Hartford, CT —Leaders from across Connecticut gathered at the Legislative Office Building to spotlight the state’s groundbreaking work in expanding care for young people experiencing early psychosis. The forum, convened by Senator Saud Anwar, Co-Chair of the Public Health Committee, focused on the release of the first annual report from the STEP Learning Collaborative (available here), Connecticut’s statewide learning health system for recent-onset schizophrenia.
The initiative reflects a strong partnership among the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), the Department of Children and Families (DCF), and Yale’s STEP Program, working together to ensure timely, coordinated, and effective treatment for young people and families facing early psychosis statewide.
“We have the science. We have the knowledge. If we can intervene early, we can change the trajectory of lives,” said Senator Anwar.
Julienne Giard, LCSW Section Chief, Community Services Division of DMHAS, emphasized the state’s approach: “By coordinating care across agencies and programs, we are creating a system that learns from every young person we serve.”
The forum featured moving testimony from families, individuals with lived experience, and advocates highlighting the difference coordinated care makes in navigating psychosis treatment. Cecilia McGough, founder of Students with Psychosis, spoke to the life-saving importance of timely intervention, while Nick Pinkerton, Associate Dean at Southern Connecticut State University, emphasized the role of campus partnerships in identifying and supporting young people early.
Leaders from Yale’s STEP Program highlighted the statewide impact of Connecticut’s early psychosis initiative. Dr. Vinod Srihari, Director of the STEP Program, lauded the collaboration across agencies and partners, noting that “Connecticut’s public-academic model of developing, testing, and delivering early intervention services has had an outsized impact on the national and international conversation about how to improve the lives of those with recent-onset schizophrenia.” Dr. Laura Yoviene Sykes, Director of the STEP Learning Collaborative, reviewed the Collaborative’s first annual report, highlighting early successes and emphasizing the importance of continued statewide investment to ensure that every young person in Connecticut has rapid access to high-quality, evidence-based care.
The forum was livestreamed and is available for public viewing here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmfdyNIov6U&t=1392s