Big Dreams: Nonprofit and New Residential Eating Disorder Treatment Facility on Amelia Island
Big Dreams: Nonprofit and New Residential Treatment Facility on Amelia Island
nonprofit eating disorder treatment, eating disorder recovery, bring your brokenness, eating disorder support, new nonprofit, big dreams, residential treatment facility, residential treatment facility Amelia Island
(Below is the text from above FB Live video recorded Monday, October 1, 2018)Happy Monday! I hope you're all doing well. I want to give you a short recap. Over the weekend, I shared first with my subscribers and later via social media some celebrations.
Bring Your Brokenness celebrated one year this past month
BYB reached our first 100 subscribers last week.!
So I thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your support. Truly, when the Lord prompted me to click the Publish button that first time in September 2017, I had no idea the blessings He had in store for me. He has taught me so much and blown my mind with the ways He’s used some really broken words and thoughts. Seriously…unbelievable!!I also want to share with you a dream God has placed in my heart that I’m chasing after hard. And that’s what I want to talk to you more about tonight.One of the things I found great joy in during my time at CC was being able to encourage others. It was there that I had the dream that maybe, if God healed me, I could start a residential facility, kind of like where I was staying, where every day, I could pour into the lives of others who were struggling with eating disorders and point them to the hope that we have in Jesus.Well, as my rational brain began to think through it, I realized it was just a lofty dream with way too many logistics and expenses to ever come to fruition.I’ll skip a lot of the other details and move on to say that God sent an acquaintance from years ago back into my life – completely out of the blue - for the purpose of reminding me of that dream that I’d ignored because there were too many impossibilities. She put back in my face what I’ve often said to others recently – there is no hard with God. And my dream was no different.OK – so much to be excited about!!!! I know I can’t share it all now, but I want you guys to catch the vision.First – we need to understand the who and the why.
At least 30 million people suffer from an eating disorder in the U.S. alone.
Every 62 minutes at least one person dies as a direct result from an eating disorder.
Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. (NEDA website)
There are many amazing testimonies of people who have acknowledged they have a problem and have turned to good biblical counseling and have fully recovered. I would never want to minimize those because they are wonderful, and I’m so thankful for their stories!But what’s really important to remember here is that, while really good biblically-based counseling in an outpatient setting where you’re meeting a couple of times a week is absolutely necessary for full eating disorder recovery, extreme eating disorder behaviors lead to extreme physical dangers and may require a different kind of intervention at the onset of treatment. Remember those statistics I just shared.So when a person with an eating disorder reaches a critical point and medical professionals confirm that she (in our case) is not safe to live on her own, it is necessary for her to have a safe place to go where she can be monitored medically as she nourishes her mind and body and gets to a place where she can even hear and process the truth she will hear from the Bible.Women with extreme eating disordered behaviors are malnourished. That means that their organs have shrunken. Their mental function is impaired. They’re also at great risk for respiratory and heart failure and seizures…there are just all kinds of risks.And so when a person with these extreme behaviors in a state of malnourishment begins to eat properly, we add an additional potentially fatal risk of refeeding syndrome caused by metabolic imbalances.It’s actually a very complicated process that must be monitored 24 hours a day by many different kinds of professionals in order to keep the patient safe. I'm certainly not qualified to give you all of the medical facts. But I know that the risk of fatality is a big one.Additionally, at extreme levels, it is necessary for behaviors to be halted immediately. This, also, requires 24 hour watched care.So the number one priority in a residential setting is to stabilize physical health by nourishing the body and extinguishing behaviors. And what we want to do within our facility is to bring alongside that strong biblical counseling. We want to walk alongside these women during the refeeding process – because it is intense in every way - and begin helping them identify the thoughts and beliefs that are contributing to the eating disorder as their minds begin to function properly again.The recovery process is a long one, and the time in residential treatment is really just a boost in preparation for the hard work to come once she returns home. And again, that nutritional restoration piece is a big one.I love the amazing opportunity we will have