With initial support from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the Prodrome and Early Psychosis Program Network (PEPPNET) started in September 2014 with a kick-off meeting of approximately 30 advocates, government agencies, researchers, and clinician experts engaged in the field of clinical high risk and early psychosis intervention, research, and service development.  Out of this initial meeting came the consensus that there would be great value in formalizing this network of experts on an ongoing basis in order to organize thinking around clinical best practices, training approaches and metrics, and to provide leadership to communities nationwide who are implementing early high risk and psychosis programs. Through a one-year grant from RWJF in 2015, Stanford’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences began organizing the development of an infrastructure to support PEPPNET in expanding clinical high risk and first episode psychosis program training, coordination, and awareness.

PEPPNET has convened a national steering committee of clinicians, educators, policy leaders, government agencies and researchers who are leading community implementation efforts for early psychosis and psychosis risk programs. Through regular meetings, multiple subgroups, a national listserve and website, PEPPNET supports the development and dissemination of evidence-based best practices and evaluation standards.

PROGRAM DIRECTORY OF EARLY PSYCHOSIS INTERVENTION PROGRAMS

This directory was created by the Foundation for Excellence in Mental Health Care (FEMHC) and the Early Assessment and Support Alliance (EASA) Center for Excellence at Portland State University to create a database and directory of early intervention programs for psychosis within the U.S.

WhIte Paper on Integration of Early Psychosis servides into systems of care framework released

A new document focusing on Opportunities, Issues and recommendations for linking early psychosis programs into a system of care framework was recently released by the National technical Assistance center at the University of Maryland in partnership with SAMHSA.  Written by partners from Oregon Health Sciences University, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Columbia University and Stanford Psychiatry, this white paper lays the groundwork for integration of the continuum of care between system of care models and wraparound components of early psychosis services.

VIDEO: SAMHSA and KSOC-TV produced a webcast on First Episode Psychosis Intervention:

Direct Video Link to the First Episode Psychosis Webisode: https://youtu.be/nxCy-88hRXE