Jordan Watson serves as Alsana’s Chief Executive Officer, bringing nearly 15 years of experience in the eating disorder treatment field. He previously served as Alsana’s Chief Growth Officer for five years. During his tenure, he participated in the formation of the Alsana brand, built the company’s growth functions, and led the expansion of the company’s services. Jordan has previously served on the Board of Directors for two eating disorder non-profit organizations. He has also consulted for top healthcare services organizations outside of eating disorders spearheading growth, operations, and innovative program development. He holds a master’s degree in psychology from Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology.
Can you introduce us to Alsana and what makes it different in the eating disorder treatment space?
Alsana is an eating recovery community that provides holistic, evidence-based treatment for adults and adolescents of all genders suffering with eating disorders. Our treatment approach, the Adaptive Care Model, sets us apart in the field and consistently delivers industry leading outcomes and perception of care scores. Our model focuses on five key dimensions of recovery – medical, therapeutic, nutrition, movement, and relational practices. This comprehensive approach ensures we’re treating the whole person and working with their unique human experience.
In addition, our commitment is to work with our clients and their loved ones within the context of community, taking a highly relational approach over a manualized treatment model. We offer multiple levels of care including residential, day treatment, intensive outpatient, and virtual programs, making recovery accessible and tailored to each person’s unique recovery journey.
What is compassion-focused care, and how does it contribute to Alsana’s Perception of Care measurement?
Compassion-focused care is a framework through which we deliver our treatment. We believe that self-compassion is a crucial part of the recovery journey, and we cultivate that by creating a supportive, understanding and judgment-free environment.
How did you find yourself in this industry and gravitate toward eating disorder recovery? What’s your story?
I was previously with Alsana as Chief Growth Officer for five years and returned in December 2024 as CEO. I’ve served in the behavioral healthcare space for nearly 15 years, and my passion has always been to expand access to quality treatment services for those in need of care. I did not personally suffer with an eating disorder but have lived with a gastrointestinal disease for most of my life which connected me deeply to the struggles many of our clients face around food and nourishment.
In the early days of my career, I had the opportunity to work in direct patient care with adults and adolescents suffering from eating disorders. In that environment I witnessed the medical and psychological devastation caused by an eating disorder as well as the realities of a fully recovered life. Since that time, I’ve dedicated my career to helping more individuals find their own unique recovery journey. My focus as we step into the future of the field is to invest in the training and development of our staff to ensure we deliver the best possible care, treatment outcomes and client experience for everyone that comes to our doors.
Alsana recently announced a major expansion, now treating adolescents for the first time. What led to this decision in 2025?
Expanding our services to treat adolescents was a significant milestone for us, and the decision was driven by a growing demand for quality and accessible adolescent care. According to the National Alliance for Eating Disorders, a 2023 industry review indicated that up to 22% of children and adolescents experience disordered eating. The rise in eating disorders among younger populations, especially post-pandemic, made it clear that quality and accessible care is needed in our country. We launched virtual PHP (Partial Hospitalization) and IOP (Intensive Outpatient) programs for adolescents in California and recently expanded those services to Nevada and Arizona to offer structured, flexible treatment for families in need. Our goal is to be of service to families, especially in areas where in-person treatment options are limited.
What do you feel is this industry’s greatest challenge?
One of the biggest challenges is education and awareness. Many people suffer from an eating disorder in shame or are confused about their treatment options. Others may even reach out to a trusted healthcare provider, but the professional is not trained in how to recognize the signs and symptoms of an eating disorder. The lack of education combined with a culture that often celebrates disordered eating behaviors as well as unrealistic ideas regarding body shape and size have created a world where millions of people will suffer in silence.
Our field has a responsibility to provide education, training and resources to help healthcare professionals recognize the signs and symptoms of an eating disorder and know how to refer to the indicated level of care. In addition, leaders in our field must work to raise awareness and reduce stigma associated with eating disorders so we reach those suffering who otherwise would not seek care. It continues to be our biggest challenge that once solved will enable eating disorders to be easily recognized and treated immediately, similar to cancer and other critical medical diagnoses.
What trends can we expect to see this year in the eating disorder treatment and mental health industry?
A few key trends stand out. First, as the acuity of eating disorder and co-occurring symptoms increase in our client population there is an increased need for investment in the training, supervision and development of clinical treatment teams. Second, virtual care is continuing to grow, providing much-needed access to those who need a flexible treatment option.
Virtual care is often debated in comparison to in-person care on which one is superior. My perspective is a more valuable consideration is to compare virtual care to no care at all. Virtual care is an excellent option when clinically appropriate for individuals and families that have real barriers to in-person care. Perhaps they do not live near an in-person treatment program, cannot travel, or do not have the means to take time away from work. Also, our virtual program is an excellent step-down option when someone completes a higher level of care and is now integrating back into their everyday life.
It is my position that virtual eating disorder treatment is not indicated for all situations and many individuals need a higher level of care even if they have barriers to entry. In those situations, it is our responsibility to make the right clinical recommendation, provide the family with education, and work with families to help them gain access to the appropriate level of care for their child.
Alsana is making investments to lead the field in a commitment to training and expanding accessible quality services. We are committed to hiring industry leading clinical leaders like our new Chief Clinical Officer, Keesha Amezcua, LMFT, CEDS-C, CDWF, who has 20 years of experience training and developing clinical teams. This year we’ve announced the expansion of our virtual services to adolescents and continue to grow those offerings to new states. Our objective is to lead the field forward and set the standard for the years ahead of us in both training treatment teams and expanding access to quality care.
