The only eating disorder-specific residential treatment centre in Australia, Wandi Nerida provides an evidence-based, holistic model of care that addresses not only symptoms and behaviours, but also the underlying socio-psychological factors that can underlie and prolong a person’s illness.

The facility is purpose-built to create a home-like environment with an individualised and phased treatment plan so that participants can model recovery when they return home. Treatment is tailored to each individual’s needs and may be longer than the standard time usually covered by health funds. It is designed to provide the best chance of long-term recovery, avoiding readmissions which are all too common.

Participants at Wandi Nerida will have a primary diagnosis of an eating disorder, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and/or other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED).

• The service at Wandi Nerida is sex/gender inclusive.
• Age >16 years (dependent on developmental maturity).  Participants under 16 can be assessed within 6 weeks of their 16th birthday for intake to the program.
• Primary DSM-5 diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa.
• Participants must have a BMI of >14 (>75%IBW for adolescents)
• Participant agrees to consent to treatment and understands the importance of timely treatment in their eating disorder recovery.
• Participants are not subject to a treatment order under Mental Health Act 2016.
• Risk(s) of suicide and harm to self or others do not require management beyond what Wandi Nerida can safely offer.
• Participants have a clear understanding of the consequences of not engaging in residential treatment on their recovery.
• Participants agree to abide by the rules outlined in the participant handbook and have signed the participant agreement willingly.
• Independent management of mobility.
• No active substance dependence.
• Manageable dietary restrictions (No veganism but religious and/or cultural dietary considerations will be catered for).

Medically stable as evidenced by:

• Systolic BP 90mm (>80mm for adolescents) or above
• Heart Rate >50 and <100 bpm
• No significant postural tachycardia or hypotension
• Normal ECG (no acute changes)
• Electrolytes that are normal or can be managed by oral replacement.

Participant Acceptance

Acceptance to the program and admission to Wandi Nerida will not only be based on an individuals’ eligibility or their position on the waiting list.

Factors which will be taken into consideration include:

• the individual’s fit with the current milieu
• the needs of the wider participant cohort
• a prospective participant’s financial position
• the number of places available to each state and territory will be equitable.

If you aren’t currently being treated by a health professional, we invite you to search the Butterfly Referral Database for health professionals pre-screened for their knowledge of eating disorders.

We are committed to delivering affordable and accessible treatment based on income levels and health insurance status.

The costs of the program are $73,000, of which Private Health Insurance covers about $23,000, depending on your level of cover. The remaining gap is payable by the participant, family or through our Bursary program.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT WANDI NERIDA’S BURSARY PROGRAM

There are some additional costs which are not covered. Meals are a key part of the program, so approximately another $700 over a 60-day timeframe will be required for outings.

We hope that the donations and funding we are currently seeking will help with costs.

Your length of stay at Wandi Nerida depends on you. The minimum proposed length of stay is 60 days, but it may be longer depending on your needs.

Wandi Nerida has 13 beds with shared accommodation.

Applications to Wandi Nerida will only be accepted per referrals by medical professionals through HotHealth.

All clinical forms completed on HotHealth for medical referral go through secure, encrypted messaging into our EMR.

REFER YOUR CLIENT THROUGH HOTHEALTH

Our referral process is specific and streamlined so the process is timely and efficient. Please read the following carefully to ensure there are no delays.

1. As our referral requires detailed information about their eating disorder and current treatment, as well as blood test and ECG results, we suggest booking your patient a long consult. Once collected, all information must be submitted by the doctor through our online referral form. You will need to create an account and/or log in.
2. After receiving the medical referral, the Wandi Nerida Team will review the information provided and send the potential participant some forms to complete to help us build on their clinical story. Potential participants must complete and submit the forms within 3 days of receiving them from our team.
3. Once we receive the medical referral and potential participant forms, a clinician from the Wandi Nerida Team will reach out to organise a time for a virtual clinical assessment. This appointment will also be an opportunity for your patient to chat to a clinician about the program and ask any questions they may have.
4. After that, all the information will be presented at a multi-disciplinary team meeting and a decision will be made about their readiness for treatment.  If accepted, the referrer and participant will be notified of the outcome and waitlisted.

We only accept referrals from HotHealth. We do not accept emailed or faxed referrals.

The average waiting time is approximately 3 months (last updated Dec 21).

Yes, the federal and state governments are planning to support other residential treatment centres, but none have begun construction. Wandi Nerida is pivotal, as it will serve as a pilot for facilities across Australia. The goal is that anyone who struggles with a difficult to treat eating disorder will receive the best model of care for long term recovery. Evaluation of the treatment at Wandi Nerida will help inform the model of care used by other facilities around the country.