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Presentation Slides Presentation Recording Presentation Summary This presentation occurred during the 2022 South Southwest MHTTC First Episode Psychosis conference on June 2nd. Dr. Oladunni Oluwoye was the keynote speaker for this session. Presentation Summary: Family member or support person engagement is invaluable throughout care for their loved one experiencing the early stages of psychosis. From navigating pathways to services to receiving services from coordinated specialty care, engagement can be defined in various ways. In this presentation, Dr. Oladunni Oluwoye provided an overview on the importance and impact of family members or support persons on the pathway to mental health services and while receiving care for loved ones in the early stages of psychosis. She presented recent work and several strategies used to improve family engagement in early intervention services as well as culturally-informed approaches used to address racial inequities. About the Speaker Dr. Oladunni Oluwoye (she/her/hers) Co-Director Washington Center of Excellence in Early Psychosis   Dr. Oluwoye is an assistant professor in the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine at Washington State University, Spokane, and the Co-Director of the Washington Center of Excellence in Early Psychosis. She received her B.S. in Psychology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, an M.S. in Clinical Psychology from Alabama A&M University, and her Ph.D. in Health Promotion and Education for the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Oluwoye is the lead evaluator for New Journeys a network of coordinated specialty care programs in Washington State and is supported by multiple grants from NIMH, including a Mentored Research Scientist Career Development Award(K01). Dr. Oluwoye’s overarching research focuses on the early onset of serious mental illness, specifically psychosis among racially and ethnically diverse families, and the development of strategies to increase engagement and service utilization. Through this work, her hope is to improve pathways to care and advance the availability, acceptability, and effectiveness of mental health care among racially and ethnically diverse populations.   Positionality Statement: We should all strive to assess how our own positions in society and experiences might contribute to the research questions we ask, how we engage with those who participate in studies, and our interpretation of findings based on peoples’ lived experiences. Because of this I acknowledge my standpoint and the privilege I have as a Black woman/scholar. While I identify as Black and technically African American by naturalization, I am slightly removed from the experiences of the African American community, although I consider myself as an outside/insider. To an extent, it is through my own family’s experiences with a loved one with a serious mental illness and that of a Black individual in the US, that initiated my research focus on family engagement in early psychosis with an emphasis on improving the experiences of Black families. While, I do not have direct experience of navigating mental health services, I am fortunate enough to to have families willingly share with me their stories/experiences that paints part of the picture for me to have better understanding.

Presentation Recording Presentation Materials Presentation Slides ASQ NIH Screening Tool C-SSRS Baseline Screening Tool C-SSRS Baseline Screening Tool - Spanish Version Patient Safety Plan Template SAFE-T Handout Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire - Revised (SBQ-R) Presentation Summary This presentation occurred during the 2022 South Southwest MHTTC First Episode Psychosis conference on June 2nd. Dr. Tara Niendam facilitated this keynote session. Presentation Summary: Risk for self-harm behaviors is high in early psychosis populations; therefore, all clinical programs need a protocol for risk assessment and management that begins at first client contact and is maintained over time. This presentation provided an overview of suicide rates in the US, an approach to assessing risk and protective factors, and an introduction to the CSSRS – the gold-standard tool for suicide ideation and behavior. The presentation will also briefly covered methods for addressing suicide, including the Safety Plan Protocol. About the Speaker Dr. Tara Niendam (she/her/hers) Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Research Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at the University of California, Davis   Dr. Niendam is an Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Research in Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at the University of California, Davis. She completed her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is the Executive Director of the UC Davis Early Psychosis Programs (EDAPT and SacEDAPT Clinics) and has developed 4 early psychosis programs in Northern California based on the coordinated specialty care model of early psychosis. Her research focuses on improving clinical and functional outcomes for youth with serious mental illness, with a focus on mobile health technology. She is the Principal Investigator for the Early Psychosis Intervention Network of California, or EPI-CAL, which is part of the new NIMH-funding EPI-NET program. EPI-CAL links multiple county-and university-based EP programs to bring client-level data to the clinician’s fingertips, and enable large scale data-driven approaches to improve outcomes for EP care. She also directs the EPI-CAL affiliated Training and Technical Assistance Center, which seeks to bring evidence based early psychosis care to all Californians. Within both clinical and research contexts, Dr. Niendam has worked to amplify the need for high-quality suicide risk assessment and management protocols, as this is critical to reducing high suicide rates for individuals with serious mental illness.   Positionality Statement: I come to this work from both personal and family experiences. Within the psychosis space, my family supported loved ones who experienced psychotic symptoms as part of bipolar disorder. I was raised by a single mom in a small, rural town in Kentucky, where mental health services were nonexistent for lower-middle class families like mine, and the stigma against mental health prevented us from seeking help anyway. In the realm of suicide, I have lost friends and consumers in my clinics to suicide and experienced the unbearable pain and unrelenting “what-if” questions. I believe we can do better, hence my passion for speaking about suicide and pushing our field toward incorporating high-quality approaches. I identify as a white, cisgender, heterosexual woman, a mother, a wife and a clinician-scientist. I am a consumer of mental health services. I am strongly committed to DEIA and seek to amplify the voices of marginalized communities in all areas of my work. Consumer and support person voices are present in both my research and clinical work.

