Learning Health Systems for Serious Mental Illness

Matcheri S. Keshavan, MD
Case Presentation by Jose Hidalgo, MD

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this presentation, participants will:

1. Explain key principles of implementation science and their application to improving care for serious mental illness (SMI).

2. Describe the role of Learning Health Systems (LHS) in integrating data and feedback to enhance SMI treatment.

3. Identify implementation strategies and barriers to translating evidence-based practices into psychiatric settings.

Psychedelics & Early Course Psychosis

This panel, moderated by Dr. Matcheri Keshavan, will bring together experts with backgrounds in psychiatry, lived experience, and indigenous communities discuss the historical and current uses of psychedelic substances, potential risks and benefits, and approaches to discussing psychedelic use with individuals in early-course psychosis care. The panelists include:

 Ryan Henner, MD Psychiatrist
Hyun Jung Kim, MD Psychiatrist
Raul Condemarin, MD Psychiatrist
Vera Muniz Suarre, CPS, MPH Lived Experience Expert
Darlene Flores DC, Traditional Medicine Keeper

Register here for Zoom link: https://harvard.zoom.us/meeting/register/nTVuFYJGRFSLbs8A4Ip0eg

Expanding Early Psychosis Resources for Spanish-Speaking Clients & Clinicians

Bernalyn Ruiz-Yu (PhD) & Joey Rodriguez

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In this call, Bernalyn Ruiz-Yu, PhD and Joey Rodriguez will discuss the needs of Spanish-speaking clients and clinicians in early psychosis programs in Massachusetts. Findings from SALUD advisory board focus groups will be presented. 

Dr. Bernalyn Ruiz-Yu is an Attending Psychologist and Instructor at Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School. As a clinician, she has experience working with diverse patients of all ages with a particular interest in helping adolescents experiencing psychosis and those identified as being at risk of developing psychosis. As a researcher, she seeks to improve mental health treatment for all children experiencing psychosis and has expertise in serious mental illness in adolescents and interventions. She completed her PhD at the University of Massachusetts, Boston and her doctoral internship and T32 fellowship at the University of California, Los Angeles in adolescent serious mental illness. 

Cobenfy: A Discussion on the Newest Treatment for Schizophrenia

Panel moderated by Matcheri Keshavan, MD

Oliver Freudenreich, MD Psychiatrist
Peter J Weiden, MD Psychiatrist
Peter Durning, Lived Experience Consultant
Michael Angelini, PharmD Pharmacist

In September 2024, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first novel medication for schizophrenia in nearly two decades. With the widespread interest around this new drug, Cobenfy, questions have been raised by providers and patients alike about how the drug works and what it means for the future of psychosis treatment. This panel will bring together experts with backgrounds in research, lived experience, and pharmacy to discuss Cobenfy and its potential impact on psychiatry.

Cobenfy Fact Sheet - Clinicians

Cobenfy Fact Sheet - Patients & Families

(On a Journey toward) Improving Outcomes for Individuals with Psychosis

Dr. Tara Niendam

In this presentation, we will discuss the continuum of psychosis, consider how social and structural factors impact the course of psychosis, and think about how interventions for psychosis (e.g. coordinated specialty care) could address the variety of factors impacting outcomes.

Dr. Tara Niendam (she/her) is a licensed clinical psychologist and a Professor in the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry. Tara Niendam (she/her) identifies as a white, cisgender, heterosexual woman and a consumer of mental health services. She comes to this work from both personal and family experiences. She obtained a B.A. in Psychology from Northwestern University and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles. As the Executive Director of the UC Davis Early Psychosis Programs (EDAPT and SacEDAPT Clinics), Dr. Niendam supervises clinic and training activities, and coordinates outreach and educational presentations within Sacramento and across California. With funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, California Mental Health Service Oversight and Accountability Commission, and National Institutes of Mental Health, Dr. Niendam’s research uses mobile health technology to enhance early identification and treatment of youth and young adults with serious mental illness, with a focus on improving clinical and functional outcomes. The EPI-CAL project, led by Dr. Niendam in partnership with UC San Francisco, UC San Diego, University of Calgary, One Mind, and multiple California counties, brings client-level data to the clinician’s fingertips, and enables large scale data-driven approaches to improve outcomes for EP care. She also directs the EPI-CAL Training and Technical Assistance Center, which seeks to bring evidence based early psychosis care to all Californians.

