Several forces have converged over the last decade to call for a reconsideration of how to view, discuss, prescribe, and assess medications for effectiveness in the care of persons with serious mental illness and/or substance use disorders. This webinar announces the release of a new tool to promote person-centered psychopharmacology describes six evidence-based principles for promoting self-management in individuals with mental illness and/or addictions and illustrates them using clinical vignettes. The principles are:

1. Elicit the person’s and family’s perspectives on the concerns bringing them to care.
2. Assess the person’s and family’s perceived needs and priorities, including any cultural preferences (e.g., ethnic, sexual, spiritual).
3. Identify the person’s short- and long-term goals.
4. Identify medication targets that indicate that the person is overcoming barriers to life goals or increasing their quality of life (beyond symptom reduction).
5. Prescribe medication as one component of an overall self-management plan that builds on personal and family strengths.
6. Identify and address barriers to self-management, including the need for additional supports (e.g., transportation, childcare, reminders, environmental modifications).

Presenters:
- Larry Davidson, Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine
- Matcheri Keshavan, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard School of Medicine