Panel Presentation Recording Panel Presentation Summary This panel presentation occurred during the 2022 South Southwest MHTTC First Episode Psychosis conference on June 1st. This panel was moderated by Cecilia McGough and the panelists were representatives from Students with Psychosis including Cecilia Joyce, Rei, Daniel Nepveux, Deanna, Katie Sanford, Maddie Jiles, and Vera Muñiz-Saurré Presentation Summary: There is no one-size-fits-all experience for a student living with psychosis. This session had a panel moderator and seven Students With Psychosis members from the student lived experience perspective. Students With Psychosis is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that empowers student leaders and advocates worldwide through community building and collaboration. The panel included a mix of storytelling and discussion followed by Q&A. The discussion and storytelling highlighted intersectionality, academic accommodations, and action points on how to transform community, workplace, and educational environments to support and empower students living with psychosis.   About the Panelists Moderator   Cecilia McGough (they/them/theirs/she/her/hers) Founder and Executive Director Students with Psychosis   Cecilia McGough is a New York City-based mental health activist, nonprofit executive director, consultant, and former radio astronomer. McGough is autistic who also happens to have schizophrenia but does not let her diagnoses define her. McGough is the founder and executive director of the global nonprofit Students With Psychosis. As a TEDx speaker, twice Special Books by Special Kids interviewee, Anthony Padilla interviewee, CBS This Morning national news feature, and PBS Documentary “Mysteries of Mental Illness” feature, McGough’s story has been viewed over 30 million times across multiple platforms. McGough has been featured in Glamour UK, The Boston Globe, Women’s Health Magazine, twice in Forbes, USA Today College, Healthline, Daily Mail, The Indian Express, MTV University, WGBH, Mental Health America, and more! McGough currently serves as a curator and social committee member for the Global Shapers Brooklyn Hub and a task force member through the World Economic Forum. McGough finds it important to connect with health advocates across a wide range of diagnoses and currently is a Lightbulb ambassador and severed as a 2020 conference advisor for Healthevoices. McGough collaborates with industry leads and mental health researchers and clinicians; for example, McGough was a 2020-2021 think tank participant organized by One Mind to focus on early screening for psychosis in youth. McGough is an UNLEASH talent who traveled to Denmark in August of 2017 to be an active voice to attain the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and make sure people with psychosis are represented. Also, McGough has been selected as the keynote speaker for the 2022 Congress of the Schizophrenia International Research Society to take place in Florence, Italy. At the age of 17, McGough co-discovered PSR J1930-1852 leading to opportunities such as helping represent the United States in the International Space Olympics in Russia and being a Virginia Aerospace Science And Technology Scholar through the NASA Langley Research Center. McGough’s story as a radio astronomer through the Pulsar Search Collaboratory can be seen in the documentary Little Green Men.   Panelists     Cecilia Joyce (she/her/hers) Executive Board Member Students with Psychosis   Cecilia Joyce joined @studentswithpsychosis because she was looking for a place where she could feel safe to express herself. Her search led me to @cecilia_mcgough’s TEDx Talk and this fantastic Students With Psychosis (SWP) community. Growing up, she felt lonely, isolated and embarrassed by her symptoms. She was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder as a teen and spent the majority of her high school career in a therapeutic treatment center. Even in that environment, surrounded by people with mental health diagnoses, she felt the stigma of being psychotic and having delusions. Becoming a part of SWP has cured the loneliness and isolation that she continued to experience. Before, she lacked a community, now she has built lasting friendships and has been a part of events that she will always cherish with pride. Since joining the organization she has become happier and has found herself more eager to stick to her treatment plan. She enjoys going to meetings and finds it easy to attend several a week, even as a busy college student, working on her bachelor’s degree. She feels truly blessed to have met and become a part of the SWP family. There are many ways to get involved with SWP. This is a welcoming space where you are able to participate or not, as much as you want. She encourages everyone to see what they have to offer because she believes SWP can change your life for the better. She hopes you can join her on this journey.     