DMH Young Adult Access Centers: Driving Innovation for Young Adult Mental Health Support

Heidi Holland, M.Ed & Ian Sullivan

The focus of the session will be:

• Providing an overview of the Young Adult Access Center model:

• Sharing key data points that show promising outcomes: and

• Hearing  about the experiences of young adults working in and utilizing the services.

Heidi Holland, M.Ed. is the DMH Director of Young Adult Transition Services and was key in the development of Young Adult Peer Mentoring and the Young Adult Access Center models.

Ian Sullivan is a Peer Coordinator at the YouForward Access Center in Everett and has previous experience as a peer at the PEACE early psychosis program. 

One Code to Unite Them All: Billing for Psychosis Care

Monica Luke
2024 Mass-STEP Conference, Day 2

Lived Experience Panel: The Politics of Asking for Support

Mass-STEP Lived Experience Committee
2024 Mass-STEP Conference, Day 2

National Trends in Specialty Care for Early Course Psychosis: Recent Advances & Future Directions

2024 Mass-STEP Conference, Day 2

Integrating Lived Experience to Enhance Clinical Development in the AMP SCZ Program

Carlos Larruari
2024 Mass-STEP Conference, Day 2

Community Spotlight

Understanding and Treating Complex PTSD

Dr. Ryan Madigan, Psy.D

This workshop will orient participants to PTSD and C-PTSD, review key mechanisms of C-PTSD, and discuss strategies and treatment approaches for treating individuals and families with C-PTSD.

Dr. Ryan Madigan founded the Boston Child Study Center (BCSC) in 2013 with the mission to push the mental health field to better understand and treat mental illness by changing antiquated treatment models, unethical reimbursement practices, and social and cultural inequities in the mental health field. Dr. Madigan has taught at the undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral levels at Wellesley College, Rutgers University, Boston University, McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School. As an attending clinician at McLean Hospital, Dr. Madigan co-founded the DBT trauma and exposure program specializing in suicide, non-suicidal self-injury, trauma, personality disorders, and psychosis. His research focuses on the development of a single transdiagnostic intervention for trauma and emotion disorders.

This webinar is co-hosted with the New England Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC).

Navigating the Overlap: Psychosis and Bipolar Disorder

Roscoe Brady, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School, Vice-Chair of Research, Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

This presentation will explore the role of medications in both treating and preventing mood episodes in bipolar disorder. We'll discuss diagnosis briefly and mainly focus on treating medication resistant mood symptoms in individuals with this diagnosis.

Dr. Brady is an associate professor of psychiatry and vice-chair for research at the Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts. He is well known for his work in improving our understanding of the biological basis and innovative treatments for serious mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. 

This webinar is co-hosted with the New England Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC).

Cognitive Remediation: A Contemporary Way to Treat Psychosis

Luis R. Sandoval, Ph.D.
Psychologist & Clinical Researcher, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Instructor in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

This presentation will discuss the history of cognitive remediation and its early application in medical conditions. Also, we will talk about how psychology and psychiatry have incorporated CR into their techniques to treat psychiatric disorders, including psychosis. This talk will show a couple of clinical cases to illustrate how cognitive remediation can improve social skills and neurocognition. 

Dr. Sandoval is a researcher and a clinician in the Department of Psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and an Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Sandoval is a senior psychologist, supervisor, and researcher with an extensive background in mood, cognitive, and psychotic disorders. Dr. Sandoval has over 20 years of experience applying his expertise in multicultural settings, translating theoretical and clinical knowledge into clinical, research, and academic contexts in English and Spanish. Dr. Sandoval has led research studies and collaborated on NIH, NIMH, PCORI, and NASA-funded studies, mainly focusing on innovative treatments for cognitive issues in mood and psychosis disorders using computerized intervention. Dr. Sandoval has served as a senior clinical research consultant at the Yale School of Medicine, NASA-Johnson Space Center in Houston, Hartford Hospital, McLean, BIDMC, The Guidance Center, UT-Austin, among others. 

Dr. Sandoval's expertise includes applying cognitive remediation in medical conditions (i.e., Sturge Weber,  Epilepsy, TBI) and psychiatric conditions, including psychosis, depression, Bipolar Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD, and other neurocognitive illnesses. Additionally, Dr. Sandoval's research and clinical areas include digital psychiatry and psychodynamic psychotherapy. 

