Training Videos - First Episode Psychosis

In New Jersey, the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) contracted with Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care (UBHC) to provide state-wide training on first episode psychosis and its treatment. The overall goal was to promote readiness among NJ behavioral health agencies in the treatment of first episode psychosis. Specific goals of the training were to:

• Inform NJ mental health agencies about recent positive developments in treatment strategies for first episode psychosis
• Describe the components of the RAISE model in deta
• Discuss administrative requirements, and
• Provide information for agencies to acquire available free resources to implement the model

The 2015 and 2016 training sessions consisted of half-day sessions followed by full-day sessions. The half-day sessions covered the following topics:

• First episode psychosis: Definitions and clinical presentation
• What families want to know
• What keeps clients in treatment
• Short-term course of FEP
• Medication and outcomes
• Recent treatment models and resources (e.g., RAISE)
• The importance of cognition
• Summary

The full-day sessions covered effective interventions for FEP in more detail, including separate sessions by experts in each treatment modality:

• Introduction and rationale for RAISE
• Recovery orientation
• Supported education
• Supported employment and career development
• Individual Resiliency Training (IMR + CBT)
• Psychopharmacology
• Medical considerations
• Family psychoeducation
• Crisis management
• Cognitive remediation