Daniel Nepveux (he/him/his) Advocate Students with Psychosis   Daniel Nepveux says that you may call him Daniel, Dan, Dano, Danny boy, or Judd. He currently reside in Texas, USA. Daniel was featured on the Special Books By Special Kids Youtube channel, and Instagram page, for an interview he did with its wonderful and kind creator, Mr. Chris. Daniel is diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder/Depressive Type, CPTSD, BPD, and Multiple Traumatic Brain Injuries. He am an AVID reader of almost every genre, but his favorite is horror; and his favorite author is (of course) the great and hilarious Stephen King. He owns fifty two of King's books and is always on the lookout for anything new by him. Daniel loves singer songwriter music with lyrics that contain emotional depth and moving melodies. But his heart truly lies with reading and writing.   Positionality Statement: Daniel Nepveux is a 36 year old combat veteran currently working on being an advocate in the mental health community. Recently he has begun work on his second published book of poetry and is happy to be doing something he loves. He is the first and only member of his immediate family to have joined the military and he did so at the age of 17. Daniel is diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder Depressive Type, CPTSD, anxiety, and deals with chronic lung health issues. Having not experienced the difficulties of dealing with mental health while in school, he wants to better understand the trials that the younger generation goes through when navigating the upper education system.     Deanna (she/her/hers) Live Chat Moderator & Outreach Coordinator Students With Psychosis   Deanna is a college student studying audio engineering and film production. Deanna is from the suburbs of Austin, Texas and still resides in the area. Deanna is living with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and anxiety. She has a strong passion for art, film, and music, and is currently working on several projects. Deanna is a Live Chat Moderator and Outreach Coordinator at Students With Psychosis.   Positionality Statement: Deanna is from Austin, Texas. She makes it a point to help others when they are in need. Deanna is atheist, but doesn’t push her ideology on others and is respectful of others beliefs. Deanna has a libertarian political view; believing in full autonomy and limiting the states violation of one’s individual liberties.     Katie Sanford (she/her/hers) Advocate Students with Psychosis   When Katie was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder at 17, she thought her life was over. But when she went to college and began to prove all of my stereotype-based ideas wrong, she wanted to share that with everyone - that people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders are capable of so much more than people think. And when she spoke publicly about it for the first time, she realized that my story had a bigger impact than she had thought when it came to changing other people's minds. Katie is always looking for new ways to expand my advocacy and meet others who live with similar disorders. Everyone's story is so different, and she love that Student's With Psychosis amplifies all these different voices, showing not just others, but also each other, that our stories are powerful and important no matter what they are and she wants to use the skills she has gained in her advocacy experience to support the efforts of Students With Psychosis and expand her network and capabilities as an advocate as well.   Positionality Statement: Katie Sanford is a 31-year-old legal assistant and mental health advocate residing in a small town in Illinois an hour outside of Chicago. Katie grew up in “wine country” in northern California, living in both rural and suburban areas after her parents divorced when she was four years old. She attended small, often under-funded public schools that provided opportunities like small-group advanced classes and agricultural and viticultural exposure. She grew up in non-religious, middle class households and identifies as an agnostic heterosexual woman with a liberal-leaning bias. She recognizes the privilege that comes with these things as well as with being a white, college-educated female in the United States. She earned her degree in psychology at Northwestern University, which provided opportunities others may not have had, like working on psychiatric research. Her professional experience includes assisting with schizophrenia research, retail management, food service, finance, and estate planning law. She has lived with depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder from a very young age that went undiagnosed until she began treatment at 17 when she was also diagnosed with depressive-type schizoaffective disorder. She also lives with an eating disorder, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Her experiences with schizoaffective disorder inspired her decision to pursue a degree in psychology.     