As part of his research work, Dr. Sandoval trains and supervises clinicians in cognitive remediation treatments for early and chronic psychosis across the U.S. and how to improve cognition in medical and psychiatric conditions, combining digital tools with evidence-based therapies.

This webinar is hosted in collaboration with the New England MHTTC

Integrating Peer Specialists in CSC Teams

Abbe Duke

Join Abbe Duke (she, her, hers) from OnTrackNY to learn more about the role of Peer Specialists on Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) teams. This training will offer an overview of the OnTrackNY approach to the role of Peer Specialist, examples and lessons learned from implementation in NYS, and ample time for Q&A and dialogue. For more information, visit OnTrackNY.org to read our Peer Specialist manuals, view our Peer Specialist intro modules, and review our many tools for the role.

Abbe Duke (she,her,hers) is a long time NYS Peer Specialist and the Recovery Specialist & Trainer supervisor at the OnTrackNY initiative at the Center for Practice Innovations. OnTrackNY is an innovative model of coordinated specialty care, which has thoughtfully integrated the role of Peer Specialist throughout its development. Abbe brings her decade of experience working as a Peer Specialist in a variety of settings throughout NYS , as well as her training and technical assistance work for the NYS Office of Mental Health and for OnTrackNY. Abbe is particularly proud of the development of the recent OnTrackNY Peer Specialist manual and the introductory training modules for OnTrackNY Peer Specialists- all of which can be found at OnTrackNY.org.

This webinar is hosted in collaboration with the New England MHTTC

Youth Cannabis Use: Harm Reduction

Brittany Carney, DNP, FNP-BC & Elizabeth Robinson, MSN, RN

The speakers will describe the role of potency in cannabis products, review risks associated with youth cannabis use, and discuss strategies to mitigate potential harms through a harm reduction approach.

Objectives: 

1. Recognize the role of CBD and THC in potency of cannabis products/formulations 

2. Recall three health outcomes associated with youth cannabis use

3. Identify potential risks and adverse health risks associated with cannabis use. 

4. Develop a basic understanding of strategies to mitigate potential harms of youth cannabis use

Brittany Carney, DNP, FNP-BC (she/hers) is a clinical nurse educator for Boston Medical Center's Grayken Center for Addiction Training and Technical Assistance. She is a doctorally prepared, board-certified family nurse practitioner. Her passion is caring for youth and families, especially those with substance use disorder. Britt has published on various topics, including stigma for youth, caring for adolescents with substance use disorders and the role of addiction training for providers. She has also co-authored a book chapter on caring for adolescents with substance use. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International and AMERSA (The Association for Multidisciplinary Education and Research in Substance use and Addiction). She received her Doctor in Nursing Practice (DNP) and Master's in Nursing degrees from the University of Massachusetts, Graduate School of Nursing. She also has a Master's in Medical Science from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine.

Elizabeth Robinson, MSN, RN (she/hers) is the full-time nurse for the CATALYST Clinic at Boston Medical Center. CATALYST is a program for teens and young adults (up to age 25) with substance use disorder. As the team nurse, Liz helps with care management for our patients in need of addiction treatment, primary care needs, assist with coordination of appointments for behavioral health, and provide harm reduction for those who are interested.

Please register in advance to receive a link for this meeting:

https://bostonmedicalcenter.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0lcOCspzwvGNfqw0e3ln3fvG_WJjKO_qPN

Your Guide to SMI Adviser – Advancing Interdisciplinary Care for Early Psychosis

Robert O. Cotes, MD & Sherin Khan LCSW

SMI Adviser is a 6-year initiative funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and administered by the American Psychiatric Association. SMI Adviser’s vision is to transform care for people who have serious mental illness so that they can live their best lives. To date, the website has been accessed over 1.9 million times and has been a resource for over 70,000 interdisciplinary learners.  In this presentation, we will provide clinicians a guide to the resources at SMI Adviser, with a focus on resources for working with individuals with early psychosis. We will also highlight resources that are found in our Centers of Excellence section, focusing on tools in the Clozapine and Long-Acting Injectable areas. We will also guide clinicians through our consultation service and share insights from the types of questions our users most commonly ask.

