Mental health problems are often like physical problems; the sooner they receive treatment, the better. It is good that you have contacted us so that we can provide treatment for you (or your son/daughter) before things get out of hand.   Our program’s philosophy is that young people function much better when they have strong family supports: good family communication, the ability to solve conflicts, and an empathic understanding of what they are going through.  This is true even when the person has a biologically or genetically-based condition.

If you are admitted to our program, the psychological treatment you receive is free.  This means that you (or your son/daughter) and family members will receive 18 sessions of family-focused therapy or 8 sessions of enhanced care treatment (3 family sessions and 5 individual sessions) over 6 months.  We are able to offer free treatment because of the research grants we have received from the National Institute of Mental Health as well as generous gifts for our research from private foundations.

Once you have contacted us, we will arrange a free initial evaluation, usually within a few weeks. The evaluation consists of diagnostic instruments such as the Structured Interview for Psychosis Syndromes and the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnoses (SCID) using DSM-5. These interviews last about 3 hours, and are usually conducted with the youth and at least one parent or other relative. This is how we determine if your son/daughter has a psychosis risk syndrome. 

Our treatment program last 18 months. Although the family or individual treatment sessions are only scheduled for the first 6 months, we will be available to you and your family for another year after that, for help locating other needed services and creating prevention plans for reducing stress and risk for illness. If you need other treatments, such as medications to cope with depression or anxiety, we can refer you to see one of our staff psychiatrists, but you may have to pay for that additional care.

We provide ongoing support to family members through case management services and referrals. You may also be eligible for one or more of our skills groups (for example, mindfulness-based therapy). If you’d like to work with other providers, we can (with your written permission) share our findings to help them optimize treatment or help with educational plans.

For more information, locate the nearest university clinic under the Contacts tab.