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KBIA’s Health & Wealth Desk covers the economy and health of rural and underserved communities in Missouri and beyond. The team produces a weekly radio segment, as well as in-depth features and regular blog posts. The reporting desk is funded by a grant from the University of Missouri, and the Missouri Foundation for Health.Contact the Health & Wealth desk.

Eating Disorder Treatment Facility Opens in Mid-Missouri

McCallum Place

According to the National Eating Disorders Association, in the United States alone, 20 million women and 10 million men suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder at some time in their life, but treatment for these mental illnesses can still be hard to find.

So in an effort to reach people suffering from eating disorders, a new clinic, McCallum Place that specializes in the treatment of eating disorders has opened in Columbia.  

Annie Seal had no idea what she was up against in 2008 when her daughter was diagnosed with an eating disorder.

“She began treatment on her sixteenth birthday,” Seal said. “Up until that point I knew very little about eating disorders - very very little. Other than what we kind of know culturally like Karen Carpenter had one. People look skinny so maybe they have one.”

And once Seal realized something was amiss, she took her daughter, Kat, to see a doctor.  

“At the time that she was diagnosed I just remember the doctor saying ‘Well the good news is we don't have to put her in the hospital today, but the bad news is your daughter needs residential treatment starting tomorrow,” Seal said. “And ‘Oh you need to forget about school, finishing school, she may never finished school, you just need to get your daughter into treatment.”  

"Well the good news is we don't have to put her in the hospital today, but the bad news is your daughter needs residential treatment starting tomorrow."

Seal said the hospital immediately referred her to McCallum Place, a St. Louis area clinic that specializes in the treatment of eating disorders.

“It really wasn't until I got her to McCallum place for her admissions evaluation that I felt like okay we're doing the right things,” Seal said.

Through treatment, Kat was able to recover, and now, several years later, a new McCallum Place facility has opened in Columbia to serve those suffering from eating disorders in Mid-Missouri.

The new facility is painted in tranquil blues and greens. There’s a large dining room, several therapy rooms, a room for yoga and a classroom for school-aged patients – and those are just some of the rooms I saw on my quick walk through of the clinic.

Beth Shoyer, a psychologist and the clinical director at the Columbia McCallum Place clinic, says their patients are working with numerous medical professions and undergoing a wide variety of therapies.

“They're working again with a therapist, dietician, psychiatrist, they have yoga and movement when they're medically ready for it,” Shoyer said. “They have expressive therapies and art therapies and we have a full scale kitchen…We also have a tutor, so a school work support person and that’s really an important component.”

The clinic specializes in the treatment of several eating disorders, and currently offers what’s called a partial hospitalization program, where patients spend 10 or 6 hours a day at the clinic, and intensive outpatient treatment.

Kim McCallum, who founded McCallum Place, says the new facility will be meeting the individual needs of their patients.    

Credit McCallum Place
Kim McCallum

“It’s a new treatment center providing comprehensive medical, psychological and nutritional care for folks struggling with eating disorders,” McCallum said. “Adolescents and adults. And males and females.”

There are already McCallum Place clinics in both St. Louis and Kansas City, but until now there have been few options for treatment available to families in Mid-Missouri - other than driving hours each day to reach McCallum Place or other treatment centers located in more urban locations.

And Beth Shoyer, the clinical director, said there are many reasons to have a clinic in Columbia.  

“Well one really automatic answer is the MU campus and Columbia College and Stephens College and also the centrality to all of central Missouri,” Shoyer said.

As for the costs associated with the treatment of eating disorders, there was significant movement forward on this issue just last year. In June of 2015, Governor Jay Nixon signed a law that requires insurance companies to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders.

Thetext of the law says:  “Under the act medical necessity determinations and care management for the treatment of eating disorders shall consider the overall medical and mental health needs of the individual with the eating disorder and shall not be based solely on weight.”

Governor Nixon’s press release on the signing of the law also said that an estimated 202,000 Missourians suffer from an eating disorder.

So while treatment may still be expensive, McCallum said they advocate for families and patients to tap into their insurance resources as much as possible.

"We do know that the earlier we catch it, the earlier someone receives treatment, the more quickly the recovery process can happen."

“The good news is that for many people insurance will cover treatment,” McCallum said. “Insurance doesn’t always cover 100% of treatment, there might be a copay or they may support a percentage of treatment that's recommended - maybe the first part where the symptoms are very severe.”

Shoyer added that intensive treatment, like that available at McCallum Place, can be extremely important for the recovery of some individuals.

“We do know that the earlier we catch it, the earlier someone receives treatment, the more quickly the recovery process can happen,” Shoyer said.  

Rebecca Smith is an award-winning reporter and producer for the KBIA Health & Wealth Desk. Born and raised outside of Rolla, Missouri, she has a passion for diving into often overlooked issues that affect the rural populations of her state – especially stories that broaden people’s perception of “rural” life.
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