FREEDcan Service Model | CHEO FREEDcan

FREEDcan is an early intervention model for eating disorders (EDs) for use in youth-serving community treatment settings (8-25 years) that builds capacity in communities to detect and provide an initial, quick response for early stage eating disorders.

FREEDcan is a co-adaptation of the FREED model first developed in the United Kingdom, which has demonstrated good patient, service, system, implementation, and scalability outcomes. 

Why is FREEDcan needed?

FREEDcan adds to the continuum of care for EDs through its focus on early detection and evidence-based early intervention offerings and pathways. FREEDcan partners with various sectors (i.e. mental health and addictions services, family health teams, campus health, integrated youth services, and primary care) to build the ED workforce to ensure they can provide eating disorder informed care, while also providing treatment for those who require more intense support.

Upwards of 22% of young people experience disordered eating or eating disorders. Many of these young people will never seek or receive evidence-based treatment due to a number of barriers including stigma, inaccessibility, and a small workforce.

Early detection and treatment can significantly improve treatment response and outcomes. The Canadian healthcare system is not currently equipped to deliver early intervention for EDs.

Goals of the FREEDcan Model

Build capacity in youth serving community settings

Establish a new layer of care for early stage eating disorders

How does FREEDcan operate?

FREEDcan is designed as a flexible, developmental and illness-stage, iterative model that generates connections across the continuum of care, leveraging existing strengths and filling important gaps in the current system.

The FREEDcan model involves 5 main elements that together aim to decrease the duration of untreated eating disorder, identify eating disorder symptoms earlier, and connect young people with evidence-based interventions that are developmentally and illness-stage appropriate:

Train

Training community organizations to become eating disorder informed.

Engage

Using engagement strategies to encourage seeking support or treatment when indicated.

Screen & Assess

Screening and assessing for EDs using youth friendly brief tools.

Psychoeducation

Providing psychoeducation on the benefits of early intervention and other topics.

Evidence-Based Interventions

Providing low- to high-intensity evidence-based psychological interventions based on illness stage.