Maddie Jiles (they/them/theirs) Executive Board Member Students with Psychosis   Maddie has had schizophrenia since early childhood, and until the middle of their undergrad career it went undiagnosed, unnoticed, and untreated. It taught them a special way of living with themself and dealing with all that entailed. Maddie's family’s motto always has been, “Once you lose your sense of humor you die.” Maddie took that and ran with it through every mental health huddle and struggle in life. No matter how hard things got, they found some kind of way to laugh and find joy in even the smallest thing. They believe that’s their purpose in life, to spread that same joy. Maddie is the voice of the MadHaus Podcast and the founder of Powered by the Haus, a tabletop group on Twitch. Outside of that, they are an elementary educator and a street performer. And wherever they go, doing whatever they're doing, they make sure that they keep their family’s motto in mind. It’s important to live loudly as yourself, in every aspect that you are yourself. And they find no place where they embody that more than in @studentswithpsychosis.     Rei (he/him/his/xe/xem/xir) Executive Board Member Students with Psychosis   Rei is a non-binary, autistic, Jewish social work student who is also living with psychosis among other disabilities. He is very active on campus as the President of Columbus State's Pride Club as well as an officer for several other groups, including his college's branch of Phi Theta Kappa. He has been nominated for quite a few awards and scholarships during his time at CSCC. Rei currently works 2 part-time jobs, including a work study job as a Student Resource Educator and another job as an artist at Transit Arts. His art will soon be featured in local community gardens. In his free time, he likes to cross-stitch, spend time with his cats, read, and play video games. He hopes that one day he can help better the lives of people living with disabilities, including but not limited to psychosis, on both a micro and macro level. He is extremely passionate about the ableism and abuse that exists within the medical system and strives to do all he can to fix this system.     Vera Muñiz-Saurré (they/them/theirs) Executive Board Member Students With Psychosis   Vera Muñiz-Saurré is a nonbinary, queer, Peruvian-American public health professional currently working as an HIV Prevention Specialist at a mental health agency in Boston and now also as part of the Executive Board of Students with Psychosis! They have Schizoaffective disorder and are a survivor of gay conversion therapy. Starting in 2017, Vera helped found and admin the Psychosis Spectrum Server on Discord and they're still a strong community! Vera is currently seeking their Master of Public Health from Boston University focusing on Community Assessment, Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation. They joined Students with Psychosis to find more community and to be more involved with psychosis advocacy! They want to use what they are learning and have learned through their time working in public health to serve our community and to help fight the systemic barriers that keep those of us most affected by health inequities from accessing quality care.   Positionality Statement: Vera Muñiz-Saurré is a 25-year old first generation Peruvian-American of mixed indigenous Andean and Spanish descent studying Community Assessment, Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation at Boston University’s School of Public Health living with Schizoaffective Disorder. Vera is a queer nonbinary person who uses they/them pronouns and who has done work in Boston’s community as an HIV Prevention Specialist with Casa Esperanza, a Latin American focused mental health agency, since 2019. Vera centers decolonization, liberation, and community-based participatory research in their approach to Public Health and is currently doing their practicum through Students with Psychosis in which they will conduct a Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan for the community of people in Boston who experience psychosis. Vera was raised in a conservative Catholic environment and is a survivor of conversion therapy. They plan on applying for a Clinical Psych PhD program in the fall and hope to help reduce the harms of colonization while working towards the goal of decolonizing the mental health system and broader recognition of indigenous sovereignty.

