A guidance document by Jessica Pollard, PhD, Assistant Professor Psychiatry, and Michael Hoge, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry, that provides recommendations to transition patients from Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) to other forms of treatment has been published and is being disseminated by the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) at the behest of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
The paper, Transitioning Clients from Coordinated Specialty Care: A Guide for Clinicians, “provides practical strategies for assessing readiness for transition, identifying post-CSC goals and needs, finding appropriate community resources to meet these needs, making referrals to formal services, managing the actual transition, and conducting follow-up.” The goal of the document is to promote best practices in client transitions among CSC clinicians.
Pollard and Hoge also developed a companion webinar series with NASMHPD and SAMHSA providing guidance and treatment recommendations for providers who are receiving clients from CSC programs.
The National Institute of Mental Health defines CSC as a "recovery-oriented treatment program for people with first episode psychosis (FEP). CSC promotes shared decision making and uses a team of specialists who work with the client to create a personal treatment plan. The specialists offer psychotherapy, medication management geared to individuals with FEP, family education and support, case management, and work or education support, depending on the individual’s needs and preferences. The client and the team work together to make treatment decisions, involving family members as much as possible. The goal is to link the individual with a CSC team as soon as possible after psychotic symptoms begin."
NASMHPD is promoting the paper on its website and via training and technical assistance communications. The organization works with partners to promote wellness, recovery, and resiliency for people with mental health conditions and substance-related disorders.
Pollard is Clinical Director of the Specialized Treatment for Early Psychosis (STEP) program at Yale, and Hoge is Director of Yale Behavioral Health and the Yale Group on Workforce Development.