SWAY: Supporting Wellness for Adolescents and Young adults at clinical high risk for psychosis - The Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene on behalf of the New York State Office of Mental Health is partnering with the Zucker Hillside Hospital (ZHH) to implement SWAY: Supporting Wellness for Adolescents and Young Adults at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis (CHR-P). Our goals are to (1) increase the identification of youth at CHR-P and connection of individuals with CHR-P to specialized services, (2) train behavioral healthcare staff in evidence-based screening, assessment, and intervention for youth at CHR-P, (3) provide evidence-based interventions for a diverse, underserved communities of youth and young adults ages 12-25 at CHR-P to improve symptoms and functioning, and (4) delay or prevent the onset of psychosis and minimize the duration of untreated psychosis for those who do develop psychotic symptoms. We will train providers in the assessment of CHR-P using the Structured Interview for Psychosis-Risk Syndromes (SIPS) and other tools, and individuals who are identified as meeting CHR-P criteria will be offered enrollment in SWAY, where they will receive stepped-care evidence-based treatment. As recommended by the literature, the evidence-based approach will be flexible and modular to meet the diverse needs of individuals experiencing CHR-related distress and based on the evidence-based interventions provided to individuals experiencing early psychosis, including CBT-informed psychotherapy and psychoeducation for participants and their families. The CHR-P team will include a program coordinator responsible for clinical supervision, overseeing overall team functioning, and outreach; a clinical coordinator who will be the primary therapist; a supported employment and education specialist; and a psychiatrist. We expect to provide stepped-care services to approximately 20 individuals per year, and to serve a total of 80 people during the project period. Services will be provided in a flexible, developmentally sensitive way, in participants' homes, community or in the clinic, with an ability to modify the frequency and intensity of services to meet needs and honor preferences. For individuals who are identified as having early psychosis, either at the time of the eligibility evaluation or due to conversion after enrollment, referrals will be made for Coordinated Specialty Care to the OnTrackNY team at the Early Treatment Program at ZHH, or other OnTrackNY teams based on availability and/or geographic preference of the young person and their family.