as women from all over the united states and maybe other places in the world will come to us completely broken – physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Many will have lost all hope. But in our residential setting, they will be pointed to the hope we have in Jesus from the time they open their eyes in the mornings until they close their eyes each night.Biblical truth will be infused into every fiber of our program in everything that they do. They will learn that God loves them and has a plan for their lives. That God created their bodies in a wonderful way and designed for them to fuel their bodies with the food that He made for that purpose. He gave it a good taste and planned for them to enjoy it because of His love for them. That His plan is for their bodies to be healthy and nourished, and any shame from that is not of the Lord. That they need to trust God’s voice and realize that they cannot trust the voice in their head, and trust the team God has placed around them. And that what others in their lives meant for evil, God will one day use for good.And as they begin to unravel the things that have happened to them in the past, they’ll feel compassion like they’ve never before experienced from trained counselors who truly care for and love them with the love of Jesus. Lies from the enemy which have become so twisted they appear as truths in their minds will be challenged – every time - with absolute truth from the Word of God about who Jesus says they are and the way He plans for them to live.They’ll be at church with me every week through their admission, hearing more of the gospel and learning more about Jesus and being loved on by other believers.Strongholds will be broken. Relationships will be restored. And lives will be saved because that’s what the power of the gospel does! And it’s so exciting to think about!!So the location – Amelia Island is perfect. It’s quiet, it’s distant, yet it has everything we need right here. I mean, there’s even a beach, for heaven sake! There is no facility like it in North East Florida. I don’t know of a facility like this one that is nonprofit anywhere, for that matter. And I would imagine there won’t be another one like it, for profit or not, that is this infused with gospel truth throughout every facet of the program.I want to quickly share some things that God has confirmed in my heart as I’ve begun researching this possibility.
People with experience in running residential programs have warned that there will be all kinds of unexpected issues concerning
being licensed by the state
running a commercial property
He talked about the lengthy, heavy process of getting accredited and all the standards….
The challenges of working with DCF
Learning to manage a staff
And as I've reflected on these conversations and warnings, all I could do was thank God for the experiences He’s given me. Don’t get me wrong. I know there will still be lots of unexpected issues and challenges, and I’ll need all kinds of advice, but look at what He’s already helped me learn!
I already hold a license with the state of Florida. This license will be slightly different, but even still, it’s always helpful to obtain a second license after you have the first.
I understand many of the facets of commercial property through working with the fire department, the health department, the city, etc, and jumping through their hoops for several years.
The Lord allowed me to lead a team of educators through our initial accreditation. Grant it, residential facility accreditation will be different, but the process will have many commonalities of which I am extremely familiar. I served on an accrediting commissioning team for three years and understand the standards and writing elements and compliance processes well.
I worked very closely with DCF for six years and the facility I managed was monitored directly by them.
The Lord has given me over ten years of experience in managing people as I serve alongside them.
I’m by nature a dreamer, an organizer, a planner – a just get it done kind of person, and that will be helpful on the nonprofit side of things.
I understand the significance of documentation and related requirements well.
Those are just a few of the things that have been made evident to me, and I wanted you to have a little glimpse. The sovereignty of God is an amazing thing!God may totally change things, but as of now, I see my role at the residential facility as a director of sorts. I’ll handle the administrative end of things. I’m also finishing my biblical counseling certification, and so that, along with my personal experience, will allow me to connect with and counsel these ladies alongside the clinical staff as we walk with them in this treatment process.OK, so I want to talk about the needs. The things that would be impossibilities, if it weren’t for an omnipotent God.
We need a home- that's the biggest one that tempts me to doubt.
The home will need renovations in order to meet specific requirements for a licensed residential, medical property.
The home will need furnishings of every kind.
We will need a large vehicle for transporting women to doctor appointments, labs, and church.
