Happy 10th Anniversary Westwind
06/08/08 11:17 Filed in: Westwind
Program
Westwind
Eating Disorder Recovery Centre
Celebrates 10th Anniversary
August 2008 marks the 10th anniversary of Westwind Eating Disorder Recovery Centre, a small private residential treatment centre quietly situated in the Wheat City. Over the years Westwind has seen many changes and successes and become a well known treatment centre internationally.
Westwind officially opened it’s doors on August 6th, 1998 as Manitoba’s only private residential eating disorder treatment centre, and Canada’s second. The program was the brain child of Bryan Gusdal, M.A. a long time resident of Brandon. Mr. Gusdal was employed as a Clinical Psychologist at the Brandon Mental Health Centre until it’s closure in 1997. During his 26 years at BMHC Bryan worked with mental health patients from South Western manitoba, and for 18 of these years he dealt with all of the eating disorder patients. This challenging population intrigued Bryan, and led him to be one of Manitoba’s leading professionals in eating disorders, and to this day, Brandon’s leading professional in the field.
Mr. Gusdal conducted research on available treatment for eating disorders around the world and consulted with many professionals in the US, including Carolyn Costin, founder of Monte Nido treatment center in Malibu, California, one of the most successful eating disorder treatment centres in the world. Bryan gathered all the information and experienced he could and created a unique program in Westwind. A loving, supportive, homelike setting, using evidence based therapies with a hands on, problem solving and skill based approach and non punitive program. Daily individual therapy, which you won’t find at any other treatment centre, was incorporated with 3 daily groups sessions and weekly individual sessions with the dietitian, all at an affordable rate.
After working in the public health system most of his life, Bryan saw a great need for these services. He also saw a great need for affordable treatment. At a rate of $250 per day, Westwind was, and at $300 per day currently, Westwind still is the most affordable treatment program for eating disorders. This is made possible by the low overhead costs of the program. The facility itself was once Bryan’s home. He opened the treatment centre with only 2 staff, himself and Barb Hodson, a local Registered Dietitian who also holds a Master’s Level in Counselling and has training in Christian Counselling. As an eating disorder survivor herself, Barb also had a great deal of experience and insight. Keeping the facility modest, with only 5 beds, with a very effective treatment model based on only proven techniques and located in the small Prairie city of Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, also helped to keep the fees low. Bryan knew many people couldn’t afford treatment cost and wanted to offer an affordable option. Bryan is not in the business to make money, he’s in the business to help people.
In 2001 the growing treatment centre demanded an office staff. Lynne Robertson, a previous outpatient of Westwind and graduate of Assiniboine Community College was hired at the Outreach Coordinator. Lynne’s tasks were many, from marketing, to intake and admissions, to outreach and finances. Lynne has become the “Jack of All Trades at Westwind”. 2002 brought more changes. Valarie Bittner and Christy Vogen, both of Winnipeg, Manitoba, were hired as additional counsellors. Valarie a graduate of the Master’s level Counselling Program at Providence Theological Seminary and Christy a Master’s level Psychologist from the University of Manitoba.
When Barb left Westwind in 2003 to raise her 2 young adopted children, Lauren Paquette, a Registered Dietitian of Winnipeg, became the new God of Nutrition at Westwind. Lauren easily earned the trust of clients and has the ability to create important bonds with each of our clients.
In 2005, bursting at the seams with staff, clients and a waiting list, Westwind expanded to two houses. This growth allowed for more office space and more beds, with 5 beds and 2 offices in the original facility and 3 beds and 4 offices in the new building. The growing business saw a need for another counsellor, Tresa Clemmensen, another long time resident of Brandon, and graduate of the Master’s program in Psychology at the University of Calgary, who has complimented our team greatly.
Christy Vogen reluctantly left Westwind in 2006 when her husband accepted a job in Northern Manitoba. Her vacancy was filled by Jennifer Friesen of Saskatoon . Jennifer is also a Master’s level graduate of the Providence Theological Seminary counselling program. Since this time Westwind has been operating with 6 staff members; a director, 3 counsellors, a dietitian and an outreach coordinator, with a continuous waiting list. The treatment model has remained the same with just a few small changes such as the integration of DBT, ACT, and Motivational Enhancement.
The program at Westwind is truly individualized to meet the needs of all clients. All 8 clients, adult females 18 years of age and older receive an hour of individual counselling every day during the week, something you won’t find at any other treatment centre, as well as 2 individual sessions with the dietitian twice a week and 3 group sessions per day on a variety of topics. the intensive program runs from Monday to Friday from 8 am to 8 pm. There are no overnight staff, to keep staffing costs low, however there is always a counsellor on call and available to the clients. Clients stay at the centre on the weekends, which offer scheduled meal plans, but no counselling sessions. The purpose of this free time is to allow for clients to practice making use of the skills they have learned in their sessions during the week and apply it to their free time. This allows the girls for an opportunity to learn how to deal with free time in our supportive environment as upon returning home from an eating disorders treatment program management of free time is often an issue for many clients.
Westwind doesn’t have the luxuries of a ranch or spa facility, it includes 2 modest homes in a residential area on the edge of downtown Brandon, the Wheat City of Canada. However, we have cats on site, and have access to dogs and horses. We have access to a fitness centre, swimming pool, yoga and dance studios, gymnastic centres, educational facilities, and numerous parks, biking and walking trails. This allows us to keep our fees low but also give us access to these services on an as needed basis.
For our 10th anniversary Westwind s planning a BBQ for staff and clients to celebrate the past 10 years of success and to toast many more successful years to come. The BBQ will be held on Friday August 29th at Westwind eating disorder recovery centre, 428 13th St, Brandon, Manitoba.