Family psychoeducation is an evidence-based treatment for individuals with psychotic disorders. In this introductory presentation, we will review the common elements of family psychoeducation and benefits of this intervention. We will also discuss specific considerations for clinicians providing family psychoeducation to relatives of individuals early in the course of a psychotic disorder.

Family psychoeducation is an evidence-based treatment for individuals with psychotic disorders. In this introductory presentation, we will review the common elements of family psychoeducation and benefits of this intervention. We will also discuss specific considerations for clinicians providing family psychoeducation to relatives of individuals early in the course of a psychotic disorder.

ABOUT THIS RESOURCE This is the third and final webinar in a three-part webinar series related to forensic mental health.  Individuals with a serious mental illness (SMI) are at least three times more likely to be treated in a forensic setting than in a mainstream mental health setting, effectively making high-security settings the primary frontier for SMI treatment. Recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, person-centered, and evidence-based practices can and should be delivered in a way that is responsive to both therapeutics and security. This presentation will provide a brief overview of empirically-supported treatments for forensically-housed individuals with SMI, with a focus on cognitive behavioral therapies. Learning Objectives Learners will become familiar with national and international guidelines on the provision of care to individuals with serious mental illness who are housed in high-security settings. Learners will be able to list the evidence-based psychosocial interventions indicated for this population. Learners will hear about empirically-supported benefits of recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, person-centered, and evidence-based care to both the individual and system. Learners will be able identify core considerations and strategies for delivering person-centered cognitive behavioral therapy to adults with a serious mental illness in high security settings. Find out more about our forensic mental health webinar series here. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Download webinar slides   FACILITATOR Sarah L. Kopelovich, JD Sarah L. Kopelovich, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist with specialized training in serious mental illness and forensic psychology. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and serves as core faculty with the Center for Mental Health, Policy, and the Law (CMHPL), the SPIRIT Lab, the Northwest MHTTC, and the Washington State Center of Excellence in Early Psychosis. Dr. Kopelovich specializes in evidence-based psychotherapeutic treatments for schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders.

Behavioral health practitioners and organizations are often required to determine whether a particular intervention meets the needs of their clients, staff, and/or funders. The Best and Promising Practice (BPP) Fact Sheet Library, developed by the MHTTC Network, is designed to provide the mental health workforce with information about a wide array of evidence-based and promising approaches. Each fact sheet in the library summarizes a specific behavioral health practice, its evidence base, and steps for successful implementation.  In this sheet, we provide an overview of the principles and practice of Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) for First Episode Psychosis. 

About this Resource:  Serving as an accompaniment to Dr. Cotes' presentation on "Updates in First Episode Psychosis Care," this infographic summarizes psychosis and symptom progression, highlights the importance of early intervention, and reviews barriers to and tips for treatment engagement. 

About this Resource:  The first episode of psychosis is a crucial time to intervene and potentially change the trajectory of a schizophrenia-spectrum illness. With the number of coordinated specialty care (CSC) teams expanding rapidly across the US, there are more services available for people with first episode psychosis than ever before. Dr. Robert Cotes provides an update on the phenomenology, services, and treatments available for people with first episode psychosis as well as lessons learned from the perspective of someone who has worked on a CSC team.      About the Presenter:  Robert O. Cotes, MD, is an Associate Professor at Emory University School of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. He attended West Virginia University School of Medicine then completed his psychiatry residency at Dartmouth. He serves as Co-Director of the PSTAR Clinic (Persistent Symptoms: Treatment, Assessment, and Recovery), Director of Project ARROW (Achieving Recovery through Resilience, Optimism, and Wellness), and Co-Director of Open Dialogue Atlanta at Grady's Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinic. His research focuses on clozapine, cardiometabolic side effects of antipsychotic medications, digital biomarkers, and first episode psychosis. Dr. Cotes is the principal investigator for multiple clinical trials focused on treatment options for psychosis. Dr. Cotes serves as a Psychiatrist Expert for the American Psychiatric Association's SMI Adviser initiative.

A CEDAR Clinic clinical brief that support the screening of psychosis spectrum symptoms.

The 2020 Southwest First Episode Psychosis Conference took place virtually on August 3rd through the 5th. In this session, Jennifer Baran-Prall summarizes key themes from the conference and Dr. Molly Lopez concludes the conference with an exciting Thought Exchange.

The 2020 Southwest First Episode Psychosis Conference took place virtually on August 3rd through the 5th. In this session, Dr. Aaron Brinen, Assistant Professor Psychiatry at Drexel College of Medicine, discusses the obstacle that negative symptoms can pose to recovery for individuals with psychosis. Dr. Brinen shares innovative strategies to overcoming challenges of motivation and connection. Download the session slides.

The 2020 Southwest First Episode Psychosis Conference took place virtually on August 3rd through the 5th. In this session, Dr. Nev Jones facilitates a discussion with panelists Edith Burns and Trinity Blue to discuss their experiences with early psychosis care. Participants hear from youth and families about how to improve services and supports for persons who have experienced psychosis. Participants were also given the opportunity to ask questions and discuss pathways for implementing the ideas that arise from the panel into their own communities.

The 2020 Southwest First Episode Psychosis Conference took place virtually on August 3rd through the 5th. In this presentation, Dr. Aaron Brinen, Assistant Professor of Psychology at the Drexel University College of Medicine, shares practical strategies for addressing distressing hallucinations using Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy. Download the session slides.

