Considering FREEDcan | CHEO FREEDcan

FREEDcan is a flexible model designed to support region-specific, coordinated care pathways for early identification, initial response, and community-based treatment of eating disorders.

Learn more about the FREEDcan model by visiting our FREEDcan service model page.

FREEDcan in Youth Serving Sectors

Implementing the FREEDcan model depends on collaboration and partnership across many different sectors. Given the significant need for eating disorder care that arose during the pandemic, as seen by youth “knocking on all doors”, many sectors are seeking supports for the young people with disordered eating or eating disorders accessing their services. FREEDcan is hoping to engage a broad range of youth-serving sectors including: mental health and addiction services, integrated youth services, campus health, family health teams, and primary care. All providers, youth and family peer supporters, administrators, medical staff, and support staff who chose to implement FREEDcan within their service are invited to receive, at minimum, some training to aim to become more eating disorder informed.

FREEDcan Champion

FREEDcan Champions play a pivotal role in supporting the various sectors implementing FREEDcan. FREEDcan Champions will:

Build capacity by supporting participating organizations in implementing screening practices (i.e. the ODES-Y) and low-barrier early response support (care navigation, chat and text lines, peer support, psychoeducation, single session interventions, virtual platform) for youth with eating-related concerns.
Take on a caseload by providing direct service delivery (guided self-help, group-based treatment, brief interventions) for those requiring additional supports.

Next Steps

Join the FREEDcan Network
Identify the structure of eating disorders and general healthcare service delivery in your region to find which sectors might be involved in providing early intervention care for eating disorders.
Connect with leaders in applicable sectors to propose the adoption of FREEDcan in their setting.
Identify key community and eating disorder service partners.
Determine a funding structure aligned with regional priorities and practices.
Develop a region-specific plan for implementing FREEDcan.
Obtain buy-in from appropriate funding bodies (provincial government, philanthropic funders, etc.) by sharing the above general information and the region-specific plan developed.
Hire FREEDcan Champion(s) [2 per region at 1.0 FTE each].

The FREEDcan team is committed to supporting partners in developing a plan for delivering FREEDcan by:

Providing implementation tools and expertise, via this website and the FREEDcan Network, to empower partners to implement FREEDcan in their region.
Doing and sharing our research to learn, as fast as possible, the outcomes and implications of the FREEDcan model. This entails entering into a data sharing agreement with FREEDcan service partners and collaborators to enable continuous learning about the model and its implementation.
Hosting the FREEDcan Network, to connect with other FREEDcan partners from across Canada.