- Joint Commission accredited
- Girls-only home
- Ages 12 to 17
- Admissions 24/7
Residential eating disorder treatment for teen girls in Arizona.
An eating disorder in a teenage girl rarely starts with food, and it rarely lets go through willpower alone. Nexus Teen Academy treats anorexia, bulimia, binge eating and ARFID in a girls-only residential program for ages 12 to 17, at our licensed Cave Creek residence north of Phoenix.
- Free & confidential · No obligation · (480) 485-3424
- 4.7 Google · 37 reviews
- AZDHS-licensed residential facility
- Most major private insurance accepted
- Free consultation
- Counselor online now
Wherever you are in Arizona, leave a number and a licensed admissions counselor calls back, usually within minutes, to talk through her eating, coverage, and next steps. No pressure.
- It's now where you are · typical callback under 10 minutes.
- Secure, private, and HIPAA-protected. By submitting you agree to be contacted about care; message/data rates may apply.
- 4.7 Google · 37 reviews
- Joint Commission accredited
Every credential is independently verifiable. Joint Commission · AZDHS registry · LegitScript.


Joint Commission accreditedAZDHS-licensed · LegitScript certifiedAbout Nexus Teen Academy
About Nexus Teen Academy's eating disorder program for girls.
Nexus Teen Academy is a licensed, Joint Commission-accredited residential program where teenage girls with eating disorders are treated by one clinical team. The girls' residence sits on desert acreage in Cave Creek, north of Phoenix, for ages 12 to 17. Restricting, purging and bingeing usually begin as a way to cope with anxiety, perfectionism, a painful loss, or a body that suddenly feels out of her control. We restore regular eating and treat what sits underneath it, together.
If she is medically unstable, with a very slow heart rate, fainting, or abnormal lab results, stabilization happens in a hospital first and admissions plans her arrival for the day she is cleared. Care is AZDHS-licensed, Joint Commission accredited, and LegitScript certified.
Nexus Teen Academy provides residential treatment for teen eating disorders in Arizona for ages 12 to 17. Girls live in a licensed home in Cave Creek with daily therapy, accredited school on site, and weekly family therapy. Most stay 30 to 60 days, and the team works with AHCCCS and most private insurance.
Cave Creek
Girls, 12 to 17 · Phoenix metro
Cave Creek
Girls, 12 to 17 · Phoenix metro
Accredited Arizona centers
Ages we treat, gender-separate
Awake clinical staff, every hour
A primary therapist, by name
Secure form · About 2 minutes · Free, no obligation
Our admissions team will reach out to you soon. Here’s what happens next:
- An admissions counselor contacts you, free and confidential
- If you asked about coverage, we check your benefits with your insurer
- You get honest answers and clear next steps, with no obligation
Where residential care fits: IOP, PHP or residential
The subacute level between weekly therapy and a hospital bed.
Therapy once or a few times a week. Your teen stays home and at school.
Live-in clinical care with 24/7 awake staff, daily therapy, and accredited school, in a real home.
You are hereShort-term acute stabilization for immediate medical or safety crisis.
| Question | Intensive outpatient (IOP) | Partial hospitalization (PHP) | Residential (RTC) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | A step down from PHP, or a starting point for teens who need more than weekly therapy | A step down from residential care, or a starting point for teens who need structure without 24/7 care | Teens who need 24/7 care in a safe, immersive setting |
| Where your teen sleeps | At home | At home each evening | A licensed, home-like residence with 24/7 awake staff |
| Weekly schedule | About 4 hours a day (10:30 to 2:30 or 1:00 to 5:00), 3 to 4 days a week | Several days a week, multiple hours a day | Daily therapy, with care around the clock |
| Typical length | 30 to 90+ days | 30 to 90 days | 30 to 60 days |
| School | Stays in school; IOP is therapy-focused, with no academic support | Daily schoolwork time in a classroom, with educators on staff | Accredited, credit-bearing classes on site |
| Family | Weekly individual therapy and family counseling every other week | Family therapy sessions included | Weekly family therapy, in person or by secure video |
IOP and PHP run at NexStep Teen Academy, the Nexus outpatient program in Scottsdale for teens ages 12 to 17.
Not sure which level your teen needs? A licensed counselor will walk through it with you on the phone, free, and tell you honestly if a lower level of care is the better fit.