The 2020 Southwest First Episode Psychosis Conference took place virtually on August 3rd through the 5th. In this presentation, Dr. Ashley Weiss, Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Director of EPIC-NOLA at Tulane University, describes the development of their early psychosis program and shares the techniques and creativity used to enhance community outreach regarding early psychosis treatment within her community. Download the session slides.

The 2020 Southwest First Episode Psychosis Conference took place virtually on August 3rd through the 5th. In this presentation, Dr. Jason Schiffman, Professor of Psychology and Director of Clinical Training at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, describes strategies for early identification of chronic high risk for psychosis to help minimize delays in service and care. Special attention will be paid to cultural and contextual considerations to assessment. An introduction to psychosocial treatment for those at risk for psychosis is also be presented. Download the session slides. 

The 2020 Southwest First Episode Psychosis Conference took place virtually on August 3rd through the 5th. In this presentation, Nybelle Caruso, Dr. Nikolas Buekea, and Tamara Sale, from the EASA Center, build on research about first episode psychosis to discuss how early intervention programs have been established nationally focusing on the needs of young people and their families. Participants learn about the evolution of these national initiatives and the support, assessment, and treatment they provide for teenagers and young adults. This presentation provides a current state of affairs for early psychosis programs throughout the nation. Download the session slides.

On August 5th, we held an online discussion session led by Dr. Ken Duckworth, MD, Chief Medical Officer of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.  To access a copy of this presentation, click here. 

A number of national, regional, and state groups are all working toward system change and better financing mechanisms to provide better care.  The MHTTC Network compiled this list of some of the national stakeholders and key resources on first episode psychosis and clinical high risk found by downloading above.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Psychosis (CBTp) ePrimer is a 3-hour, self-paced course open to all types of providers, hosted on the HealtheKnowledge platform. It is designed to serve as a primer in foundational concepts related to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and its application to psychotic symptoms and experiences. Learners will start by testing their knowledge on a 30-item, adapted CBT quiz, and will then be guided to complete brief modules on the topics of: Psychosis education, CBT fundamentals, and Applying CBT to psychosis. Finally, learners will apply what they’ve learned to a practice and self-reflection exercise. Resources for further learning are provided.  Registration and Technical Support How to register for a course at HealtheKnowledge and how to get technical support   Trainer Sarah Kopelovich, PhD, is a forensically-trained, licensed clinical psychologist at the University of Washington School of Medicine, based at Harborview Medical Center. Dr. Kopelovich is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and holds a Professorship in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Psychosis. Her research aims to enhance implementation and dissemination strategies for psychosocial interventions indicated for individuals with Psychotic Spectrum Disorders. She leads the only CBT for psychosis Provider Network in the country, which has received continual state funding since 2015. She regularly conducts workshops, seminars, and professional consultation across the country for mental health practitioners in CBT for psychosis (CBTp) and CBTp-informed care; Coordinated Specialty Care for First Episode Psychosis and Assertive Community Treatment; and diagnostic, suicide, and violence risk assessment. Dr. Kopelovich is core faculty with the Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center and currently serves as the Director of Training.         This online course was created by the Northwest Region 10 Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) with support from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Want more information? Visit the Northwest MHTTC's Resource Library and Websites by Topic  and sign up for our monthly newsletter for regular updates about events, trainings, and resources available to the Northwest region.

Find our 2nd published newsletter here, acknowledging the completion of our inaugural year. This newsletter issue focuses on Integrative Care. "In the US, a person living with schizophrenia has a life expectancy that is, on average, 28 years shorter than that of the general US population.1 The Northwest MHTTC is committed to addressing this health disparity through training, implementation, and workforce activities that target the leading causes of this premature mortality. During our inaugural year, we partnered with regional stakeholders on activities to target two leading causes of death, cardiovascular disease and suicide (read in our newsletter). As we begin our second year, we have a variety of activities planned which further our mission and our vision of a future in which people who experience psychosis have the same life expectancy as their peers."  Lydia Chwastiak MD. MPH, Co-Director, Northwest MHTTC 1 Olfson M, Gerhard T, Huang C, Crystal S, Stroup TS. Premature Mortality Among Adults With Schizophrenia in the United States. JAMA psychiatry. 2015;72(12):1172-1181.  

