CURRENT INITIATIVES Interested in Volunteering? click here Click here for a map to the Monday night support group location RECOVERY-SUPPORT ONLINE MESSAGE BOARDS Our Message Boards, located at Joy Project Online give people in recovery the ability to chat with other people in recovery to support each other, give and receive feedback, share helpful information, and challenge each other to continue to fight their eating disorder. Features include: Option to create a personal online diary, daily challenge projects, weekly ‘Challenge Food Challenge’ contests, interactive polls, and permanent threads with useful info and links to more information. TREATMENT DIRECTORY We have collected information on treatment centers throughout the US into our searchable Treatment Finder database. Our goal is to help people find a treatment center that is the right fit for them by providing detailed information about what each center specializes in, which insurance they accept, average wait list time, and a number of other criteria. CHANGING THE DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR ANOREXIA NERVOSA We are fighting for change in ED diagnostic criteria. Specifically, we are requesting that the diagnostic criteria for Anorexia Nervosa be changed to delete weight requirements and judgments of physical characteristics. We believe that the current criteria do not accurately reflect the etiology of the illness, and that they prevent early intervention, which is critical for a successful outcome for treatment. We collected more than 4,000 signatures and personal narratives, which we compiled and sent to the American Psychological Association for review by their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) Revision Committees. We also conducted a qualitative study on the subjective experience of people with eating disorders related to the diagnostic criteria. Preliminary "draft" criteria have now been released by the DSM ED revision workgroup, and it appears our comments may be having an impact! In fact, in a recent announcement, the workgroup referenced receiving "many strong comments" in opposition of the weight limit for Anorexia Nervosa. As many were expecting, it appears that the requirement for Amenorrhea will likely be deleted from the criteria entirely. In addition, there may no longer be a specific weight requirement that people need to be under in order to receive a diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa. In the future, we hope to see even less focus on weight for diagnosis, but at least we're seeing progress! We hope that our contributions to this process will continue have an effect on the revision of the criteria. You can still sign our petition at DSM Petition or on our site RECOVERY SELF-HELP KIT This is a collection of information and resources as well as self-help program instructions that people who have been denied treatment can use as a ‘better-than-nothing’ back-up method of assistance. (FUTURE EXPANSION) ROOTS OF RECOVERY- Extended Support Group Programming Our goal is to mimic some of the important features of an intensive outpatient program (minus the individual therapy and specific meal planning, because we are not licensed to provide those services). The extended support program is designed to give members the opportunity to socialize in a safe and supportive environment, to teach them skills which they can use for the recovery process, and to encourage them to reach out to others. Planned activities include: Yoga, self-defense classes, dance classes, kickboxing, and other physical activity (for those who are medically stable and wish to focus on physical activity that involves appreciating a strong body as opposed to simply burning calories), museum trips, movie nights, classes on basic nutrition, inspirational speakers, classes on assertiveness skills and building self-esteem, arts & crafts classes (knitting and crocheting, for example, are great ways to focus attention elsewhere during times when one might otherwise binge and purge), group volunteer opportunities for working with other organizations, and regular group dining experiences followed by group activities that will allow individuals to have non-judgmental support during meals, plus distractions to help them in the hours following the meal. (FUTURE EXPANSION) SUPPORTIVE HOUSING This concept is similar to ‘sober housing’ for those suffering from drug/alcohol addiction. This could provide individuals who may otherwise not have access to treatment with a supportive home environment where they could receive assistance in their recovery efforts. The biggest advantage is that they can live in an supportive environment that only costs as much as their rent, and they will also be able to strengthen their ability to live in the ‘real world’ while remaining supported. (Estimated program launch date: 2009 or 2010) (FUTURE EXPANSION) "FRANCHISING" OF LOCAL PROGRAMMING Once our own local programming is sufficiently developed, and our procedures are streamlined, and we have the capacity to oversee programs in different geographic areas, we would love to share our ‘model’ of programming with other locations. A note about the structure of the organization The Joy Project is 501(c)3 tax-exempt public charity, governed by a Board of Directors. Please note that we do NOT provide individual therapy or diagnosis. We provide general information and peer support. Our programming is not intended to replace traditional therapy. However, many of our members have found our programming to be an invaluable tool for maintaining recovery, or for finding additional support in conjunction with participation in traditional therapy. Interested in volunteering? Click here To contact The Joy Project, send an email to director@joyproject.org + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + |
PO Box 16488, St Paul, MN 55116 |
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