Frequently Asked Questions

What states can my loved one access virtual eating disorder programs?

Walden offers virtual partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient virtual treatment for patients residing in Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Road Island, and Vermont. Walden offers only intensive outpatient virtual treatment for patients residing in Alabama, Louisiana, and Maine. We offer Rainbow Road intensive outpatient virtual treatment for adults in the LGBTQ+ community who reside in Minnesota.

How long will the evaluation process take?

The clinical evaluation typically takes 60 to 90 minutes. The clinical evaluation includes a review of lab findings, an intake interview, and a clinical assessment. Clinicians conduct the clinical evaluation. After your loved one’s evaluation and receipt of their lab results, a clinical recommendation will be made.

The clinician will call their insurance company for authorization of care at the level recommended by the evaluation team. At this time, the clinician may also contact your family member’s outpatient providers.

Will my loved one’s insurance pay for their treatment?

Your family member’s insurance company will be contacted for an authorization of care.

We will advocate for authorization of an appropriate level of care based on your loved one’s evaluation. Once we discuss their evaluation with their insurance company, we will inform them of their insurer’s recommendation. We encourage you or your loved one to contact your insurance company in advance of the evaluation to review insurance benefits.

When you or your family member first contact Walden Behavioral Care to schedule an appointment for an evaluation, we will ask for insurance information so that we can contact the insurance company and verify benefits at the time of the evaluation. Please have them send a copy of their insurance card to intake_coordinators@waldenbehavioralcare.com 

Even if your loved one is fully covered, co-payments and deductibles will be required upon admission.

For additional information, visit our insurance coverage section.

What happens if my loved one doesn’t want to use insurance or if they don’t have any insurance?

For those individuals who choose not to use their insurance, and for those who do not have insurance coverage, we accept self-pay. Should they elect to use this option of payment, we will put them in contact with our billing office the day of their evaluation — or earlier, if they would like to speak with billing in advance. They may reach the billing department at 888-509-2704.

Should my family member get their labs drawn and is the cost of labs included in the evaluation?

We strongly recommend that your family member have their labs drawn 48-24 hours prior to their evaluation, through Quest Diagnostics, their primary care physician or a hospital.  Our Admissions team will send an order to their preferred provider when they schedule their evaluation.  Having lab results prior to evaluation shortens the wait time for determining your loved one’s level of care. If your family member’s primary care physician or other provider completes their labs they can fax the results to 781-827-3874.

**Please be aware that the cost of their labs is not included in the cost of the evaluation. Depending on their insurance, the coverage of tests may vary depending on if they are completed through their primary care physician or an independent lab. If you have questions about their coverage and potential cost, please contact their insurer and the office completing their lab work.

What should my loved one bring with them in case they are admitted to the Inpatient Program?

Please have them bring a list of any medications they are taking and the medications themselves as well as a form of payment in addition to their insurance card and a form of identification. We ask that they limit their total belongings to what will fit in one medium suitcase. Items not approved will be sent home. Please have them bring appropriate, comfortable clothing. Upon admission, a staff member will respectfully search their belongings. Any items deemed inappropriate will be removed and either sent home or kept at the nurse’s station.

For a complete list of what to bring and what not to bring, please click here.

What should my loved one bring with them in case they are admitted to the Residential Program?

Please bring your medications, health insurance and prescription card, a valid form of identification (driver’s license), contact information for your current providers and a credit card for medication, copays and personal items. Click here for a complete list.

What should my family member bring with them if they are admitted to the Partial Hospitalization Program?

On their first day of treatment, they should bring contact information for their outpatient providers and breakfast and lunch. Snacks, beverages, and supplemental exchanges will be provided. They should feel free to bring a book, knitting, journal, or other items that they enjoy. A staff member will meet with them when they arrive, present a full orientation to the program and answer any questions they or you may have.

What should I bring if my child is admitted to the Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program?

If your child is on a meal plan, please bring a dinner that meets the meal plan requirements. If your child is not on a meal plan, please pack a dinner that you feel is appropriate. In general, we look for meals that have protein, carbohydrates, fat, and a fruit or vegetable.

What should my family member bring with them if they are admitted to the Adult Intensive Outpatient Program?

Please have them bring contact information for their outpatient providers and have them bring their dinner. Beverages and supplemental exchanges will be provided. A staff member will meet with them when they arrive, present a full orientation to the program and answer any questions you or they may have.

Will my family be involved in our loved one’s treatment?

We strongly encourage family involvement in treatment. Your loved one will be assigned a team within 24 hours of admission, and the case manager will typically call your family to schedule a family meeting within 48 hours of admission. For adult patients, family involvement depends on whether or not patient consent has been obtained.

Will my loved one’s outpatient treatment team be involved in their treatment?

Your loved one’s social worker/case manager will communicate with their outpatient treatment team before treatment begins to discuss the goals of the treatment. They will also communicate during treatment to discuss your loved one’s progress and expected discharge plans. After treatment, they follow up on how your family member is progressing toward recovery. If your loved one does not have a treatment team in place at the time of admission, the social worker/case manager will work to find them a primary care physician.

Can I visit my loved one if they are being treated at the inpatient or residential levels of care?

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, visitation is limited at this time. We are constantly monitoring local infection rates and adjust our visitation policy to accommodate visitation while also keeping our patients and staff safe.   Please contact the Admissions Department for up-to-date visitation policy.

Who can visit?

Visitation Policy: It is the policy of Walden Behavioral Care to promote patient-centered care while maintaining appropriate therapeutic activity and without compromising the safety of patients, staff and visitors. Walden Behavioral Care is committed to ensuring that all visitors enjoy full and equal visitation privileges consistent with patient preferences and will not restrict, limit, or deny visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation or disability.

Visitation Policy Purpose: To support patient success by allowing visitation from individuals with whom they have designated which can include but is not limited to, spouses, domestic/life partners (including same-sex domestic/life partners), family members, and friends.

What can I bring when I visit?

Please click here to see a complete list of what you, your friends, and your family can and can’t bring into the inpatient and residential treatment settings. After reviewing the list, if you have further questions, please contact the program location.

Who is included in my loved one’s treatment team?

The treatment team depends on the level of care at which your loved one is being treated. At the inpatient and residential levels of care, the primary treatment team will include a psychiatrist, doctor/nurse practitioner, nurses, a therapist, and a dietitian. At the partial hospitalization level of care, the primary treatment team includes therapists, dietitians, and mental health counselors. At the intensive outpatient level of care, the primary treatment team includes a therapist and mental health counselors.