(PS13-D81) Outcomes of Coordinated Specialty Care for First-episode Psychosis (FEP) in Community Mental Health in Texas: Reduced Mental Health Hospitalizations and Symptoms at 6-months in the Epinet-texas Project

Coordinated specialty care (CSC) is a recovery-oriented, early intervention model for individuals beginning to experience psychosis that has been found to reduce mental health symptoms and functional impairment (Kane et. al, 2016; Nossel et. al, 2018). Given such positive outcomes, CSC has rapidly expanded across the US (George et. al, 2022), and the state of Texas has implemented CSC programs in community mental health. There are particular challenges to implementing CSC in community mental health (Klodnick et. al, 2023) and little research has explored outcomes of CSC in these settings. Data was collected as part of the Advancing Early Psychosis Intervention Network in Texas (EPINET-TX) project. The present study evaluated preliminary outcomes from baseline to 6-months for young people enrolled in community mental health-based CSC programs in Texas. Self-report and clinician-report measures for symptoms and functioning were developed by the EPINET Steering Committee. Data was collected from 188 young people who completed at least 6-months of treatment in CSC programs across 16 different CSC sites in Texas. Consistent with prior research, both self-reported (Colorado Symptom Index; CSI) and clinician-reported (COMPASS-10) mental health total scores showed statistically significantly decreases from baseline to 6 months. On a total symptom count (symptoms with any elevation endorsed), clinicians reported almost one fewer symptom at 6-months, whereas the number of symptoms participants reported did not significantly change. Critically, clients reported increases in recovery on the Questionnaire about the Process of Recovery (QPR). Mental health hospitalizations, but not medical hospitalizations, decreased from baseline to 6 months, suggesting specificity of the intervention to reducing acute mental health needs. In regard to functioning, providers reported increased social but not role functioning at 6 months on the global functioning scale. There were no significant changes observed in school attendance or employment. These results have significant implications for the feasibility of implementation of effective CSC services in community mental health in the US.