outcomes throughout our virtual and in-person programs, especially with our BED clients who have improved on all measures and at all levels of care, emphasizing that the right treatment works, and people do not have to suffer in silence. We believe recovery is possible for everybody with the right treatment and support.