Speak with our admissions teamThe program
What our residential eating disorder program includes.
Supported meals, daily therapy, and family work run on one plan inside a girls-only home that keeps the same rhythm every day. Each girl receives every element below, reviewed weekly against her own medical and emotional goals rather than a fixed number of days.
Whole-picture assessment
Eating history, weight trend, medical results, psychiatric history, and school records reviewed together, so the plan fits the girl, not just the diagnosis.
Medical clearance first
When vitals or labs show she is unstable, stabilization happens in a hospital, and admissions times her arrival for the day she is cleared.
Daily individual therapy
One named licensed clinician, every weekday, working on the fears, the food rules, and the feelings the eating disorder keeps quiet.
Supported meals and nutrition
Three meals and scheduled snacks eaten with staff at the table, on a structured meal plan that steps up as her body recovers.
Family-based work and parent group
Weekly family sessions plus the Saturday parent group, so you learn to support meals at home before she ever gets there.
Psychiatric care and medication
The prescriber manages medication on site for the anxiety, depression, or OCD symptoms that often travel with an eating disorder, with your consent at every change.
Accredited academics
Credit-bearing classes every weekday, so school keeps moving while the rest of her life is being rebuilt.
Step-down and home plan
A written plan for meals and early warning signs, an outpatient team booked near home, and a paced return to her own school.
- Meals, mood, and the reasons underneath, treated together
Co-occurring care
Conditions we treat alongside eating disorders.
Eating disorders seldom arrive alone. About 3.8% of U.S. adolescent girls have had one at some point, and in the same national survey most teens with bulimia or binge eating disorder also met criteria for another psychiatric condition, most often anxiety or a mood disorder.
At the Cave Creek residence one team treats the eating disorder and whatever sits beside it on a single plan, with nothing handed off to a separate program, because eating that improves while the anxiety or trauma underneath goes untreated rarely holds once she is back home.
Understanding eating disorders in teen girls
Primary focus
Anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and ARFID in adolescent girls
Depression
Low mood that deepens as eating narrows.
Anxiety & perfectionism
Food rules that promise a sense of control.
Trauma & PTSD
Restricting or bingeing to numb what happened.
ADHD
Impulsivity that can feed a binge cycle.
Substance use
Vapes, pills, or alcohol used to curb appetite.
Dual diagnosis
When substance use and a diagnosis overlap.
Self-harm
Can rise as eating behaviors are interrupted; screened at intake.
Safety firstSuicidal ideation
Assessed before anything else begins.
Safety first- Whatever sits beneath the eating disorder, care stays in one plan, with one clinical team, in one residential home.
The setting
Our girls-only residential home in Cave Creek.
The girls' residence is a real house on desert acreage in Cave Creek, about 30 minutes north of central Phoenix. The day runs on a predictable routine built around meals and snacks, food is cooked and eaten together at one table, staff stay awake through the night, and the home holds full AZDHS licensure.
Take a self-guided 3D walkthrough of the home
Life inside
A typical day in residential eating disorder treatment.
Early in a stay, meals are the hardest part of the day, so they carry the most support. When every adult answers the fear, the bargaining, and the food rules the same way, the eating disorder loses the room it once had to negotiate.
-
MorningHygiene, meds & breakfast
Hygiene and meds from 6:30 to 7:30, then breakfast from 7:30 to 8:00.
-
MorningGratitude journal & education
A gratitude journal from 8:00 to 8:20, then education from 8:30 to 10:45 and a snack at 10:45.
-
MorningGroup therapy & lunch
Group therapy from 11:00 to 12:00, then lunch and mindfulness from 12:00 to 1:00.
-
AfternoonGroup therapy
Group therapy from 2:00 to 3:00, a snack at 3:00, then group therapy again from 3:15 to 4:00.
-
AfternoonMovement, dinner & evening activity
Movement with nursing from 4:15 to 5:00, dinner at 5:00, then evening activity and meds from 6:00 to 7:00.
-
EveningFree time & lights out
Free time from 7:00 to 8:30, evening hygiene from 8:30 to 9:00, gratitude journal at 9:00 and lights out at 9:30.
Weekends run differently
Saturday and Sunday follow a lighter routine than the weekday schedule above.
