Implementation of Early Psychosis Intervention Program ... - EENet

443. Access to psychiatric assessmentStandard 2 requires that the practitioner doing the client assessment have ready access to apsychiatrist. In addition, the minimum requirements of the comprehensive client assessmentinclude a psychiatric exam and history, including assessing level of pre-morbid functioning andidentification of co-morbid disorders.Summary of Results:o The issue of access to psychiatry was queried in several places on the survey (e.g., also seepsychiatric medications treatment section).o Over 80% of programs reported that they can access psychiatrist expertise to support rapidintake (Q60) or as part of the initial comprehensive assessment (Q66) ‘usually’ or ’most ofthe time’.o However, smaller programs reported lower implementation and about half of programs saidtheir ability to deliver EPI would benefit from better access to psychiatry.o In addition to fee-for-service, about half of sites reported using sessional fees to paypsychiatrists.o Some programs reported putting considerable time and effort into developing andmaintaining relationships with psychiatrists.o System level suggestions for creating easier access to psychiatrists included education toincrease the pool of psychiatrists familiar with the EPI model, more sessional funding andgreater use of the Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN) or a regional outreach service.Chart 5: Access to psychiatric assessment: Implementation* relative to other elements (Q 60)Public educationEarly referralWellness plansGraduat ionOutreach andFamily educationPhysical healthFamily supportWorking with IP unitsCrisis managementFamily role in assessmtClient psycho-educationAccess to psy assessmtResponse timesAntipsychotic meds useRelapse preventionstandard elements0 20 40 60 80 100% of sites reporting implementation 'most of the time'* % programs reporting implementation ‘most of the time’ versus ‘some of the time’ or ‘not too often’.