On October 25, 2024, Acadia Healthcare is hosting and presenting the event, the 20th Annual Renewed Eating Disorder Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
First, by all accounts, the organization, “Renewed, Eating Disorders Support” does good work in the State of Tennessee. No vitriol is directed at them … other than addressing their host and presenter of the event at issue.
The event’s keynote address is entitled, “Adventures in Treating Eating Disorders: Sharing Wisdom from a Cumulative 75 years of Practice.” The overview of this talk includes: “The overall goal of this presentation is to provide eating disorder practitioners from all disciplines and all levels of experience valuable knowledge and insight to enhance their effectiveness.”
So, with that in mind …
Is this the talk where practitioners from all disciplines learn that raping and/or sexually abusing patients is a bad thing?
Or is this the talk where practitioners from all disciplines learn that residential treatment centers can employ persons who allegedly commit rape and/or sexual assault but so long as the bottom line is not negatively impacted, you can ignore the rape and/or sexual assault and not be transparent about it?
Or is this the talk where practitioners from all disciplines learn that treating eating disorders is expensive because it demands the highest level of skill from experienced treatment providers? But since that impacts the bottom line too much, you get out of the eating disorder treatment field and adopt an addiction focused regiment which is far less expensive to implement?
Or is this the talk where practitioners from all disciplines can learn that even though a scathing Senate Committee Report was published which eviscerates your organization, so long as it doesn’t impact you from a financial standpoint, that Report is simply not material?
With all of the recent controversies and issues surrounding Acadia, aren’t we justified in believing that reputable eating disorder organizations would shy away from sponsoring or supporting any event in which Acadia is involved? After all, there is precedent. In 2019, after the Timberline Knolls – Jacksa abusive misconduct came to light, NEDA returned a $10,000 donation Timberline Knolls had made. Surely, because of Timberline Knolls and Acadia’s recent issues, in order to show support for the victims of misconduct and criminal behavior and to make a loud statement against grossly negligent entities, organizations would withdraw their sponsorship and pull out of that event.
Instead, let’s look at the sponsors listed for the October 25th event:
Within
ACUTE Center for Eating Disorders and Severe Malnutrition
Blue Ridge Eating Disorder Care Center
Eating Recovery Center and Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center
Laureate Eating Disorders Program
Odyssey Eating Disorder Network
Like Captain Renault’s quote in the movie Casablanca, “round up the usual suspects,” we see the usual list of corporate entities in the eating disorders field.
It would appear as if no one … absolutely NO ONE … demands accountability or seeks to impose consequences for reprehensible conduct. So long as money continues to be the primary motivator for the owners of treatment centers, apparently there will be no demand for repercussions for bad behavior. And as a result, the families who are suffering are further victimized. Patients, loved ones, being sexually abused and/or raped by employees. Our most vulnerable population being preyed upon.
And all we hear is silence.
Where is the integrity?
Where is the dignity of human life?
Where is the placing the needs of the patient and families who suffer from this illness first and foremost?
I don’t think I have ever been more disgusted with the eating disorder community. So, some people may wonder why don’t I just leave then?
I don’t have much of a choice. In 6 days, I will mark 8 years since my daughter, Morgan died. That personal tragedy put me on this path … this macabre journey which has exposed corruption and dysfunction far greater than any I exposed or experienced in 40 years of practicing law.
I also strongly believe the memory of my daughter, and the memory of others who have died from this insidious illness have been soiled by not just the bad actors in the community, but those who refuse to stand up against the bad actors in the community.
By those who refuse to take a stand. By those who just conduct business as usual. By those who refuse to draw a line in the sand and say, “No more will we stand with those who hurt our most vulnerable population.”
Until then, the message being sent by this community is … a healthy return of investment to Acadia’s shareholders is far more important than providing life-saving care and preserving the dignity of life.
If you are not disgusted and sickened, you should be.
A DAD'S JOURNEY WITH EATING DISORDERS 