Those involved in the Looking Glass Foundation celebrated an important milestone in the organization's 13-year history Tuesday with the official opening of a new Vancouver site housing its groundbreaking residential treatment program serving youth with eating disorders.
The Looking Glass Residence offers a live-in care and treatment program for B.C. youth and young adults, males and females, ages 17-24, who are experiencing a variety of eating disorders.
North Vancouver's Dolores Elliott is a cofounder of the charity, having banded together with two other mothers of daughters with eating disorders after coming to realize the lack of local care and treatment options. From lengthy wait lists to having to travel outside of Canada to the United States to access expensive help, she and her peers sought to make change at home to better serve local families that were struggling.
Together, they launched the foundation in 2002, focused on prevention and support.
"We went to numerous conferences everywhere to learn as much as we could and we were able to actually sit in with all of the doctors and professionals that you probably would take months to get an appointment with, but they all spoke to us, knowing that we were just parents of children. It was good for them to get our perspective on what we were going through as well," says Elliott, who currently sits on the foundation's board of directors. She's pleased to report her daughter, now an adult, has recovered from her illness, and is leading a healthy life and running her own business.
After a couple of years spent fundraising, the Looking Glass Foundation's first major initiative was the launch of a summer camp 10 years ago.
"That was our initial credibility test," says Elliott.
They were pleased then with the confidence expressed by community members, entrusting their children into the care of the trained and experienced health professionals they'd assembled, and the annual camp has continued to be well-supported.
"That credibility grew for us and was really instrumental in moving forward and understanding what we needed to do to open up our own residential treatment centre," says Elliott.
In 2011, the foundation launched the Woodstone Treatment Centre, offering a live-in program for youth and young adults, on Galiano Island. According to the foundation, the Looking Glass program was the first of its kind in Canada, offering services for young people with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge and other eating disorders.
Having been interested in moving the program to Vancouver as a means of expanding its services, and providing more access to community supports, resources and therapeutic activities, those involved with the foundation were pleased when an opportunity arose following Ronald McDonald House B.C.'s publicized plan to construct and move to a new, larger location.
Hearing their former site was on the market, Elliott and her husband and their extended family, the Lougheeds, decided to purchase the former Ronald McDonald House and gift it to the Looking Glass to serve as the residential program's new, more central home.
"We're not the type of family that likes our name everywhere, we're very discreet about what we do. But this is really important and I think for other families that have the means to open their eyes and see what they can do out there too. Let's pass it on," she says.
After the necessary repairs, maintenance and upgrades were undertaken, the foundation's residential program was moved to its current Vancouver site, at 4116 Angus Dr., in Shaughnessy, and renamed the Looking Glass Residence, in August 2014.
At the same time, the foundation partnered with the Provincial Health Services Authority, which assumed responsibility for operation of the program, in collaboration with the Looking Glass.
"It's our program, but the government is running it," says Elliott.
An official grand opening and ribbon cutting event was held Tuesday with representatives of partner organizations present, including B.C. Children's Hospital, as well as local dignitaries, such as North Vancouver-Seymour MLA Jane Thornthwaite.
The Looking Glass Foundation and Provincial Health Services Authority are integral to helping young people struggling with eating disorders, said Thornthwaite, who serves as parliamentary secretary for child mental health and anti-bullying, in a press release. This partnership will provide people suffering from eating disorders with a beautiful residence, while addressing their needs and giving them the tools to integrate back into the community, she said in the statement.
Publicly funded, program participants find their way to the Looking Glass Residence starting with a referral from their doctor. So far the new site has served up to 14 people at a time. Depending on how ill a young person is and how they respond to treatment, their stay could range from a typical minimum of 60 days to an average length of approximately 120 days or more, says Elliott.
The program's approach to treatment combines group and family therapy, meal support and education, guided recreation and leisure activities, and psychiatric, pharmaceutical and medical care provided by a multi-disciplinary team of medical and mental health professionals.
"It takes a couple of days to adjust, like anything, but I think once they realize they're there, they all realize how lucky they are," says Elliott.
The Looking Glass Foundation is continuing its fundraising efforts to support all of its programs and services - the Looking Glass Residence and summer camp program included.
The camp program is celebrating its 10th year of operation and applications for those ages 14-23 are being accepted for this year's edition, being presented at the site of Maple Ridge's Camp Goodtimes. "We're always fundraising, always looking for funds. We can't stress how important it is for donations of any size," says Elliott.
Other services offered by the foundation include support and referral services by phone and email, an online peer support service, a scholarship program and a web-based ask an expert service with Dr. Meris Williams.
They're also working to launch two new programs in the coming months. Their new Hand-in-Hand Group Support will see four to eight participants joined with a trained facilitator and interact in person, by phone, or online, based on where participants live and their individual needs. Their upcoming E-Learn Training initiative will allow for community members interested in volunteering with the foundation to be properly trained no matter where they live in the province.
Elliott wants people to know the Looking Glass Foundation is there for them and those involved are ready and willing to answer any queries they might have.
"People should never feel like they're alone. Especially parents when they're dealing with this. This is not an easy thing trying to understand why your child is doing what they're doing because it's just the most hideous disease," she says.
For more information, visit lookingglassbc.com.
