6th Annual West Virginia Eating Disorder Network Conference

The 6th Annual West Virginia Eating Disorder Network Conference will be held Friday, March 22, at the West Virginia University Health Sciences Center at the CAMC Memorial Hospital campus in Charleston, WV.

The West Virginia Eating Disorder Network was developed in the summer of 2013 to provide a forum for providers of all disciplines to better understand and treat the complex challenges faced by clients with eating disorders. This conference is designed to review state-of-the-art clinical concepts and treatment considerations for individuals with disordered eating. It will also provide ample time for networking with other providers and treatment centers. Health providers including psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed professional counselors, social workers, nurses, registered dietitians, addiction counselors and other interested professionals and students are invited to attend. There are no prerequisites.

"We have a very strong lineup of speakers,” said Jessica Luzier, Ph.D., clinical director of the WVU Disordered Eating Center of Charleston, and a coordinator of the conference. “The panel includes Dr. Angela Miller, who will present a morning workshop titled "Obesity, Binge Eating Disorder, and Bariatric Surgery: Implications for Assessment and Treatment". The afternoon workshop will be delivered by Dr. Chantel Weisenmuller, Alexandra Thiel, MA, and Nicole Della-Longa, MA, titled "Eating Disorders Among Men and Gender Minority Persons."

According to Dr. Luzier, a primary goal in developing the conference is to make it accessible to all types of providers. The event offers 6 CE's to psychologists, social workers, registered dieticians, physicians, nurses, addiction/prevention specialists, and LPCs. “We are so grateful to partner with the CAMC Health Education and Research Institute in this regard,” Dr. Luzier said. “We have kept costs as low as possible, including reduced fees for CAMC employees and students.”

Between 12 and 15% of women will meet criteria for an eating disorder diagnosis at some point in their lifetime. Our treatment team knows how challenging it can be for individuals in our state to receive psychotherapy, nutritional, and medical services to treat these challenging disorders. Many of our clients in rural areas cannot travel to appointments in Charleston. In 2013, Dr. Luzier developed a free, online network of providers in the state who are either (a) already comfortable treating patients with eating disorders or (b) have an interest in learning more about this population of clients. The West Virginia Eating Disorder Network has grown to over 200 members across disciplines: physicians, psychologists, counselors, social workers, dieticians, case managers, and more. The goal of the Network is to share information about upcoming trainings, consult on challenging cases, and provide referral ideas for individuals needing services.

Registration for the event opens at 8:00 am, and the workshops begin at 9:00 am. The conference will conclude at 415 pm. Registration includes continental breakfast, snacks, and lunch.

“The event partners and I hope that this will be a great opportunity for providers of all types to earn CEs while also increasing their skills and knowledge for treating such an important group of people,” Dr. Luzier said.

By Monday, March 15, please either (a) register for the conference online at www.camcinstitute.org/conference or (b) print out the registration form on the attached brochure and mail your registration to the CAMC Institute. If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to contact Dr. Luzier at jluzier@hsc.wvu.edu.