Panel Discussions
Schizophrenia / Psychotic Disorders
Charlie A. Davidson, Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist and Adjunct Professor
Atlanta Center for Cognitive Therapy
Atlanta, Georgia
Kim Mueser, Ph.D.
.
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts
Brittney Jones, Psy.D.
Psychologist
Stanford University
Stanford, California
Nadine A. Chang, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist
Gracie Square Hospital
New York, New York
Erica D. Marshall-Lee, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor/Clinical Director/Assistant Vice Chair
Emory University and Grady Health System
Atlanta, Georgia
Jamilah R. George, M.S.
.Ph.D. Candidate
.University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut
Susan R. McGurk, Ph.D.
Professor of Occupational Therapy
Boston University
boston, Massachusetts
Empirically-supported approaches to recovery following significant losses, including trauma, disaster, or onset of serious mental illness (SMI), often center around setting and progress toward motivating and values-aligned goals. Treatment techniques most often include guiding people to break down goals into related activities or steps, receive reinforcement from activities, experientially discover and challenge dysfunctional thoughts, build relevant skills, and experience progress and reduction of barriers. A collaborative, shared decision-making model of psychosocial rehabilitation and recovery (PSR) can empower and motivate people to engage in these techniques despite traumatic experiences, environmental barriers, and the contradiction between goal setting and defeatist beliefs. However, people with SMI (including psychosis, PTSD, OCD, and depression) are disproportionately affected by disasters, health inequities, and discrimination related to diagnostic status and intersecting discriminated characteristics. The early intervention literature has clearly shown that most Americans are neither promptly nor adequately supported following onset of illness, which is often a personal disaster and/or trauma in itself. For those who receive support, goal setting techniques are limited by environmental and personal barriers including limited resources, stigma, and discrimination.
The purpose of this panel is to bring together experts in PSR for SMI, DEIB perspectives on behavioral treatment, and supporting disadvantaged people in difficult contexts. Panelists will identify convergences and divergences between approaches to collaborative goal setting and activity scheduling for people whose recent mental health and drastic environmental changes present significant barriers to these treatment techniques. They will focus on techniques in the context of responding to significant life changes, such as covid19-related losses, incarceration or involuntary hospitalization, or drastic losses after onset of mental illness. Panelists will present special insights from inpatient care, community rehabilitation, supported employment, and services for discriminated populations in the context of healthcare inequities.