Alsana expands eating disorder treatment in the greater St. Louis area with the opening of its seventh Residential Treatment Center.Located in Pacific, MO, Juneberry RTC creates much-needed space to serve even more higher-acuity clients.
Alsana, an eating disorder treatment provider and community with in-person programs in Alabama, California, and Missouri and virtual programs that serve clients throughout the United States, announced this week that Juneberry, its seventh Residential Treatment Center (RTC) (its second in the state of Missouri, not including PHP/IOP programs) is now open to serve adult clients of all genders in Pacific, MO and throughout the greater St. Louis area.
Juneberry is a 12-bed facility that rests on a serene, 14-acre campus, ideal for group sessions, movement experientials, and peaceful walks during clients’ free time. It is led by a team of highly credentialed treatment professionals, including Senior Regional Executive Director Rebecca Baker, M.Ed., LPC, SEP, CEDS-S, who also oversees Juneberry’s sister site in Ballwin, MO. Baker has been helping clients in recovery heal from their eating disorders since 2008.
Clients who enroll in a Juneberry program can expect to receive the highest quality of holistic care and treatment designed in alignment with Alsana’s Adaptive Care Model®.
“For clients to thrive and maintain lasting recovery, their treatment plans must be as multidimensional as the disorders we are treating,” said Brad Zehring, DO, National Psychiatry Director for Alsana. “Juneberry’s clinical team is committed to delivering evidence-based, compassionate care that facilitates healing in all areas of our clients’ lives. It is an honor to be part of anyone’s story of hope and healing. Juneberry will be a vital steppingstone on many clients’ paths toward full recovery and achieving their true potential.”
When the need for eating recovery services rose dramatically during COVID-19, Alsana’s doors remained open to provide care for adults of all genders through in-person and new virtual programs. Closing was never an option; in addition to the unprecedented spike in the quantity of cases reported nationwide during the pandemic, individuals’ symptoms also grew markedly in terms of severity. Individuals who had made great strides in their eating disorder recoveries were suddenly left to manage their anxieties and lost routines in isolation.
In anticipation of clients’ higher acuity and continued need for the structure of in-person recovery services, Alsana leadership knew it needed to expand care access. “Alsana’s treatment programs reflect our strong commitment to meeting clients where they are in their eating disorder recoveries,” said Gayle Devin, CEO for Alsana. “I am proud of our teams’ passion for providing holistic, life-saving care with compassion and a sense of urgency, and excited to bring these life-saving resources to even more clients of all genders throughout the greater St. Louis area.”
Juneberry was named after the local fruiting plant Amelanchier Canadensis. They are rich in iron and ripen during the month of June, as their name suggests.
“Our Adaptive Care Model provides a blueprint for helping clients understand the necessity of embracing all kinds of nourishment,” said Tammy Beasley, MS, RDN, CEDRD-S, CSSD, Vice President, Clinical Nutrition Services. “We want them to understand the roles pleasure and curiosity play in mindful food choices. Juneberry trees are somewhat symbolic of this balance; yes, the fruit is nutritious, but in fact, the entire organism is nourishing, from the fragrant blossoms to the cheerful bird songs to the happy humming pollinators to the lovely shade on a hot day.”
