Project HEAL offers 6 free programs designed to break down barriers to eating disorder healing
Through our direct services we expand access to mental healthcare, empower communities, and strengthen the support systems necessary for long-term recovery.
Programs open for registration
Three programs—Meal Support, Clinical Assessment, and Community Care Groups—are open for registration and provide immediate support for anyone in the community.
meal support
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Project HEAL’s Meal Support Program provides free, accessible, and eating disorder-informed meal support for individuals (16+) in the U.S. at the outpatient level of care. In partnership with Clinician’s Incubator, participants can join live, virtual, drop-in meal support groups led by nutrition practitioners working toward their Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) certification. These sessions create a safe and supportive space to navigate mealtimes, helping individuals manage anxiety and build confidence in recovery.
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The Meal Support Program is for you if:
you are medically stable
you are at outpatient level (not in need of a Higher Level of Care)
you find you could use extra support outside of your weekly therapy and nutrition appointments when it comes to meal time
you are seeking communal support in your healing journey
sometimes your hunger and fullness cues are tricky to navigate on your own
You must have access to…
a phone, tablet or computer and are able to use video
a quiet space to eat
food - whether it’s prepared at home or takeout
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Clinical assessment
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Project HEAL provides free, impartial, culturally-competent, and compassionate 1-hour phone assessments to anyone in the U.S. who believes they (or their child) might have an eating disorder. They will receive comprehensive 8+ page document with diagnosis, treatment recommendation, and referrals. We will also offer enrollment to one of our other three programs if applicable.
Project HEAL’s Clinical Assessment Program operates on several foundational principles that uniquely highlight our ability to support mental health in marginalized communities: accessibility, harm reduction, and cultural competency and humility. Our program is designed to provide eating disorder assessments, diagnoses, and referrals to anyone in the US over the age of 12* for free, via video or audio.
*For people aged 12-17, we will provide eating disorder assessments as long as a parent or guardian is able to consent. In states where minors are able to provide consent to their own mental health treatment, parental or guardian consent is not necessary for the assessment.
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Clinical Assessment is right for you if:
You have never received an official eating disorder diagnosis, or it has been many years since an initial diagnosis was made
You know you need/want help but you aren’t sure where to start
You are unsure as to which level of care would be appropriate for you
You have been told you need an official assessment completed before beginning the treatment of your choice
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community care
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Our community care program, Body Reborn, provides a virtual, intersectional community for those who struggle with disordered eating and have faced systemic barriers due to race (e.g. those that originate for people of color). Over the course of 8 weeks, we'll engage in education and live discussion around systemic oppression, trauma, and their effects on our relationship with food/body.
Our group will discuss the intersection of body image, systemic bias, oppression, and other potentially challenging topics in a carefully facilitated, supportive space. While we aim for safety, complete trigger avoidance cannot be guaranteed. You may gain the most benefit from the space if you (a) are already engaging, comfortably, in these reflections individually; and/or (b) are comfortable in your outpatient care level.
Space is limited, therefore we ask that you please complete the application thoughtfully and authentically as possible.
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Community Care is right for you if:
You can commit to the following time commitment:
Commitment: Groups will last for 8 weeks.
Time: Sessions are held on Mondays (1.5 Hours) starting at 7:30 PM ET | 4:30 PM PT AND Wednesdays (1 Hour) starting at 8:30 PM ET | 5:30 PM PT.
Platform: Zoom
For questions, please reach out to communitycare@theprojectheal.org.
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treatment access programs open for application
Our three Treatment Access programs—Insurance Navigation, Treatment Placement, and Cash Assistance—require an application, with participants selected through a review process by our Programs Team. Learn more about each program and how to get started below.
insurance navigation
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The current healthcare system in the United States routinely unfairly denies coverage for treatment at the clinically appropriate level of care that someone struggling with an eating disorder needs to recover.
Project HEAL’s insurance navigation specialists and Insurance Resource Hub help individuals understand their often confusing insurance benefits and advocate to get their treatment covered. Investing in insurance navigation allows us to exponentially increase the number of people we can help access treatment each month and enables more people to utilize the benefits that they are entitled to by law.
Individualized case management and advocacy
with insurance includes:Help understanding your insurance plan & benefits
Guidance on Single Case Agreements and Insurance Appeals
Support getting new insurance on ACA marketplace
Referrals for in-network providers
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Access the Insurance Resource Hub!
Includes self-led learning about:
Commonly used Health Insurance language
ED Insurance FAQ
ED Treatment Levels of Care
Single Case Agreements
Appealing Insurance Denials
Advocating for Treatment with Medicaid
Medicaid Treatment Centers
Legal Support for ED Litigation
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Treatment Placement
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Project HEAL has limited free, extended, and/or steeply discounted treatment options available through our Treatment Placement Program in collaboration with our HEALers Circle partners.
Project HEAL reviews all applications on a monthly basis to determine financial need, explore all other options for care (insurance plans, in- and out-of-network, etc), and identify any other barriers faced due to having a marginalized identity.
Please note that an application does not guarantee that support will be granted. Unfortunately, due to high demand and limited resources, we must prioritize the distribution of our resources based on our organizational values of equity.
Types of treatment available through Project HEAL’s Treatment Placement Program:
Inpatient
Residential
Partial Hospitalization/Day Treatment
Intensive Outpatient
Outpatient therapy
Outpatient dietitian & nutrition
Eating disorder coaching
Intensive Family Therapy
Virtual Bundled Care
Medical
Support Groups
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Treatment Placement my be right for you if:
You have received a diagnosis and can’t get into eating disorder treatment because of barriers like financial limitations, size-based discrimination, insurance limitations, etc.
You know you need treatment and might know the level of care, but you need help paying for it.
You need a higher level of care but are concerned about facing discrimination; instead, you might want to build a substantive outpatient team.
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cash assistance
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Many individuals cannot access eating disorder treatment due to prohibitive financial barriers. Even those with insurance often cannot access their benefits due to high deductibles, out-of-pocket maximums, and copays.
Project HEAL offers one-time cash assistance grants to individuals who are able to demonstrate financial need so that they can access the care they need and deserve. This cash assistance is disbursed directly to service providers specializing in eating disorders, eating disorder treatment programs, insurance companies, or corporations such as airlines or grocery store e-gift cards.
Costs that are prioritized by the Cash Assistance Program:
Deductibles
Co-pays
Travel to care (ex. flights, gas cards)
Other costs may be considered, pending the availability of funds. Please take a look at our cash assistance application to learn more and apply for support.
Costs that are not covered by the Cash Assistance Program:
Entire treatment episodes at higher levels of care (instead apply for the Treatment Placement Program for free or low-cost treatment through one of our HEALers Circle partners)
Debt incurred from treatment previously received
Non-ED related treatment providers
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