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.
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.