Click here for a free consultationTap to call (480) 485-3424 and our admissions team will walk you through a full weekend. Someone answers any time.Awake clinical staff are on-site every hour, including overnight, at both Arizona centers.
How healing happens
Evidence-based therapies for teen eating disorders.
For adolescents, the American Psychiatric Association's 2023 guideline recommends eating-disorder-focused family treatment, and enhanced CBT (CBT-E) is supported for teens as well. A residential setting adds what a weekly session cannot: support at every meal, every day.
Core therapies
1
Family-based treatment
Parents learn to take charge of meals for a while, then hand control back as she recovers. The best-studied approach for teens.
Helps withparents at the tablehome meals2
CBT-E
Enhanced CBT that targets the food rules, body checking, and over-evaluation of shape and weight that keep the disorder running.
Helps withfood rulesbody image3
Emotion-regulation and distress-tolerance skills
Practiced daily, so the urge to restrict, binge, or purge meets a skill instead of a behavior.
Helps withdaily practiceurge surfing
Supporting care, running alongside
Exposure and body-image work
Feared foods and avoided situations are faced gradually, once she is medically steady, with her therapist beside her.
feared foodsstep by stepFamily therapy and parent group
Weekly family sessions, in person for Valley families and by secure video beyond, plus the Saturday parent group.
weeklymeal coachingEquine, art and experiential
Friday equine sessions, plus art and music work: time in her body that is about strength and calm, not size.
equine Fridaysself-worth
Your teen's clinical team
Meet our licensed clinical team.
Each girl works with a named, licensed primary therapist, alongside a psychiatric prescriber and residential staff you will also know by name. Every Arizona license listed below is open for you to check yourself.
LPC, BC-TMHHannah Carr-Unquera
Executive Director
Leads the clinical program, licensed in Arizona and board certified in telemental health.
LCSW, DSWDr. Tyler White
Director of Adolescent Clinical Services
Sets the treatment plan each resident’s team works to, and supervises the clinicians who deliver it.
DNP, PMHNP-BCAlexandria Penner
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
Runs psychiatric evaluation and medication management on-site, so prescribing stays inside the house.
House teamAshley Daniels
Director of Family Services & Education
Runs family services and education, after directing theatre and teen programs and building liberal-arts residential summer camps for Mount Holyoke College and Bryn Mawr College.
House teamJennifer Inderberg
Education Supervisor
Twenty-five years in education, supervising the accredited school that runs inside each house and the credit transfers back to your district.
House teamMelissa Stockmar
Director of Food Operations
Leads the kitchen team behind the chef-prepared meals, and runs the cooking group where residents learn to feed themselves.
Arizona-licensed clinical team.Every Nexus Teen Academy clinician is licensed in Arizona. Verify any license on the AZ Board of Behavioral Health Examiners directory.
What families say
What Arizona families say about Nexus Teen Academy.
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Carol TrombinoTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Nexus Academy was a wonderful place for my daughter. The staff were amazing and so supportive. They worked with our entire family. Highly recommend Nexus.![]()
Hemella SweattTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Sending your child or teen to a residential treatment facility is a difficult and heart-wrenching decision. The team at Nexus Teen Academy was exceptional. Our daughter's therapist was a great fit for her and played a significant role in helping us grow as a family. Family therapy is a crucial part of your child's recovery, and Nexus does an excellent job of involving the family in the healing process. We are grateful for their support in guiding our daughter toward a path of recovery.![]()
S HTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
The program at Nexus was a lifesaver for my 15-year-old daughter. After a tough year in and out of different levels of care, my husband and I had truly hit a breaking point and knew a residential facility was needed, but we were adamant about finding a place that was safe, respectful, and loving for our daughter. The entire team at Nexus was caring and engaged from day one, despite my daughter NOT making that easy for the first couple of weeks. There were definitely days in the beginning where we wondered if this was even working, but the team encouraged my husband and me to stay the course, and thank goodness we did. After completing Nexus residential and PHP programs, our daughter has done a complete 180. Her mental health struggles aren't 'magically gone' - but she has learned not to let them control her and our family dynamic is leagues better than where we started. Maybe the craziest part of this whole experience was when she recently acknowledged that she was really struggling before and thanked me for sending her to the program - I almost fainted. All this to say, I can't recommend the team at Nexus enough to any family with a teen who is going through a hard time.![]()