Learning Objectives

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the available resources on SMI Adviser’s educational catalog and knowledge base.

2. List and describe three tools in SMI Adviser’s Clozapine or Long-Acting Injectable Center of Excellence.

3. Outline the process of accessing SMI Adviser’s consultation service, demonstrating the ability to effectively seek guidance to help make evidence-based treatment decisions.

Bio:

Robert O. Cotes, MD, is an Associate Professor at Emory University School of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. He serves as Physician Expert for SMI Adviser (www.smiadviser.org), which is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and administered by the American Psychiatric Association. SMI Adviser provides evidence-based resources to clinicians, individuals with serious mental illness, and their families.

He is Director of the Clinical & Research Program for Psychosis at Grady Health System, which comprises of three clinical programs.  The PSTAR Clinic provides evidence-based, recovery-oriented care for individuals with persistent symptoms of psychosis, specializing in the use of clozapine. Project ARROW is a coordinated specialty care team for people experiencing early psychosis, offering comprehensive, person-centered care using a multidisciplinary approach. Youth and Family TREE provides care to adolescents and young adults with a mental health condition and substance use. Dr. Cotes is an investigator for multiple research studies focused on treatment options for people with psychosis. His research focuses on clozapine and early psychosis.

SMI Adviser is a 6-year initiative funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and administered by the American Psychiatric Association. SMI Adviser’s vision is to transform care for people who have serious mental illness so that they can live their best lives. To date, the website has been accessed over 1.9 million times and has been a resource for over 70,000 interdisciplinary learners.  In this presentation, we will provide clinicians a guide to the resources at SMI Adviser, with a focus on resources for working with individuals with early psychosis. We will also highlight resources that are found in our Centers of Excellence section, focusing on tools in the Clozapine and Long-Acting Injectable areas. We will also guide clinicians through our consultation service and share insights from the types of questions our users most commonly ask.

Sherin Khan, LCSW is Vice President of Operations and Strategy for Thresholds, Illinois’ oldest and largest provider of mental health services. Sherin also serves as the social work consultant as part of SMI Adviser, a SAMHSA funded clinical support system for people living with serious mental illness. She has over 10 years of experience in the non-profit sector with a focus on serving those who are disempowered. She received her Masters of Social Work degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and excels at relationship management, strategic planning, leadership and organizational development, and change implementation. Expertise in clinical areas includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing. 

Sherin has extensive knowledge of Certified Community Behavioral Healthcare Clinic (CCBHC) standards, guidelines, and reporting requirements, as well as experience in the implementation of CCBHCs developing necessary infrastructure and coordinating with collaborative partnerships to ensure access to comprehensive, integrated behavioral health services. 

She has held both clinical and administrative leadership positions and excels at project management, process improvement, and designing and enacting programs and trainings to improve organizational and workforce effectiveness.

Zoom Link: https://harvard.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0vceCppjoqH9JDMxQoWVLoUR38_-nk-LGe

 This webinar is hosted in collaboration with the New England MHTTC

Harm Risk in Early Psychosis: Psychotherapy Strategies and Case Discussion

Michelle West, Ph.D

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This presentation will provide a brief overview of how harm risk (suicidality and self-injury) can present in young people experiencing early psychosis. We will then review a selection of psychotherapy strategies that can be helpful in targeting these concerns, highlighting functional analysis, distress tolerance skills, and the CAMS (Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality). We will discuss these strategies in the context of disguised client examples, and encourage suggestions and case consultation from the audience.

Dr. West is a clinical psychologist who specializes in assessment, treatment, and research for young people showing possible early risk for psychotic spectrum illnesses. She is particularly interested in adapting psychosocial treatments, including treatment of co-occurring concerns like risk for self-harm. She is the director of a psychosis risk program (“PEACS”) through University of Colorado School of Medicine. She previously worked in Massachusetts, where she was Assistant Director for the CEDAR Clinic. She earned her undergraduate degree in psychology and philosophy at Colgate University, her master's in forensic psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and her doctorate in clinical psychology at the City University of New York (CUNY).

This webinar is hosted in collaboration with the New England MHTTC

Metacognitive Therapy for Psychosis

Emily Gagen, PhD

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Dr. Gagen will review a metacognitive framework for understanding psychosis and will discuss a specific psychotherapeutic intervention, Metacognition Reflection and Insight Therapy. We will discuss the definition of metacognition and the four main domains that are measured, the relationship between metacognitive capacity and psychological distress, and the research evidence that supports this approach.

