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About EPPIC

 
Please note: this page and the pages that follow under the 'About EPPIC' menu focus entirely on the EPPIC model as applied on a daily basis at our site here in Parkville, Melbourne. Guidance in the application of a more generalist early psychosis model in other places and regions can be found under the menu items: 'About Psychosis', and 'Principles of Intervention'.
 
The Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre (EPPIC) is an integrated and comprehensive mental health service aimed at addressing the needs of people aged 15-24 with emerging psychotic disorders in the western and north-western regions of Melbourne. EPPIC is a specialist clinical program of Orygen Youth Health (OYH) which is itself a component service of NorthWestern Mental Health and Melbourne Health.
 
OYH is an organisation that consists of a specialist youth mental health service, a research centre, and education, health promotion, and advocacy activites. The main goal of OYH is to integrate knowledge gained from clinical practice and research activities in order to implement and advocate for high quality mental health services for young people.
 
EPPIC aims to facilitate early identification and treatment of psychosis and therefore reduce the disruption to the young person’s functioning and psychosocial development. Without early intervention, there is often an extended period of delay (2-3 years on average) when problems intensify. Delayed assessment may be damaging to a young person’s development, often in the crucial period of adolescence. Maturation is sometimes put on hold, social and family relationships are strained or sometimes severed and vocational prospects are derailed.
Secondary problems such as substance abuse, unemployment and behavioural problems may develop or intensify and the illness itself may become more deeply entrenched.
 
EPPIC has attained a world-class standard in early intervention, in part due to the fact that EPPIC is a dedicated early psychosis service within a dedicated youth service. EPPIC also facilitates early intervention through direct referral via the Youth Access Team (YAT). YAT is contactable via a free-call number or paging service 24 hours a day 7 days a week and conducts it's own triage, eliminating the need to go through a different triage service. EPPIC also has a dedicated service for people thought to be at risk of developing a psychotic disorder, the PACE team. With continued support to services throughout the catchment area, EPPIC (via Training & Communication Team) also support mental health specialist and generalist services to identify people with psychotic symptoms as early as possible.
 
The aims of EPPIC are:

  • Early identification and treatment of the primary symptoms of psychotic illness.
  • Improved access to and reduced delays in initial treatment.
  • Reducing frequency and severity of relapse, and increasing time to first relapse.
  • Reducing secondary morbidity in the post-psychotic phase of illness.
  • Reducing disruption to social and vocational functioning and psychosocial development in the critical period following onset of illness when most disability tends to accrue.
  • Promoting well-being among family members and reducing the burden for carers.

 The aims of treatment are:

  • Explore the possible causes of psychotic symptoms and treat them.
  • Educate the young person and their family about the illness.
  • Reduce disruption in a young person’s life caused by the illness, restore the normal developmental trajectory and psychosocial functioning.
  • Support the young person and their carers through the recovery process.
  • Restore normal developmental trajectory and psychosocial functioning.
  • Reduce the young person’s chances of having another psychotic experience.

The core of the EPPIC clinical program is the EPPIC Continuing Care Team (EPPIC CCT) which consists of Outpatient Case Managers (OCMs) and medical staff with specialist training in psychiatry.
OCMs are qualified nurses, clinical psychologists, occupational therapists, and social workers. Medical staff are either consultant psychiatrists, or psychiatric registrars in training, working under senior consultant psychiatrists. Case managers and doctors in this team provide individualised care to young people in accordance with the EPPIC Clinical Guidelines. OCMs assist people to obtain recovery from psychosis by providing a range of treatments and services to the young person and their families and carers including individual and group programs. Once accepted into the EPPIC CCT, young people are able to receive up to 2 years of clinical service. The timing of appointments and type of treatment offered will vary according to individual need. Some people may not need regular appointments for the whole 2 years. OCMs will also help the process of discharge from EPPIC and facilitate referral to an appropriate service after the 2 years as required.
 
The Intensive Case Management Program (ICM) is a sub-program of EPPIC, for young people who have difficulty engaging with office based treatment or those who have more complex needs requiring intensive support. The ICM Team operates on an outreach model and focuses on community assessment, treatment and support for young people and their families and carers.
 
Research
In addition to providing direct mental health care EPPIC has a role in research through the Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, and service development and advocacy through EPPIC Statewide Services. 

 
Click here for the EPPIC Program page.