FREEDcan Events

On October 2nd and 3rd we co-hosted an event at the University of British Columbia. The event focused on early intervention (EI) for eating disorders (EDs). There were 70 invited in-person registrants and 600 online registrants from across the country. The first day emphasized workforce development in EI for EDs. Presenters shared the importance of innovative solutions to a growing need for high-quality, easy-to-access services for early stage EDs--these solutions include task shifting and sharing, upskilling healthcare providers in the community, and engaging with peer support. They reflected on the complexity of Canada’s wide and varied geography and brought lessons from overseas and from across provinces and territories to bear on the challenge of building effective EI into the continuum of care.

The second day focused on FREED and FREEDcan, featuring considerations for implementation and scale-up. Participants learned about strategies for successful implementation in complex healthcare landscapes, including considerations for planning, piloting, iterating, and scaling-up. The event was underscored by a commitment to centering lived expertise and tailoring innovations to unique community contexts.