Sarah Kopelovich, PhD, core faculty for the Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center, conducted a virtual session at NAMICon on July 13, 2020: "CBT for Psychosis: Evidence-based Training Program for Family and Caregivers." Dr. Kopelovich is an Assistant Professor and holds a Professorship in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Psychosis (CBTp) in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington. She has served as the Principal Investigator on foundation-, state-, and federally funded projects related to implementation of evidence-based treatments for psychosis. She oversees the Northwest CBTp Network, is a founding member and communications officer for the North American CBTp Network.
CBT for psychosis (CBTp), an evidence-based treatment for schizophrenia spectrum disorders, emphasizes the involvement of family members in the treatment course. In addition, best practice dictates that natural supports are engaged in broader team-based care efforts. Unfortunately, these recommendations are poorly aligned with common practice. Psychosis REACH (Recovery by Enabling Adult Careers at Home) is a training for family members in CBTp-informed principles and skills. With philanthropic support, Drs. Doug Turkington (Newcastle University), Kate Hardy (Stanford University), Maria Monroe-DeVita and Sarah Kopelovich (University of Washington) launched Psychosis REACH in the U.S. Roughly 200 family members participated in the May, 2019 training; 30 received intensive training and consultation, and Train the Trainer planning is currently underway with guidance from a local Family and Caregiver Advisory Board. Family members were referred from agencies that comprise Washington State’s CBTp Provider Network, as well as by those without CBTp-trained providers. This presentation reports on the mental health outcomes among trainees up to 4-months post-training, which suggest that the training was helpful in reducing depression, anxiety, caregiver fatigue, and in improving attitudes toward psychosis.
