Implementation of Early Psychosis Intervention Program ... - EENet

8Executive SummaryIntroductionBackgroundIn 2011, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (henceforth “the Ministry”)released the Ontario Early Psychosis Intervention Program Standards 2 . These Standards builton previously published international guidelines and were released at a time when a growingbody of international literature demonstrated the effectiveness of Early Psychosis Intervention(EPI) services compared to standard care.The Ontario Standards for delivering EPI programs aim to reduce the duration of untreatedpsychosis, minimize the disruption in the lives of adolescents and young adults who experiencepsychosis, and minimize the societal impact of psychosis, including reduced demand in otherareas of the mental health, health and social service systems.To support the implementation of the Ontario EPI Program Standards, the Ministry formed aStandards Implementation Steering Committee (SISC) in 2012. The Committee includesrepresentatives from the Ministry, the Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs), and theOntario Working Group on Early Intervention for Psychosis (OWG), and is provided withtechnical support from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). As a first step tounderstanding current EPI program delivery in Ontario in relation to the Standards, andfacilitators or challenges to implementation, the Committee undertook a province-wide EPIprogram survey. The aims of the survey were to:1. Describe organization and structure of Ontario EPI programs2. Obtain feedback from Ontario EPI program regarding:a. Perceived alignment of current practice with EPI program Standardsb. Perceived barriers and facilitators to Standards implementationFifty programs responded to the survey, representing a 90% participation rate. Of these, therewere 46 programs with the individual experiencing psychosis as the client; 3 with the family asthe client, and one with a regional coordination mandate.The following section reports results for programs serving the young person experiencingpsychosis. The survey was not suitable for programs where the family is the client and a separateeffort is needed to adequately understand these services including where/how the provincial EPIprograms Standards apply. Similarly programs with a regional coordination role warrant furtherexploration to identify their unique opportunities and challenges.2 Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. (2004). Program Policy Framework for Early Intervention in Psychosis.Toronto, ON. http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/common/ministry/publications/reports/mentalhealth/psychosis.pdf