Amanda HayesTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Our 12 year old attended Nexus in summer of 2025. I opted for this location due to the reviews from other parents regarding similarly aged children. It's a whole different ballgame when a parent is trying to figure out what is best for their tween, knowing they will have exposure to older teenagers and older problems. That sad, Nexus is such a cohesive program. Our experience has been nothing short of wonderful, given the impossible circumstanes. All staff seems to be personally invested in each child's recovery and wellbeing. Our child left Nexus in a much more healed state than when they went in. I was so nervous about taking this huge step after poor hospital experiences and previous PHP's not being as helpful as we hoped. The staff is on top of relational dynamics in the house, and there is some separation between the younger residents and older ones, while still promoting overall cohesiveness. I feel they did a tremendous job supporting our 12 year old developmentally, bringing out a sense of childhood again. They also masterfully navigated our complicated family dynamic, going above and beyond to ensure our child's needs were met, the program requirements were met, in alignment with our family's needs. In a way, our child's time away at Nexus brought them back to us in a way we hadn't seen in a long time. I am so grateful. The PHP program, as well, is top notch and operates from heart. I would recommend both Nexus RTC and their PHP program to any parent in a similar situation. I have offered to connect with any parent in a similar place, so feel free to inquire about connecting with the staff. I know how terrifying this all is, and while we're not totally out of the woods, our child is currently attending school full time again with 2 evening therapy sessions each week. I attribute this assimilation into developmentally typical structure entirely to the care and support we all received from Nexus staff, from intake to therapy to medical and everyone else involved. Thank you, nexus, for helping our child- and our family- in our healing. I am forever grateful.![]()
AlishaTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
When we realized we needed a place for our teen to go longer term it was one of the hardest, scariest things I have been through as a mother. Nexus really made it easier and not quite so scary. They have a really caring staff, the kids love the staff. They truly care about your child, it’s not just another kid in and out of their house. I felt like our family was important and they were focused on what my child needed to help her through this difficult time. There was a lot of ups and downs with this process and we had some really hard times and conversations but the staff was always there to help guide us. I would truly say if you are struggling and your teen needs residential Nexus is an amazing place for treatment. The house is beautiful and it is truly comfortable for the kids. I would definitely recommend Nexus.![]()
Vanessa AnayaTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
I would like to share that we had a great experience at Nexus Teen Academy. All of the staff is great with communication and assisted us through the process. I am very grateful for all of the resources, help and treatment for my teen throughout their stay. The have an amazing team and would recommend to anyone who needs the help.![]()
Sean HayesTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
I highly recommend Nexus Teen Academy. The structure, support, and care they provided made a significant impact on my child, and it was also maintainable post-residency. During the residency, I attended a parent group led by the therapists who worked with the kids; where we learned critical skills and distinctions which helped with life afterward. It was also great to be in contact with other parents during this time, and the parenting group was great for this.![]()
Zane BedfordTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Four years ago at the age of 13 my daughter completely stopped participating in school and started to display symptoms of major depression anxiety and an unknown mood disorder.Her attendance at school was greatly impacted in such a way that attending once or twice a week became standard until the age of 16.Alcohol addiction and juvenile legal troubles followed and became common issues up until the moment my daughter entered into Nexus Teen Academy.To be completely honest as a completely broken single parent,after trying many attempts at therapy/medications I had lost hope and had given up on expecting anything could fix the crisis we had been living in for the last for years. Nexus Academy changed my perspective, my daughter completed 33 days and for the first time in years I saw the spark and light come back to her eyes and soul.She left Nexus displaying insight and a desire to get back on track with her education. With all professions , one will find flaws and opportunities for improvement .I believe Nexus understands this and showed an openess to suggestions and constructive criticism.![]()
lily hendersonTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Nexus was a life changing experience. I went in at 17 and experienced my 18th in there, to which the staff and residents all made sure I felt special. My goals were formed around gaining a better sense of self identity, self respect, and healing myself from the inside out. All of which happened in ways I never expected. I was shown how healthy communication, empathy in your home life, and phone-free relationships, all shape you as a person. Each and every one of the staff and administrators at Nexus are solely devoted to the children’s lives and well being. If there was ever an issue, i felt confident to go to them about it and it was swiftly handled. It was one of the most difficult goodbyes I have ever experienced in my life, as I grew family-life bonds with every person there. Thank you all!!!!! I appreciate every way you showed up for me and how you supported me in my stay. I will carry this experience with me forever.![]()
Jasmine CarterTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
My daughter was referred here after her various visits to psychiatric hospitals.I was so scared to be apart from my child but Nexus made me feel better about my decision because of their loving and welcoming environment. I love everything about this place, they really love the kids and support parents along the way. I appreciate everyone that loved and supported my child while she was at her lowest. I recommend this place to anyone that may feel like they have tried all they can and they do not know what to do next because Nexus will help you with the next steps in your journey.Google rating score: 5.0 of 5, based on 23 reviews
★★★★★
“Nexus Academy was a wonderful place for my daughter. The staff were amazing and so supportive. They worked with our entire family. Highly recommend Nexus.”
