Our Story

EDCMT, since its inception

In 2013, we opened the first intensive outpatient program in southwest Montana to support a community need for more specialized and accessible eating disorder treatment. Eating disorders are very real, very tough mental illnesses to overcome and we believe that early intervention is key. That’s why our programs are designed to support all genders, ages 12 and up, meeting people where they are before struggles deepen and recovery becomes harder to reach.

An intensive outpatient program (also known as IOP) is a higher level of specialized treatment that gives patients access to a therapist and dietitian and the support of individual and group therapy multiple days every week. Without local programs like these, it can be hard for patients to get the help they need and have a real chance at recovery.

We started as three determined women with the hope of ending these gaps in care. Since then we have grown into a team of 15+ people. In 2017, we added a higher level of care: a partial hospitalization/day treatment program, known as PHP. It’s the only in-person day treatment option in our state, and it began for similar reasons as our intensive outpatient program: to provide our patients with the right levels of care to fit their varying needs at the local and regional level.

Our journey hasn’t always been easy or straightforward--but that feels fitting for the work we do. Our patients face a lot of ups and downs, and the path is never linear; however, it is worth it. We feel the same.

We have so much hope for our patients and our community, and we’re looking forward to the seasons and years ahead as we continue to serve Montana and beyond. We’re grateful to be supported by so many in this work; our clients past and present, their families, our team members, our donors, and the Bozeman and Montana communities.

There is so much light yet to come.