Coordinated Supported Care for First-Episode Psychosis within a Youth-Friendly Environment: The Institute for Mental Health Research Early Psychosis Intervention Center (IMHR-EPICENTER)
Poster C103, Wednesday, October 10, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm, Essex Ballroom
Nicholas J. K. Breitborde1, Letitia Labrecque2, Aubrey M. Moe1; 1The Ohio State University, 2Institute for Mental Health Research-Early Psychosis Intervention Center (IMHR-EPICENTER)
Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) has been shown to improve outcomes among individuals with first-episode psychosis—yet, additional opportunities for improving care for individuals with first-episode psychosis remain. To address this goal, a collaboration of colleagues from the Institute for Mental Health Research (IMHR; i.e., the sole non-profit organization dedicated to supporting mental health research in Arizona) and the Early Psychosis Intervention Center (EPICENTER) launched IMHR-EPICENTER in 2016. This new clinical program delivers CSC services within a free-standing, youth-friendly clinic designed to minimize stigma and increase motivation to access care among youth and young adults with first-episode psychosis. To date, the community-academic partnership contributing to IMHR-EPICENTER has achieved several notable financial and clinical successes. With regard to the former, IMHR-EPICENTER has launched a highly fruitful fundraising campaign and has successfully negotiated with funders of public mental health care in Arizona for increased reimbursement rates for clinical services and quarterly performance-based bonuses. Moreover, during the first year of operation, IMHR-EPICENTER has shown success in engaging youth with first-episode psychosis earlier in the course of their illness (median duration of illness = 9.50 months) as compared to the original EPICENTER program located at a traditional outpatient mental health center not geared specifically toward youth and young adults (median = 18.46 months, exact mid-p = 0.04).
Topic Area: Service System Development and Reform