★★★★★
“Sending your child or teen to a residential treatment facility is a difficult and heart-wrenching decision. The team at Nexus Teen Academy was exceptional. Our daughter’s therapist was a great fit for her and played a significant role in helping us grow as a family.”Read the full review →
★★★★★
“The program at Nexus was a lifesaver for my 15-year-old daughter. After a tough year in and out of different levels of care, my husband and I had truly hit a breaking point and knew a residential facility was needed.”Read the full review →
These come straight from our public Google Business Profile, anyone can read all 34 and add their own.
Getting started
How admission works, from first call to first day.
- You set the pace, with no pressure to decide
- Clear answers to every clinical and financial question
- An honest recommendation, even if another program is the better fit
1
- Today · 24/7
- ~15 minutes
One calm call
A licensed counselor asks what her eating looks like now, any weight change, purging or bingeing, medical warning signs, existing diagnoses and past treatment, and whether she is safe, then tells you plainly whether residential care is the right level for your daughter.
- What to have ready: nothing. Just call, questions are welcome, and there is no obligation.
2
- Same day
- Free & confidential
Coverage check
With your permission we check your plan and return clear figures for residential behavioral-health care, network status, and a realistic out-of-pocket estimate. Eating disorder treatment sits under the mental-health benefit, and we explain exactly how your plan handles it.
- What you get: your coverage answer, usually the same day, every option mapped, including in-network and out-of-network paths.
3
- Within 24 to 48 hrs
- Licensed clinicians
Clinical assessment
A licensed clinician reviews her eating history, weight trend, psychiatric history, prior treatment, and safety, then recommends a level of care; recent vitals and labs from her pediatrician decide whether hospital stabilization has to come first.
- Your input matters: what you have seen at home is a key part of the clinical assessment.
4
- Within days
- Named coordinator
Plan the arrival
One named coordinator handles medical clearance, travel, school records, prescriptions, and a safety-checked packing list, so arrival day holds no surprises.
- No surprises: you will have the packing list, schedule, and your coordinator's direct line in writing.
5
- Welcome day
- Never out of the loop
A gentle, planned arrival
Your daughter meets her team and shares her first meal at the residence, and your first family update is on the calendar before you head home.
- From here: predictable days, weekly updates, and a team your teen knows by name.
Coverage & cost
Does insurance cover teen eating disorder treatment?
Residential eating disorder treatment is a behavioral-health benefit on most major private insurance plans, and Nexus Teen Academy accepts most major commercial insurers. We verify your daughter's exact benefits, in-network or out-of-network, free, confidentially, and usually the same day, then explain any out-of-pocket cost in plain English before you commit.
- 1You send your plan detailsTwo required fields. Member ID optional. Takes about a minute.
- 2We verify with your insurer directlyIn-network or out-of-network, free and confidential, usually the same day.
- 3You get the number in plain EnglishYour exact out-of-pocket cost, explained before you commit to anything.
- Meritain
- UMR
- + more
Out-of-network or unsure about your plan? Call anyway, cost should never be the reason a teen doesn't get help.
- Free benefits check
See exactly what your plan covers for residential eating disorder treatment, free, confidential, no obligation.
After discharge
Aftercare planning after residential treatment.
Discharge planning begins weeks ahead with you in the room: a PHP or IOP step-down where it fits, an outpatient therapist, dietitian, and pediatrician lined up near home, a written plan for meals and early warning signs, and a paced return to school with her home district.
Answers
Frequently asked questions about eating disorder treatment
The questions parents ask us most about eating disorder care for girls, answered plainly: distance, meals, medical safety, insurance, licensing, and privacy.
