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Engagement is a critical first step in effective early psychosis care, yet young people experiencing first-episode psychosis may be ambivalent about treatment or face significant barriers to connecting with care. This practical tip sheet provides clinicians and programs with evidence-informed strategies for creating a welcoming and flexible “front door” to treatment from initial outreach and the first appointment through follow-up, family involvement, and ongoing engagement. The resource emphasizes prioritizing relationship-building, safety, immediate needs, and a return visit rather than trying to accomplish every clinical or administrative task at once.

Walter “Stan” Mathis, MD, associate professor of psychiatry, and three Yale colleagues have been awarded a seed grant to develop a tool to help architects explore, predict, and reflect on the potential human impact of their designs.

Steven E. Hyman, MD, right, core institute member and director of the Program in Brain Health at the Broad Institute, was presented with the 2026 Yale Department of Psychiatry Mental Health Advocacy Award.

Sumeyra Tayfur, PhD, postdoctoral associate, attended the Schizophrenia International Research Society (SIRS) 2026 Annual Congress in Florence, Italy, where she presented two posters.

The annual Yale-NAMI Conference on Neuroscience, Mental Health and Society, sponsored by the Yale Department of Psychiatry, will be held Saturday, May 9, beginning at 8 am at The Anlyan Center Auditorium, 300 Cedar St., New Haven.

Laura Yoviene Sykes, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry and director of the STEP Learning Collaborative, spoke to WTNH-TV about delusional thinking: how to recognize it, and how loved ones can help.

Walter (Stan) Mathis, MD, associate professor of psychiatry, has been appointed director of the Yale Fellowship in Public Psychiatry effective July 1.

A new study from the STEP Program in Connecticut found that cannabis use became more severe among individuals entering care for first-episode psychosis after legalization, with increases in daily and solitary use. The findings underscore the importance of monitoring, education, and prevention, especially for adolescents and those at risk for psychosis.

From clinicians coordinating care to families searching for answers, this first-person reflection from one of STEP’s Early Detection and Assessment Coordinator offers a rare look at what it means to be the voice on the other side of the phone, and why timely, compassionate access to early psychosis care matters.