And we want to do this well. I want to be careful how I say this… Women with eating disorders are often characterized by putting themselves last, which can be a good thing, except they take it to the extreme. Remember they are broken, they are hurting, and for many, this is their last resort.So while this is not a vacation by any means, we want this to be a place that feels comfortable, warm, nurturing, inviting, and safe. A place that is clean and properly functioning. This is an opportunity for them to get some rest that they’ve gone without for a long time. We want our facility to reflect Jesus in all things. That doesn’t mean luxury, but it does mean as nice as we can do for them.For example, WalMart plates can be beautiful and are priced well and perfectly appropriate. They don’t have to be a certain name brand or whatever... But let’s NOT stock the kitchen with chipped saucers and cracked plates.My heart’s desire is to love on these ladies in all ways. If there’s an opportunity to pamper them, I want to do that. I want to find every way to let them know that they matter because Jesus says so. That doesn’t mean things have to cost a lot. It just means we need to give things a lot of loving consideration as we put them together.I hope that comes across the way I want it to come across.So lots of things associated with the need for a home. And I’m probably giving too many details for now.Funding of the operation – another big challenge: All residential treatment is expensive. But ED treatment is probably the most expensive, because patients can never be out of sight while in care - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When I was at CC, the cost was a minimum of $1400/day, and it was one of the least expensive facilities in America.Expenses will include room and board upkeep, insurance, materials, food, vehicles + salaries for counselors, doctors, dieticians, insurance managers, cooks, and TA’s, just to name a few.It is very expensive. Insurance helps offset these costs, but we’ve got to have a good base from which to launch, because admission counts will very, but salaries and most other expenses will remain constant.Countless women do not get the help they need because of such astronomical costs to even be able to get treatment. I would LOVE to have a scholarship program for which some could qualify.So we have all kinds of needs. And here’s where I need all of you!Will you please keep your eyes open and ears to the ground? Because who knows how God might meet these needs!!Maybe there’s someone who has the means, believes in what we’re doing, and just wants to buy a house on the island for Bring Your Brokenness. That’d be amazing!Or maybe God knows of a couple that has a vacation home out here that they’ve been thinking of selling and He moves in their hearts to find a way to make it the future home for our facility.Maybe there’s a group out there – I don’t know – something like habit for humanity-type – or a builder or group of builders who just want to give to the community who would build for us.But I need you to help me think outside the box. The house is a big one.Same thing with the vehicle.When it comes to furnishing the home, the possibilities are endless! Community donors, people who are remodeling but still have nice furnishings that could be used.... We’d want to go with a shabby-chic feel so that we can utilize older pieces of furniture that aren’t in perfect shape but can fix them up to look beautiful and function well.Maybe you’re a contractor and you would be willing to lend your time and materials to help with a small remodel project.And then there are other things like this that just happened yesterday, as an example.A lady in choir had seen my blog post, and she asked if the ladies who came for treatment would bring their own bedding. I explained that we (BYB) would provide all of those things.She said that the Lord had given her a thought last night. She quilts and is part of a group of women who quilt. Not like block quilts, but you know – the intricate ones with all of the detail.
What if myself and some other friends I know provided quilts and linens for all of the beds? My husband does woodworking, and I’m sure he’d be willing to make the headboards. Then you’d just need the frames and mattresses. But each quilt would be beautiful, hand-made. We could put Bible verses on them and pray over them…”
My mind went back to my nights at residential treatment. And I imagined what it would have been like having a handmade quilt over me those nights I cried myself to sleep. I imagined someone telling me that the person that made this quilt for my bed had prayed over every person who would sleep there. And it touched something deep inside me. It’s perfect. The women would love it. It would have such deep meaning for them.I know God gave her that idea.That’s the way I want to ask you to begin to think. Is there something you do that could be used to give to the Lord in some way like this?Another lady at church yesterday, through tears, handed me a check. She said she’d read my blog and wanted me to have it for the immediate needs of BYB.God is already working in different ways, in different hearts. It just blows my mind.As I shared in the post, the Lord is already allowing me to walk alongside many women in their recovery, and I plan to continue to do so. I can’t even tell you the joy it brings me. Recovery groups will continue. I don’t want any of what God is already allowing me to do to change.And y’all, I HATE THIS PART OF ASKING, but I want to be obedient. I believe with all my heart that God will do this if it’s what He wants. Maybe His plan is for many of you to be involved.It’s important to me that you know I’m doing my best to do my part. I’m accepting contract work as it’s available, but I’m pretty much out of hours to give if I’m still going to be able to balance all of these good things. And even with part time work, I'm still going to need help in reaching this goal.The bottom line is that We cannot move forward with incorporation and nonprofit status until the Lord provides the funding for that and other associated fees. So far, $350 has been given towards that end, and that’s AMAZING. Will you pray and ask God if there’s a way you can be a part of this? I’ll post the GoFund Me link below if the Lord leads you to give financially.But all of you can pray, and look, and listen for opportunities like some of the things we talked about.Also, it’s a huge help if you’ll comment or share this video so that more people will see it.I’m thankful for all of you. I pray you know that. It means so very much to me that so many of you want to be a part of this work God is doing.