OnTrackNY With the Option of Social Network Meetings

Lisa Dixon

Overview

Early intervention programs for psychosis help improve short-term treatment and recovery outcomes for individuals experiencing psychosis. OnTrackNY is a coordinated specialty care (CSC) program, developed to treat young adults within two years of experiencing a non-affective episode of psychosis. This project aims to expand the role of family engagement and support within the OnTrackNY model. Borrowing from the Needs Adapted and Open Dialogue models, the study team created a family therapy service that includes the client and members of his/her social network to navigate crises and assist in treatment planning. This service, Social Network Meetings, will be offered to individuals enrolled in the OnTrackNY@MHA program as an additional, voluntary, service option. The study proposes that the introduction of Social Network meetings may improve treatment and recovery outcomes.

This project aims to expand the role of family engagement and support within the OnTrackNY model by offering a new service, Social Network Meetings. The study team will offer Social Network Meetings to individuals enrolled in the OnTrackNY@MHA program as an additional service option. This option will be completely voluntary and available for a 12 month period. Participant entrance into the study will be staggered with no more than approximately 5 individuals in the Social Network group and no more than 5 individuals not in the Social Network group enrolled each month. Participants will choose which group they would like to be in, if any. Data will be collected for all participants, both those participating and not participating in the Social Network Meetings upon entering the study and then once every three months and at the end of their time in the study. For all participants, the study will end after 6 months of participation. Meetings may occur as often as 3 times a week when there is a crisis or more commonly would occur once every other week. These meetings will last between 60 and 90 minutes and will take place for however long the clients and their social networks would like within the project period. Study aims are: 1. To determine the extent to which clients and their social networks find the Social Network meetings acceptable and beneficial. 2. To compare outcomes (family functioning, recovery) of individuals participating in Social Network meetings to those not participating.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Conditions

First Episode Psychosis Schizophrenia

Interventions

Social Network MeetingsBEHAVIORAL

Social Network Meetings are a type of family therapy that includes clients and members of their social network.The social network may include family members, friends or anyone else that clients believe can help them move toward recovery. The meetings will focus on improving communication within the social network.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 16 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Subject Population 1: OnTrackNY MHA Client- Social Network Meeting Group (ages 16-30) Inclusion Criteria: * Ages 16-30 * Currently enrolled, clinically stable, English speaking clients in the OnTrackNY program at MHA Westchester determined my client roster for MHA Westchester program and clinical judgment * Willingness to participate in Social Network meetings determined by self-report as asked by clinician * Willingness to complete brief baseline and quarterly assessments determined by self-report as asked by clinician Exclusion Criteria: * Anyone who the OnTrackNY team determines is clinically unstable determined by clinician assessment * Clients who are unwilling to participate in Social Network meetings determined by self-report Subject Population 2: OnTrackNY MHA Client- No Social Network Meeting Group (ages 16-30) Inclusion Criteria * Ages 16-30 * Currently enrolled clients in the OnTrackNY program at MHA Westchester determined by MHA Westchester Client Roster for OnTrackNY Exclusion Criteria: * Anyone who the OnTrackNY team determines is clinically unstable determined by clinician assessment Subject Population 3: Social Network Member (ages 18+) Inclusion Criteria: * Must be 18 years or older * English speaking member of social network (i.e., biological or chosen family member/s) of a currently enrolled client in the OnTrackNY program at MHA Westchester who has agreed to participate in the study determined by client self-report * Willingness to complete brief baseline and quarterly assessments determined by social network member self-report * Willingness to participate in social network meetings determined by social network member self-report Exclusion Criteria: * Family members who the client does not want involved in the social network meetings determined by client self-report

Locations (1)

MHA of Westchester

Yonkers, New York, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Change in score on the Questionnaire about the Process of Recovery (QPR) from baseline to 6 months

The QPR is a 15-item self-report survey which assesses individuals' perceptions of self and factors that are important to recovery. Items on the QPR are rated on a 5-point Likert scale and range from "disagree strongly" to "agree strongly."

Time frame: We will measure scores at baseline, 3 months and 6 months to determine change between these assessment points

Change in score on the SCORE-15 Index of Family Functioning and Change (SCORE-15) from baseline to 6 months

The SCORE-15 is a 15-item self-report survey which assesses perceptions about a family's level of intimacy and support for one another. It asks both clients and social network members to give impressions about the level of disclosure between family members, perceptions of trust, and how the family deals conflict and crisis.

Time frame: We will measure scores at baseline, 3 months and 6 months to determine change between these assessment points

Secondary Outcomes

Brief Satisfaction Questionnaire

We developed a brief 5-item survey that will ask clients and social network members about their satisfaction with the Social Network Meetings.

Time frame: 6 Months

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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