Heads Up! - Early Psychosis Intervention Program

Welcome to the Heads Up! program, an early psychosis intervention program meant to help those who are experiencing a first episode of psychosis. We work as an interdisciplinary team to assess, treat and educate people with psychosis as soon as possible. We know that if we can detect psychosis early, then people have the best chance of a successful recovery.

We’re committed to values that support recovery

• Hope: We believe that individuals can recover from psychosis with early detection and appropriate treatment.
• Caring: We believe that educated and supportive families improve the probability of recovery.
• Fighting Stigma: We believe that awareness and understanding about mental illness helps to break down stigma, which can be a barrier to seeking help early.
• Teamwork: We believe that a collaborative professional team is essential to providing the best possible care for our clients. Our multidisciplinary team consists of Nursing, Social Work, Occupational Therapy, Psychology and Psychiatry.
• Alliances: We are devoted to working with our community partners to support our clients on their journeys towards recovery.

What is psychosis? 

Psychosis is a serious mental illness that effects the brain and changes the way a person thinks and feels, leading to a significant loss of touch with reality. It often causes an inability to distinguish between what is or isn’t real. It’s often accompanied by delusions and hallucinations.

Delusions are false beliefs, that can include paranoia, unusual ideas, or uncharacteristic thinking. Hallucinations include the five senses, most commonly seeing or hearing things which are not there.

Many times, when someone is experiencing psychotic symptoms, they may actually be unaware that anything is wrong.

Approximately 3% of all individuals experience an episode of psychosis in their lifetime, usually in their teens or early adult life.

Psychosis can occur suddenly or gradually and changes may be noted in the person’s ability to think clearly and interact socially. These changes may be hard to identify or distinguish from other behaviour changes, especially in young people.

When in doubt, please seek a clinical opinion.

Why is early intervention important?

Recognition of early changes and acting on family concerns can help with early detection and treatment. Early intervention can help minimize the development of additional problems, like social isolation or substance abuse. For teens and young adults, psychosis can disrupt the process of social development. Early intervention can help them get back on track.

Supporting someone going through psychosis

Psychosis or psychotic episodes can be very difficult for caregivers to know how to handle. Some episodes can be frightening or confusing, especially for the person experiencing them. It’s important for caregivers to know how to recognize the early-warning signs indicating that a psychosis is developing, and to know how to get help.