Emily Gagen, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist at the Brookline Community Mental Health Center. She is the director of the Massachusetts Psychosis Access and Triage Hub (M-PATH) and is also a member of the team at the Center for Early Detection, Assessment, and Response to Risk (CEDAR). Dr. Gagen has worked with individuals with psychosis and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders for 15 years and specializes in the treatment of young adults with early psychosis.

This webinar is hosted in collaboration with the New England MHTTC

Optimal Treatment of Psychosis: Clozapine, Engagement, and Community

Robert Laitman, MD

This talk will discuss when, how, and why to prescribe clozapine. Dr. Laitman will give specific approaches to minimize predictable side effects and maximize benefits. He will present his own data supporting this approach. 

Dr. Robert Laitman is an internist who specializes in the use of clozapine in an optimal fashion for individuals with schizophrenia or other psychotic spectrum disorders. When his son was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2006, Dr. Laitman became an expert on the treatment of psychosis and expanded his practice to include taking care of people with psychotic disorders. Dr. Laitman uses a biopsychosocial approach in his treatment and prescription of the antipsychotic clozapine and he works to mitigate medication side effects with a wraparound approach that includes other medications. His treatment team includes a social worker, who provides case management and other support services. Dr. Laitman emphasizes the importance of diet and exercise, and he and his staff try to help individuals with housing, education, and vocational training.

This webinar is hosted in collaboration with the New England MHTTC

Diversity, equity & inclusion in early psychosis with a focus on pathways to and through care

Nev Jones, Ph.D.

Grounded in national and regional EPINET data on discharge in early psychosis services, this presentation focused on social and cultural vectors underlying the 'hard' problem of disengagement and presented alternative approaches for addressing distrust, and strengthening clinical relationships by centering lived experiences of psychosis, socioeconomic disadvantage, racism, and cultural difference.

Watch Recording | View Slides

Nev Jones, Ph.D., is a patient-alumna of specialized early psychosis services and currently assistant professor in the School of Social Work and Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh. As a program developer, evaluator and researcher, her work has sought to amplify the perspectives of those most impacted by the public mental health system, foreground the role of social and structural determinants, and support transformative change.

Expanding & Strengthening the Mental Health and Early Psychosis Career Pipeline for Black and Latinx Youth

S. Kwame Dance
2023 Mass-STEP Conference Day 2

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Psychosis Care for Rural Populations

Kristen Woodberry & Sarah Lynch
2023 Mass-STEP Conference Day 2

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Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Psychosis Diagnoses & Risk

Deidre Anglin
2023 Mass-STEP Conference Day 2

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A Social Model of Support for Psychosis

Vesper Moore
2023 Mass-STEP Conference Day 1

National Trends in Specialty Care for Early Course Psychosis: Recent Advances & Future Directions

Robert Heinssen

Mass-STEP Conference Day 1

Mindmap: a complex intervention to reduce regional Duration of Untreated Psychosis (DUP)

Vinod Srihari, MD

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Prolonged delays from psychosis onset to care (or DUP) can imperil the benefits even of evidence-based Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) clinics. Early detection efforts to shorten DUP are thus a necessary component of modern early intervention  services for schizophrenia. The NIMH funded Mindmap campaign reported the first successful demonstration of DUP reduction in a U.S. region. Details of the design and implementation of Mindmap will be presented with lessons for future early intervention efforts.

Vinod Srihari, MD is a staff psychiatrist at the Connecticut Mental Health Center, Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University and the founding Director of the Program for Specialized Treatment Early in Psychosis (STEP). STEP completed the first U.S. based RCT of specialty team based care for early psychosis, and followed this with the first successful replication of the Scandinavian TIPS study of DUP reduction. The Program delivers a care pathway that integrates early detection with CSC and within a population health framework that targets geographically defined populations.

Advancing Equity in Healthcare for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness

Kelly Irwin, MD, MPH

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Dr. Irwin will discuss health disparities for individuals with serious mental illness across the cancer continuum. She will review the development of a model of person-centered collaborative care, including findings from a recent randomized trial, and introduce a coalition dedicated to ensuring mental illness is never a barrier to cancer care.

