When Outpatient Isn't Enough: Navigating Higher Levels of Care in Eating Disorder Treatment
WHEN OUTPATIENT ISN'T ENOUGH: NAVIGATING HIGHER LEVELS OF CARE IN EATING DISORDER TREATMENT
This continuing professional education activity provides registered dietitian nutritionists with a structured, evidence-informed framework for assessing level-of-care appropriateness in adults with eating disorders. Participants will review clinical indicators that suggest outpatient treatment may be insufficient to ensure patient safety, including the cognitive and behavioral effects of malnutrition (“starved brain”) on insight, judgment, and treatment engagement.

The session emphasizes ethical decision-making when working with adults who decline recommended higher levels of care, including strategies for documenting informed refusal and establishing clear conditions for continuing outpatient treatment. Participants will learn how to defi ne measurable escalation triggers, navigate ethical termination when appropriate, and support safe transitions in care.

In addition, the program outlines best practices for interdisciplinary collaboration, caregiver integration, and coordination of care across medical and mental health providers. Practical tools for documentation, care agreements, referral justifi cation, and structured team communication will be presented to support risk management and standard-of-care alignment in outpatient practice.
Upon successful completion of this one-hour course, the participant should be able to:
  • Identify clinical signs indicating that outpatient eating disorder treatment may be insufficient for patient safety.


  • Describe the neurocognitive effects of malnutrition (“starved brain”) and explain how they impair a client's insight, judgment, and engagement in treatment.


  • Evaluate a client's readiness for outpatient treatment.


  • Apply ethical principles when making level-of-care decisions with adult clients who refuse higher care.


  • Implement conditions for continuing outpatient care and establish escalation triggers consistent with the standard of care.


  • Evaluate the ability to provide necessary support and navigate the termination of care when appropriate.


  • Establish a framework for a collaborative care plan that validates the complexity of a patient's needs and guides communication among the family, providers, and the patient.


  • Set a clear agenda for coordination of care team meetings.


  • Complete documentation for informed refusal of care.


  • Develop a client care agreement and define triggers for re-evaluation.


  • Consider and integrate the support needs of caregivers.


  • Make appropriate referrals supported by necessary objective data.


  • Collaborate effectively with medical and mental health providers during transitions in the level of care.
Live Webinar Date: Apr 02, 2026   (04:00 PM - 05:00 PM Eastern Time) (US and Canada)
Expiration Date: Feb 24, 2027
Performance Indicators/Learning Objectives: 5.2.5, 9.1.2, 11.2.12, 10.6.3
Target Audience: RDs, DTRs, Health Professionals
Number of Credits: 1.0
Total Cost: 1 Site Credit

About the Presenter: Kimberly Evans, MS, RD, LDN
Kimberly Evans

Kimberly Evans, MS, RD, LDN, is a Registered Dietitian with 30+ years of experience in clinical practice, higher education, and functional wellness. She holds a master’s in Health Care Administration and a Higher Education Teaching Certificate from Harvard. Kimberly specializes in women’s health, thyroid and metabolic conditions, autoimmune fatigue, and midlife transitions—using a systems-based lens to help dietitians elevate care through real-world, client-centered strategies.

As founder of the Nourish Radiance Method, she offers CEU courses and mentoring that translate lab data and physiology into meaningful, compassionate care. Her teaching bridges evidence-based practice with integrative insight—empowering RDs to lead with clarity, confidence, and impact.



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