A licensed admissions counselor can answer it on the phone right now, no script, no pressure, and no obligation to enroll.
Talk to a counselorAnswered 24/7 at (480) 485-3424Centers & getting there
Yes. For Arizona parents searching for eating disorder treatment near me, Nexus Teen Academy treats girls ages 12 to 17 at its AZDHS-licensed residence in Cave Creek, about 30 minutes north of central Phoenix, and admits families from every part of the state. Admissions answers (480) 485-3424 around the clock.
The residence is on E Saddle Mountain Rd in Cave Creek, north of Phoenix. It is about two hours from Tucson, around two and a half hours from Flagstaff, and a short drive from Phoenix Sky Harbor for families who fly in. We help plan the trip and the visits that follow.
The Cave Creek residence treats girls ages 12 to 17 only. Body image, periods, dating pressure, social media comparison, and sexual-trauma history come up constantly in eating disorder work, and a girls-only home lets her talk about all of it openly, at meals and in groups.
That is very common with eating disorders, because the illness itself tells her nothing is wrong. Our counselors coach you through the conversation, and most girls who arrive resistant settle once meals are calm, predictable, and no one is arguing with them about food.
Care & cost
We treat anorexia nervosa, including atypical anorexia, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, ARFID, and other specified feeding or eating disorders. What guides the plan is the pattern and what the behavior does for her, not the label alone.
No. When vitals or labs show she is medically unstable, such as a very slow heart rate, blood pressure drops, electrolyte problems, or rapid weight loss, stabilization happens in a hospital first. Admissions coordinates with that team so residential care starts the day she is cleared.
She eats three meals and scheduled snacks with staff at the table, following a structured meal plan that increases as her body recovers. Staff model calm, neutral talk about food, and after-meal support helps her ride out the urges that follow.
Many commercial plans do when medical necessity is met, since eating disorder care falls under the mental-health benefit. Nexus Teen Academy accepts most major private insurance and verifies your benefits, network status, and likely costs before you commit to anything.
Stays are planned around 30 days or more, then adjusted against clinical markers: steady eating, restored medical stability, skills she uses without prompting, and a family ready to support meals at home. Before discharge we line up a step-down level of care and an outpatient team near home.
Licensing & privacy
Yes. The Cave Creek home is licensed by the Arizona Department of Health Services as a behavioral-health residential facility, accredited by The Joint Commission, and LegitScript certified. You can verify each credential yourself before you decide.
Yes. Her records are protected under HIPAA and shared only with the people you authorize, such as her pediatrician, school contact, or insurer. Calls with admissions are confidential, and a first conversation commits you to nothing.
Parents are part of the treatment: weekly family therapy in person or by secure video, the Saturday parent group, regular updates from her primary therapist, and coaching on how to support meals at home, so the progress she makes here carries on after discharge.
Admission & daily life
Often within a few days. Admissions calls are returned within 24 hours, usually within minutes. A counselor checks your insurance benefits and licensed clinicians complete an assessment, and if everything moves smoothly your teen can move in shortly after. A coordinator walks you through travel, paperwork, and the first day.
Yes. Nexus Teen Academy offers tours of the home by appointment, so you can see where your teen would live and ask the team your questions in person before you decide anything. Call admissions to schedule a tour at a time that suits your family.
Yes. Family therapy happens once a week and is typically followed by about an hour of visitation, and parents are expected to take part. After orientation, teens can call home during designated hours most days, and families can also join a weekly virtual Family Empowerment group with other parents.
No. Personal phones and other devices stay at home for the length of the stay. Teens use tablets for video calls with approved contacts and computers for schoolwork, so contact with family continues through approved channels while the focus stays on treatment.
School continues during treatment. Teens attend accredited, credit-bearing classes on site, and education supervisors help with coursework and stay in touch with families. Bring a copy of any 504 plan or IEP at admission, and before discharge the team plans a staged return to your teen's home school.
Pack about two weeks of clothes without laces or drawstrings, alcohol-free toiletries, and any prescribed medication in its original packaging with a current medication list. Bring a guardian ID, a copy of any 504 plan or IEP, and school books. Personal phones and school-issued tablets stay at home.
