Nevada County Behavioral Health has been awarded a nearly $2 million Early Psychosis Intervention Plus (EPI Plus) grant by the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (MHSOAC) for its Rural EPI Access through Cultural Humility (REACH) program. Half of all mental illnesses begin by age 14, and 75 percent by age 24. Psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions, often emerge between the ages of 15 and 25.
Each year in California, 8,000 adolescents and young adults experience their first episode of psychosis. On average, it takes 18.5 months from initial symptoms of psychosis for someone to receive a diagnosis and treatment. Early treatment of psychosis, especially during the first episode, leads to the best outcomes. This newly funded program will implement an innovative hub and spoke model to provide evidence-based early psychosis and mood disorder detection and intervention services to Nevada County residents.
The UC Davis Early Detection and Preventative Treatment (EDAPT) Clinic in Sacramento will serve as the psychiatric “hub” for the 4-year REACH program pilot. Nevada County, Alpine County, and Mono County will serve as the rural “spokes” of the program, partnering with Victor Community Support Services to staff the local Care team including case management and peer support services. The REACH program is expected to launch in the coming months, at which time Nevada County Behavioral Health and its partners will focus on outreach and education to encourage program referrals.
