A specialized, community-based mental health and substance use service offering assessment, treatment and recovery support for individuals aged 13–30 experiencing a first episode of psychosis.
Last updated: July 16, 2026
Early Psychosis Intervention (EPI) provides rapid assessment, diagnosis, and recovery-focused treatment to address symptoms related to psychosis.
The program emphasizes returning to usual activities education, and collaboration with families and natural supports. For up to three years, clients will receive personalized, trauma-informed support from a team—including psychiatrists, psychologists, clinicians, nurses, social workers, counsellors, occupational therapists, youth care workers, and other specialists.
Services are delivered at local community mental health centres and home communities to ensure accessibility for clients who, require comprehensive mental health and substance use support.
The EPI team includes a psychiatrist, a community clinician, and other team members that support recovery including: group and family therapist, substance use counsellor, occupational and/or vocational therapist, youth care worker, psychologist, educator, dietitian and others. Services offered include:
- Screening and clinical assessment for potential psychotic disorder
- Outreach and to be active participants in services
- Medication and other supportive approaches to manage symptoms
- Education about symptoms and treatments, delivered individually and in groups
- Relapse prevention planning and strategies to maintain wellness
- Skills-building and rehabilitation supports to help individuals return to their best level of daily functioning
- Support, crisis management, coping and stress management
- Family education, support and family therapy
- Assistance with referring to other support needs such as education, work, housing, and substance use
- Specialist psychotherapy approaches Community education to raise awareness of early psychosis and increase identification of potential clients
Access
Eligibility
Clients are:
- Ages 13-30
- Currently experiencing a first psychotic episode or within 2 years of diagnosis of first episode psychosis without previous appropriate treatment (such as antipsychotic medication and case management).
Clients cannot be supported into the program if:
- Their symptoms are only explained by a pre-existing personality disorder
- They have a moderate/profound intellectual disability
- Their main diagnosis is a substance use disorder (Note: having substance use alongside another mental health condition does not automatically exclude someone)
- Their psychosis is clearly caused by another medical illness
- They have already been working with a mental health team for 3-6 months and are receiving treatment for psychosis.
Clients who do not meet the criteria for EPI will be referred to the most appropriate resource.
Referral
A referral can be made by anybody, including clients, family and natural supports, hospitals, schools, general practitioners, community clinicians or clinicians from other health authorities.
To make a referral, please call the sites’ contact information to reach the EPI intake clinicians. If the referral comes from a professional care provider, supporting documents can be faxed to the local intake number for review.