One in three young people who seek mental health services exhibit symptoms that indicate they are at high risk for psychosis, mental health experts say.
Symptoms can range from cognitive impairment, difficulty concentrating, difficulty planning and organizing thoughts, withdrawal from the outside world, hallucinations and delusions, and false beliefs and delusions.
Young people with these symptoms have a 15-20% chance of developing a psychiatric disorder such as schizophrenia within two to five years.
“We have a significant number of young people in our clientele who are experiencing these symptoms, but they are often receiving treatment or no treatment at all,” said Sonoma Mental Health Resource Hub. says Faye Hartje, a clinician at the Hanna Center.
The center just received a $2 million grant to launch an early intervention program for Sonoma County youth and youth ages 12 to 25. When the program launches in August, it will be the only intervention program in Sonoma and one of only two in the county.
“This funding will enable Community Mental Health Hubs to provide much-needed support to members of our community,” said Hanna Center CEO Cameron Safaroo. “Individuals who require, or show signs of needing, higher levels of mental health support will have access to it. It’s about providing medical care.”
It’s a need the Hanna Center has long wanted to fill, he added.
“Hannah assessed the needs of the community early on when developing our new strategic plan.As we continue our mission to support young people who have experienced trauma and adversity, we believe this type of care We realized that it was in short supply and difficult to access for those who needed it,” Safaroo said.
The program has a “comprehensive service model,” Harche said, which means Hanna’s clinicians work together to not only directly address symptoms, but also ensure individualized support for young people and their families. means.
“This will allow us to provide specialized care, combining cognitive behavioral therapy for mental illness with peer support, family support specialists, and psychiatric services,” Harche said.
If a youth comes to the Hanna Center seeking services and exhibits high-risk symptoms, they can be triaged at the Hanna Center without a referral.
While some symptoms, such as cognitive impairment and difficulty concentrating, planning, and organizing thoughts, are common among young people with mental health concerns, some symptoms are less common and require more complex treatment plans. There are also symptoms that are not.
“Suspiciousness or disbelief, visual or verbal hallucinations, which means you’re hearing voices, means you’re hearing sounds that aren’t really there,” Hartje said, adding that the less common symptoms include explained some of them. “Combined with false beliefs and delusions, such as thinking that certain things have special meaning to oneself, having certain obsessions with religions other than cultural beliefs, and having an obsession with magical things. A person who embraces
Visual hallucinations include seeing light rays or shadows in your peripheral vision.
“Many people think that people who experience clinically high-risk symptoms are biological or genetic, but ultimately it’s a mixture of things.” says Hartche.
Young people who have experienced trauma in childhood, had unstable home environments, or been exposed to stress in the community may also be at risk for developing these conditions.
“When someone experiences an episode or an increase in symptoms, it’s a huge protective factor for the client and family to know what they’re going through and not overreact to the point of worsening the symptoms,” Hulche says. he said.
All field youth enrolled in the new program will have access to a clinical supervisor. She has two mental health therapists who provide specialized treatment. Child psychiatrist. and a psychiatric nurse. You can also consult with a family support therapist to educate your family about: protect your child. There are also peer support therapists who help young people incorporate their symptoms into their daily lives.
The program is free to families without insurance.
“Even if[an increase in episodes or symptoms]occurs, the client has the tools and ability to function and understand what the trajectory of that person’s life would be if they were living with a mental disorder. ” Hartje said.
Currently, Hanna Center clinicians refer high-risk youth to Santa Rosa Mental Health Center’s Aldea Child and Family Services. The only other early intervention program in the county.
