Violence risk is elevated during the early phase of psychosis and can have significant consequences for engagement, recovery, and safety. BRAVE (Behavioral Response Against Violence Engagement) is a cognitive-behavioural intervention adapted from the PICASSO model for use in early intervention services (EIS) that targets dynamic, modifiable mechanisms associated with psychosis-related violence. This open pilot trial evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, fidelity, and preliminary target engagement of BRAVE when delivered by clinicians within routine EIS care. Seven clinician–client dyads were enrolled across OnTrackNY sites; five completed the intervention, with a mean of 11.4 sessions. Feasibility and acceptability were high: clinicians rated BRAVE as useful and deliverable within standard visit structures. Fidelity ratings were high across both clinician and client checklists. Although violent behaviour was infrequent at baseline, exploratory clinical outcomes suggested reductions in violent ideation over time. The primary hypothesized mechanistic target, impulsivity, remained stable but secondary mechanistic outcomes showed directionally positive movement across the affective, cognitive, behavioural, and physiological domains expected to shift with BRAVE, including reductions in hostility, negative self-appraisal, persecutory thinking, substance use, and sleep disturbance, alongside increased coping self-efficacy. Overall, findings indicate that BRAVE can be implemented with high fidelity and strong acceptability within participating clinician–client dyads in EIS settings, and offer preliminary descriptive patterns consistent with the hypothesized mechanistic model.

Key learning aims

1. (1) To describe how BRAVE was adapted for early intervention services (EIS) and delivered by clinicians within routine care, including considerations of feasibility, acceptability, and fidelity.

2. (2) To summarize descriptive, pre–post observations from an open pilot trial of BRAVE, including changes in impulsivity and related affective, cognitive, behavioral, and physiological processes.

3. (3) To identify implications for future implementation and evaluation, including lessons learned about fidelity measurement, patient-facing materials, and considerations for a larger pragmatic trial.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) initiated an ambitious effort to develop the first shared decision making guidelines. The purpose of this commentary is to identify three main concerns pertaining to the new published guidelines for shared decision making research, practice, implementation and cultural differences in mental health.

Worldwide, early intervention services for young people with recent-onset psychosis have been associated with improvements in outcomes, including reductions in hospitalization, symptoms, and improvements in treatment engagement and work/school participation. States have received federal mental health block grant funding to implement team-based, multi-element, evidence-based early intervention services, now called coordinated specialty care (CSC) in the USA. New York State’s CSC program, OnTrackNY, has grown into a 23-site, statewide network, serving over 1800 individuals since its 2013 inception. A state-supported intermediary organization, OnTrackCentral, has overseen the growth of OnTrackNY. OnTrackNY has been committed to quality improvement since its inception. In 2019, OnTrackNY was awarded a regional hub within the National Institute of Mental Health-sponsored Early Psychosis Intervention Network (EPINET). The participation in the national EPINET initiative reframes and expands OnTrackNY’s quality improvement activities. The national EPINET initiative aims to develop a learning healthcare system (LHS); OnTrackNY’s participation will facilitate the development of infrastructure, including a systematic approach to facilitating stakeholder input and enhancing the data and informatics infrastructure to promote quality improvement. Additionally, this infrastructure will support practice-based research to improve care. The investment of the EPINET network to build regional and national LHSs will accelerate innovations to improve quality of care.

Family psychoeducation programs have emerged as a strongly supported evidence-based practice in the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Over 30 randomized clinical trials demonstrated that psychoeducation programs reduce relapse, improve symptomatic recovery, and enhance psychosocial and family outcomes. Recent work supports family psychoeducation strategies for other disorders, including major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and borderline personality disorder. This review summarizes the research evidence supporting prominent models of family psychoeducation. Professional and peer-led family education programs are also reviewed and differentiated from family psychoeducation. Directions for future research studies to enhance the evidence base and inform treatment recommendations are proposed. Finally, strategies for implementation of family psychoeducation in routine clinical practice are discussed.