We’ve launched a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Psychosis (CBTp) ePrimer in HealtheKnowledge. This 3-hour, self-paced course is designed to serve as a primer in foundational concepts related to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and its application to psychotic symptoms and experiences. Learners will start by testing their knowledge on a 30-item adapted CBT quiz, and will then be guided to complete brief modules on the topics of: (1) Psychosis education, (2) CBT fundamentals, and (3) Applying CBT to psychosis. Finally, learners will apply what they’ve learned to a practice and self-reflection exercise. Resources for further learning are provided.    Trainer Sarah Kopelovich, PhD University of Washington, School of Medicine Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences Professor, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Psychosis Northwest MHTTC Role: Director of Training Sarah Kopelovich, PhD is a forensically-trained, licensed clinical psychologist at the University of Washington School of Medicine, based at Harborview Medical Center. Dr. Kopelovich is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and holds a Professorship in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Psychosis. Her research aims to enhance implementation and dissemination strategies for psychosocial interventions indicated for individuals with Psychotic Spectrum Disorders. She leads the only CBT for psychosis Provider Network in the country, which has received continual state funding since 2015. She regularly conducts workshops, seminars, and professional consultation across the country for mental health practitioners in CBT for psychosis (CBTp) and CBTp-informed care; Coordinated Specialty Care for First Episode Psychosis and Assertive Community Treatment; and diagnostic, suicide, and violence risk assessment. Dr. Kopelovich is core faculty with the Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center and currently serves as the Director of Training. This product launched as a closed course included with a CBTp Implementation project. The course is now available to the public and can be found by clicking the "Resource" link above.   

Northwest MHTTC's Training Director, Sarah Kopelovich, PhD, presented a didactic to the UW Psychiatry and Addictions Case Conference (PACC) on June 20, 2019. This was one of two sessions which focused on the diagnosis and medical management of psychosis in primary care settings. The goal of these two sessions is to build understanding among primary care providers about the treatment and management of psychosis and how the medical management of psychosis can impact the physical health of those receiving treatment. In this session, Dr. Sarah Kopelovich reviews updated facts and figures concerning psychosis outcomes to enable primary care providers to provide more accurate psychoeducation, key considerations relevant to differential diagnosis in a primary care setting, and core practical skills for a clinical encounter of any nature. Dr. Kopelovich also provides information about high-yield behavioral interventions and skill building techniques that can be incorporated into primary care sessions. The UW Psychiatry and Addictions Case Conference (UW PACC) series is a CME-accredited program designed to expand the mental health and addictions care capacity of health care professionals in remote, underserved areas of Washington. The goal of UW PACC is to develop a regional peer learning and support network for treating mental health and addictions that will ultimately result in better patient care. Modeled after the University of New Mexico's Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes), UW PACC offers telehealth resource support to build the confidence and skills of providers who care for patients with mental and behavioral health conditions. The series is appropriate for primary care providers, mental health or addictions providers, and psychiatrists willing to engage in a proven model of distance learning. Using interactive video, each session includes a 20-minute educational presentation from a year-long curriculum, followed by in-depth case consultations between community providers and a panel of UW Medicine psychiatrists. New attendees are welcome at any time and weekly attendance is not required.

Northwest MHTTC's Co-Director, Lydia Chwastiak, MD, MPH presented a didactic to the UW Psychiatry and Addictions Case Conference (PACC) on June 13, 2019. This was one of two sessions which focused on the diagnosis and medical management of psychosis in primary care settings. The goal of these two sessions is to build understanding among primary care providers about the treatment and management of psychosis and how the medical management of psychosis can impact the physical health of those receiving treatment. In this session Dr. Lydia Chwastiak reviews the five principles that guide evidence-based safe anti-psychotic prescribing, provides an overview of the recommended first-line medications for treatment of psychosis and their side effects, and identifies changes that can be made to current primary care practice to mitigate metabolic risk among patients treated with anti-psychotic medications. The UW Psychiatry and Addictions Case Conference (UW PACC) series is a CME-accredited program designed to expand the mental health and addictions care capacity of health care professionals in remote, under-served areas of Washington. The goal of UW PACC is to develop a regional peer learning and support network for treating mental health and addictions that will ultimately result in better patient care. Modeled after the University of New Mexico's Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes), UW PACC offers telehealth resource support to build the confidence and skills of providers who care for patients with mental and behavioral health conditions. The series is appropriate for primary care providers, mental health or addictions providers, and psychiatrists willing to engage in a proven model of distance learning. Using interactive video, each session includes a 20-minute educational presentation from a year-long curriculum, followed by in-depth case consultations between community providers and a panel of UW Medicine psychiatrists. New attendees are welcome at any time and weekly attendance is not required.