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Abstract
Eating disorders can have deleterious effects on both an individuals body and mind. Additionally, the cost of treatment can be steep, often preventing individuals from receiving adequate, consistent, and necessary care. A non-profit organization in the southeastern United States has dedicated efforts to fully funding individuals through eating disorder-inpatient treatment, and accepts applications from individuals around the country. Funding recipients are then financially supported at an approved treatment site for as long as they need. As the financial need of applicants can range from a few hundred dollars to upwards of one-hundred-thousand dollars, the non-profit is limited in the number of scholarships they can provide at any given time. The application process is multi-level, and largely consists of measures self-created by the non-profit organization. There are also three validated measures included: Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised Questionnaire, Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale IV, and University Rhode Island Change Assessment Scale. The purpose of the study was to evaluate whether the non-profit based funding decisions on data collected from the three validated measures. This was examined through three hypothetical decision-making models. The three hypothetical models were: Egalitarian Model, Least Severe Model, and Blended Model. Hypothetical funding recipients were selected from each model and compared to the two actual funding recipients. The non-profit aimed to use a Blended Model. Results indicated that those chosen by the non-profit were not selected based on the three validated measures as demonstrated through the three hypothetical decision-making models. The allocation of scarce resources demonstrates to be a challenge on any level, and understanding the decision-making process can further inform organizations on the effectiveness and consistency of their procedures. Implications for practitioners working with eating disorder clients, limitations, and recommendations for future research are discussed.