The data
Teen eating disorder statistics parents should know
More than half of U.S. high school girls reported persistent sadness or hopelessness in 2023, and eating disorders often grow from that same ground. Every figure below carries its source.

3.8%
of U.S. adolescent girls ages 13 to 18 have had an eating disorder at some point, compared with 2.7% of all adolescents (NIMH, NCS-A).
3.0%
lifetime prevalence by ages 17 to 18, up from 2.4% at ages 13 to 14, so risk keeps climbing through high school (NIMH, NCS-A).
49%
of adolescents with anorexia were in full remission a year after family-based treatment, against 23% after individual therapy (Lock et al., 2010).
1 in 4
Arizona adolescents who needed mental-health care found it very difficult or impossible to get (AZDHS, 2026).
Eating disorders build through the high school years and weigh most heavily on girls, which is why early signs deserve a real assessment instead of a wait-and-see.
The family-based numbers are why parents sit at the center of our plan, and the Arizona access figure is why families call early rather than wait months for an outpatient opening.
Teen group home care for Arizona girls
A home in feel, a treatment center in practice.
Looking at group homes for a daughter with an eating disorder? Girls from across Arizona live at our girls-only home in Cave Creek, licensed by AZDHS as a behavioral-health residential facility, so meals, therapy, and school all happen under one roof.
A typical group home
- Licensed for shelter and supervision
- Daily living and structure
- Supervision, not clinical treatment
Nexus homes
- AZDHS behavioral-health residential licence
- Daily therapy and psychiatric care
- Accredited school on site
Families from the Phoenix metro 9 cities
Families from Greater Arizona 6 cities
Girls from each of these cities are treated at our Cave Creek residence. We help plan the drive or flight, and parents join weekly family sessions in person or by secure video.
Across Arizona
Eating disorder treatment for girls across Arizona.
The residence sits in Cave Creek, about 30 minutes north of central Phoenix, a drive most Arizona families can make in a day and a short trip from Phoenix Sky Harbor for everyone else. Admissions answers around the clock.
Within a half-day of most of the state
About two hours from Tucson on I-10, 2½ hours from Flagstaff on I-17, 1½ hours from Prescott, and three hours from Yuma on I-8, with Sierra Vista and Lake Havasu City a similar reach.
Telehealth & travel, handled
Secure weekly family telehealth for families outside the metro, plus help planning the drive or the flight into Phoenix Sky Harbor, so distance never means dropping out of treatment.
Aftercare mapped to your community
Step-down care, an outpatient therapist, and a dietitian lined up near home before discharge, plus school re-entry with your home district, from Tucson Unified to Flagstaff Unified to the West Valley.
Nexus Teen Academy, Cave Creek · girls’ residence
Admissions 24/7

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Where the Cave Creek residence is located
Anthem, Desert Hills and New River
Saddle Mountain Rd, 85331 · 20 min north
Served from the Cave Creek residence
Travel, telehealth & aftercare
Every Nexus program, statewide
Find the right program for your daughter.
One clinical team, a full range of conditions, and families from across Arizona. Choose what your daughter is struggling with, then see how care works for families from your area.
Nexus Teen Academy provides licensed residential treatment for teens aged 12 to 17, including eating disorders, anxiety, depression, trauma and PTSD, self-harm, suicidal ideation, bipolar disorder, substance use, and ADHD. Girls with eating disorders live at the girls-only Cave Creek residence, and families from anywhere in Arizona get drive-time guidance, travel help, and family therapy by secure video.
Depression care, statewide
Eating disorder treatment for girls across Arizona
Girls from each city below are treated at our Cave Creek residence. We help with the drive, meal support at home, school re-entry with your home district, and the questions parents from that area ask most.
Other conditions we treat for teens
Each condition leads to its Arizona guide, and the cities beside it show how care works for families from there.
Talk it through with a counselor
Tell an admissions counselor what you are seeing at home, and they will say plainly which program fits.
Girls-only programs
Treated only at the Cave Creek girls residence
Five programs for teen girls, each with an Arizona guide and a page for families from each nearby city.
Co-occurring mental health and substance use
Eating disorders in teen girls
Sexual trauma in teen girls
Severe mood swings in teen girls
Your city is not listed? We admit girls from anywhere in Arizona and from out of state. Call (480) 485-3424 and we will walk you through the drive to Cave Creek and how admission works.