Dr. Kelly Irwin is an Assistant Professor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and a faculty psychiatrist at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center and MGH Schizophrenia Program.  She is the founding director of the Collaborative Care and Community Engagement Program, a clinical and research initiative dedicated to improving cancer outcomes for individuals with serious mental illness in the Center for Psychiatric Oncology and Behavioral Sciences at the Mass General Cancer Center.  Dr. Irwin also founded the Engage Initiative, a stakeholder coalition that brings together clinicians, individuals with lived experience of mental illness, caregivers, researchers, and advocates with the goal of ensuring that mental illness is never a barrier to cancer care. Dr. Irwin’s clinical research program investigates why people with serious mental illness including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are more likely to die from cancer and develops, evaluates, and scales interventions to improve cancer and mental health outcomes across the continuum of cancer care. Dr. Irwin graduated from Harvard University in 2001, Harvard Medical School in 2008, and the Harvard Chan School of Public Health in 2017. Her research has been funded by the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, and the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute. She is the President-Elect of the American Psychosocial Oncology Society.

Management of Comorbid Physical Disorders in Young People with Psychosis

Kim T. Mueser, PhD

Individuals recovering from a first episode of psychosis are prone to high rates of comorbid medical disorders due to a combination of lifestyle, medication, and self-management factors. This presentation will provide practical guidance regarding strategies for promoting a healthier lifestyle and integrated training in mental health and physical illness self-management. Principles of effective supports to improve physical health in persons with FEP, as well as multi-episode clients, will be illustrated with clinical vignettes.

 Kim T. Mueser, Ph.D. is Professor of Occupational Therapy and Psychological and Brain Sciences, researcher at the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University, and Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. His research interests are on the development and evaluation of psychosocial interventions for persons with serious mental illnesses. His work has spanned a broad range of different interventions, including integrated treatment for co-occurring disorders, comprehensive treatment of first episode psychosis, cognitive behavioral therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder, illness management and recovery, family psychoeducation, and cognitive remediation. He has published over 400 publications in peer reviewed journals, and co-authored over ten books and 100 book chapters. His most recent books are Cognitive Remediation for Successful Employment and Psychiatric Recovery: The Thinking Skills for Work Program (with Susan McGurk) andTreatment for Postdisaster Distress: A Transdiagnostic Approach (with Jessica Hamblen), both published in 2021.

If you are interested in attending this event, please feel free to register with the link below:

https://harvard.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwscuGtqjIqHdIoVUXpMrrLL-D0WiRLl4zG

Mapping the Terrain: Understanding Massachusetts’ Evolving System of Early Psychosis Resources for Families and Providers

Emily Gagen, PhD
Margaret Guyer, PhD
Michael Stephansky, MPP

2023 marked a significant expansion of behavioral health resources for individuals, families, and providers in Massachusetts. Beginning this year, Massachusetts implemented key components of its Behavioral Health Roadmap at the same time the Massachusetts Psychosis Access & Triage Hub (M-PATH) began providing services. Combined, Community Behavioral Health Centers (CBHCs), DMH’s Behavioral Health Help Line (BHHL), and M-PATH have vastly expanded access to behavioral health services across the Commonwealth. Join us for an overview detailing the who-what-when-where-why-and-how (to access) these critical new resources.

Emily Gagen, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist at the Brookline Community Mental Health Center. She is the director of the Massachusetts Psychosis Access and Triage Hub (M-PATH) and is also a member of the team at the Center for Early Detection, Assessment, and Response to Risk (CEDAR). Dr. Gagen has worked with individuals with psychosis and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders for 15 years and specializes in the treatment of young adults with early psychosis.

Dr. Margaret Guyer is the Director of the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health's Early Psychosis Initiative. She is responsible for the identification, evaluation, and dissemination of evidence based practices within the Department of Mental Health and among community providers. Dr. Guyer is a clinician and researcher who has worked with people with severe mental illness for more than 20 years.

Michael Stepansky is the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health’s Senior Manager for Policy and Program Implementation. With a background in housing and supported employment, Michael has provided training and technical assistance related to supported employment and education, fidelity monitoring, and the integration of employment and education services within clinical teams. In 2022, Michael supported teams establishing both the Community Behavioral Health Centers (CBHCs) and the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line (BHHL) as integral parts of the Roadmap for Behavioral Health.