Celebrates 10th Anniversary
August 2008 marks the 10th anniversary of Westwind Eating Disorder Recovery Centre, a small private residential treatment centre quietly situated in the Wheat City. Over the years Westwind has seen many changes and successes and become a well known treatment centre internationally.
Westwind officially opened it’s doors on August 6th, 1998 as Manitoba’s only private residential eating disorder treatment centre, and Canada’s second. The program was the brain child of Bryan Gusdal, M.A. a long time resident of Brandon. Mr. Gusdal was employed as a Clinical Psychologist at the Brandon Mental Health Centre until it’s closure in 1997. During his 26 years at BMHC Bryan worked with mental health patients from South Western manitoba, and for 18 of these years he dealt with all of the eating disorder patients. This challenging population intrigued Bryan, and led him to be one of Manitoba’s leading professionals in eating disorders, and to this day, Brandon’s leading professional in the field.
Mr. Gusdal conducted research on available treatment for eating disorders around the world and consulted with many professionals in the US, including Carolyn Costin, founder of Monte Nido treatment center in Malibu, California, one of the most successful eating disorder treatment centres in the world. Bryan gathered all the information and experienced he could and created a unique program in Westwind. A loving, supportive, homelike setting, using evidence based therapies with a hands on, problem solving and skill based approach and non punitive program. Daily individual therapy, which you won’t find at any other treatment centre, was incorporated with 3 daily groups sessions and weekly individual sessions with the dietitian, all at an affordable rate.
After working in the public health system most of his life, Bryan saw a great need for these services. He also saw a great need for affordable treatment. At a rate of $250 per day, Westwind was, and at $300 per day currently, Westwind still is the most affordable treatment program for eating disorders. This is made possible by the low overhead costs of the program. The facility itself was once Bryan’s home. He opened the treatment centre with only 2 staff, himself and Barb Hodson, a local Registered Dietitian who also holds a Master’s Level in Counselling and has training in Christian Counselling. As an eating disorder survivor herself, Barb also had a great deal of experience and insight. Keeping the facility modest, with only 5 beds, with a very effective treatment model based on only proven techniques and located in the small Prairie city of Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, also helped to keep the fees low. Bryan knew many people couldn’t afford treatment cost and wanted to offer an affordable option. Bryan is not in the business to make money, he’s in the business to help people.
In 2001 the growing treatment centre demanded an office staff. Lynne Robertson, a previous outpatient of Westwind and graduate of Assiniboine Community College was hired at the Outreach Coordinator. Lynne’s tasks were many, from marketing, to intake and admissions, to outreach and finances. Lynne has become the “Jack of All Trades at Westwind”. 2002 brought more changes. Valarie Bittner and Christy Vogen, both of Winnipeg, Manitoba, were hired as additional counsellors. Valarie a graduate of the Master’s level Counselling Program at Providence Theological Seminary and Christy a Master’s level Psychologist from the University of Manitoba.
When Barb left Westwind in 2003 to raise her 2 young adopted children, Lauren Paquette, a Registered Dietitian of Winnipeg, became the new God of Nutrition at Westwind. Lauren easily earned the trust of clients and has the ability to create important bonds with each of our clients.
In 2005, bursting at the seams with staff, clients and a waiting list, Westwind expanded to two houses. This growth allowed for more office space and more beds, with 5 beds and 2 offices in the original facility and 3 beds and 4 offices in the new building. The growing business saw a need for another counsellor, Tresa Clemmensen, another long time resident of Brandon, and graduate of the Master’s program in Psychology at the University of Calgary, who has complimented our team greatly.
Christy Vogen reluctantly left Westwind in 2006 when her husband accepted a job in Northern Manitoba. Her vacancy was filled by Jennifer Friesen of Saskatoon . Jennifer is also a Master’s level graduate of the Providence Theological Seminary counselling program. Since this time Westwind has been operating with 6 staff members; a director, 3 counsellors, a dietitian and an outreach coordinator, with a continuous waiting list. The treatment model has remained the same with just a few small changes such as the integration of DBT, ACT, and Motivational Enhancement.
The program at Westwind is truly individualized to meet the needs of all clients. All 8 clients, adult females 18 years of age and older receive an hour of individual counselling every day during the week, something you won’t find at any other treatment centre, as well as 2 individual sessions with the dietitian twice a week and 3 group sessions per day on a variety of topics. the intensive program runs from Monday to Friday from 8 am to 8 pm. There are no overnight staff, to keep staffing costs low, however there is always a counsellor on call and available to the clients. Clients stay at the centre on the weekends, which offer scheduled meal plans, but no counselling sessions. The purpose of this free time is to allow for clients to practice making use of the skills they have learned in their sessions during the week and apply it to their free time. This allows the girls for an opportunity to learn how to deal with free time in our supportive environment as upon returning home from an eating disorders treatment program management of free time is often an issue for many clients.
Westwind doesn’t have the luxuries of a ranch or spa facility, it includes 2 modest homes in a residential area on the edge of downtown Brandon, the Wheat City of Canada. However, we have cats on site, and have access to dogs and horses. We have access to a fitness centre, swimming pool, yoga and dance studios, gymnastic centres, educational facilities, and numerous parks, biking and walking trails. This allows us to keep our fees low but also give us access to these services on an as needed basis.
For our 10th anniversary Westwind s planning a BBQ for staff and clients to celebrate the past 10 years of success and to toast many more successful years to come. The BBQ will be held on Friday August 29th at Westwind eating disorder recovery centre, 428 13th St, Brandon, Manitoba.