Advocating for Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC), tailored toward those recovering from psychosis via case management, medication, therapy and other supports, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is helping individuals previously underserved by the system.
CSC is a recovery-oriented system that supports shared decisions and utilizes a team approach to recovery for those encountering FEP, or first episode psychosis. It was developed with insight gained from the National Institute of Mental Health’s “Recovery after an Initial Schizophrenia Episode” (RAISE) study, which concluded that early action is essential to regaining wellness.
One woman wrote about her own personal experience when her son first showed indications of psychosis approximately 15 years ago, describing the horror of seeing him handcuffed and committed after his symptoms escalated to the point of danger.
On NAMI’s website, Dawn Brown described how her son lost his right to participate in decision-making, was injected with powerful drugs and essentially locked down in a hospital ward. Although the trauma was damaging, she maintained a spirit of optimism, saying “the tide is beginning to change” as CSC gains traction.
“Now that we have this model of care, we need to make it available to any person experiencing psychosis,” Brown said.
This care model was developed to fill in some of the gaps in the nation’s health care system when it became apparent that people recuperating from psychosis need to be fully involved in their treatment choices. Rather than involuntary and possibly harmful admission to psychiatric facilities with little or no say in medication options or other of therapy, people experiencing early or first-time episodes can now have a shot at more effective intervention.
NAMI maintains a help line offering information and guidance for individuals and their families at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or info@nami.org.
