Young people and families involved in The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) Eating Disorders Program will now benefit from a new facility, after today’s official launch of the refurbished William Buckland House.

Minister for Mental Health Mary Wooldridge launched the new facility, which will assist the RCH Centre for Adolencent Health in delivering Australia’s leading eating disorders program.

Since 2008 the RCH has been testing and refining the delivery of the internationally recognised family based treatment of anorexia nervosa (also known as the Maudsley approach). The program’s integrated, multi-disciplinary approach seeks to reorient treatment from inpatient care to a focus on intensive outpatient treatment provided by a dedicated eating disorders team.

Thanks to a $400,000 capital grant from the Victorian Government, William Buckland House has now become a specific-purpose facility for this approach to treatment. The Victorian Government has also invested $3.4 million in the family-based treatment specialist program.

Director of the RCH Centre for Adolecent Health, Professor Susan Sawyer, said the RCH now provides the highest quality eating disorder service in Australia.

“We have measurable outcomes that are the best in the country and rival the best in the world. These funds have enabled the RCH to refurbish William Buckland House into a family-friendly custom built eating disorders program,” Professor Sawyer said.

“In addition, new audiovisual technologies will provide a state of the art training facility to support our leadership role around intensive family based therapy training across Victoria,” she said.

Minister for Mental Health Mary Wooldridge said that the program enables families and young people to access a range of different professionals – medical, mental health and dieticians – all in the one place.

“Bringing together an integrated team of professionals to provide a comprehensive and timely assessment in the one place is a key feature of the current Children’s Hospital service, which will be expanded with the introduction of an additional integrated assessment clinic,” Ms Wooldridge said.

“Family-based treatment is the core component of this specialist treatment program, with the family environment recognised as the best place for treatment and recovery,” Ms Wooldridge said.

Research suggests that up to three per cent of young people – both girls and boys – suffer from anorexia in Victoria, with many more having other forms of eating disorders. More than 300 young people present to emergency departments across the state each year.

Within this new facility RCH staff can empower families with the tools they need to support their child through an enourmously challenging health condition.

For more information on the Centre for Adolecent Health Eating Disorders Program visit the website.