Housed in the University of Iowa’s College of Education, the Scanlan Center for School Mental Health is widely considered one of Iowa’s leading school mental health partners. The center combines professional development, clinical services, cutting-edge research, and actionable resources to help schools create supportive learning environments where both students and staff can thrive.
Approximately one year ago, the Scanlan Center began offering eating disorder support to families and students in Iowa school districts. And the need for these services is only growing.
Taylor Ford, the center’s assistant director of clinical services and crisis response who also specializes in eating disorders, was recently interviewed by the Iowa Capital Dispatch to discuss how the Scanlan Center is supporting Iowans in need of eating disorder treatment.
The following excerpt is from the article as published by the Iowa Capital Dispatch:
“When Taylor Ford joined the University of Iowa Scanlan Center for School Mental Health more than four years ago, she came in with the hope of continuing her work addressing the needs of people experiencing eating disorders.
Now, around one year since the clinic and resource center started offering eating disorder services to Iowa school districts and their families, Ford says interest is only growing.
‘There’s such a lack of access to specialized eating disorder treatment in Iowa that we know that there’s a need,’ Ford said. ‘And so with limited access to outpatient providers and then lack of access to the higher levels of care for eating disorders, we are trying to be proactive in getting people treatments so that hopefully they don’t have to go to those higher levels of care.’
Established in June 2021 and housed in the UI College of Education, the Scanlan Center for School Mental Health works with Iowa school districts, including students, staff and parents, to offer both virtual and in-person services in different areas of counseling, child psychiatry, evaluations, professional development and more. K-12 students can receive services during the school day through the center, Ford said, which aids in lowering barriers to care, especially in rural areas.
For eating disorder services, Ford said all clients—students ages 12 and up, school staff and parents—begin with a diagnostic evaluation, and if they do receive a diagnosis, the center will recommend ‘for an appropriate level of care for treatment.’ If someone needs outpatient care, the center has individual therapy available with clinicians specializing in eating disorders as well as a list of other care providers in the state.”