About the Ontario Working Group on Early Intervention in Psychosis

An Overview

The Ontario Working Group on Early Intervention in Psychosis is made up of individuals and organizations that share the goal of developing an effective treatment and support system for the early stages of psychosis. The Working Group, established in 1999, is focussed on bringing the benefits of early treatment to all citizens of Ontario who experience the onset of psychosis and on providing support to their families. There has been ongoing collaboration and consultation with the MOHLTC on Early Intervention over the past four years. The Mental Health Program Policy unit of the ministry has now completed a policy framework for early intervention and a number of members of the policy task force that advised on the process are part of the OWG.

Membership:

The members of the Ontario Working Group on Early Intervention in Psychosis reflect a variety of mental health disciplines, families, and consumers. Departments of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, the University of Western Ontario, McMaster University, Queen’s University, and the University of Ottawa are involved as well as clinical sites in London, Hamilton, Toronto, Kingston, and Ottawa. New sites have been established at the Northeast Mental Health Centre, in Thunder Bay, the Central East region and the South West region of the province. The Schizophrenia Society of Ontario, the Mood Disorders Association of Ontario and the PEPP Family Group in London are also part of the Working Group.

The Canadian Mental Health Association at the national, provincial and regional level is also involved. The Working Group is coordinated and supported by the Community Support and Research Unit at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

The membership of the Ontario Working Group continues to expand. The OWG welcomed into its membership all programs that had been funded through the Ministry of Health and Long- Term Care in the last fiscal year to develop and enhance Early Intervention programs province wide.

Functions:

The Ontario Working Group on Early Intervention in Psychosis plays an active role in helping build capacity around Early Intervention in Ontario. It seeks to facilitate the effective implementation of the Ministry’s provincial Early Intervention strategy.

Specific Functions include:

Creating a forum for collaboration between sites, particularly between emerging sites in need of training and established sites with resources and expertise.
Providing a forum where families, clinicians, consumers and government can bring their collective wisdom to bear on the implementation of Early Intervention.
Supporting the enhancement of Early Intervention services through information sharing initiatives to ensure the routine application of emerging best practices.