Behavioral Health Webinar: Overview of Early Psychosis Identification and Intervention
Thursday, April 30, 2026
1:00 PM-2:00 PM
Please join the Division of Behavioral Healthcare Education for their Invited Speaker Series:
Topic
Overview of Early Psychosis Identification and Intervention
Because schizophrenia spectrum disorders are relatively common, affecting approximately 4% of young people, nearly all mental health care providers will encounter individuals experiencing psychosis or its early warning signs. The sooner individuals are identified and receive care following the first onset of psychosis spectrum symptoms, the better their functional and personal outcomes are likely to be. This session provides an overview of early psychosis symptoms across the spectrum from risk symptoms to threshold psychosis disorders. Research- and practice-informed strategies for recognizing, assessing and responding to psychosis spectrum symptoms will be presented in the context of social determinants of health that may impact recognition and referral pathways. Attendees will learn about evidence-based coordinated specialty care programs for early psychosis, and ways to facilitate connection to local care for individuals experiencing early psychosis.
CE Credits
CPRP-1; LSW/LCSW/LPC/LMFT-1; NBCC-1; PA Act48-1; IACET-.1
Cost
This event is free to attend for the Drexel community.
Speaker
Monica E. Calkins, PhD, and Christian Kohler, MD
Dr. Calkins is co-director of HeadsUp, an organization whose mission is to help end the stigma around psychosis through education, advocacy and support. She oversees outreach, education, training and coordinated specialty care program evaluation and fidelity. Dr. Calkins grew up in Philadelphia, attending Philadelphia public schools and earning a bachelor's degree from Temple University. She earned a doctorate in clinical science and psychopathology research from the University of Minnesota and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania before joining the faculty. Now a professor of psychology in the Department of Psychiatry, Dr. Calkins' research and clinical work focus on early identification and intervention in psychotic disorders, and she has authored more than 250 scholarly publications in this area. Her mission is to improve the lives and experiences of young people with psychosis and their families.
Dr. Kohler is co-director of HeadsUp. Dr. Kohler grew up in Austria and obtained a doctorate in medicine from Innsbruck University. He completed residencies in psychiatry at Wright State University and neurology at the University of Cincinnati, and subsequently a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Kohler has been on the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania since the late 1990s, and he is currently professor of psychiatry and neurology. He has participated in research on emotional processing, brain-related studies and novel treatments resulting in over 100 publications to date. Dr. Kohler has extensive experience in the treatment of severe mental illness and, in particular, of young persons living with recent onset of psychosis — a challenging and rewarding area to pursue improvement in clinical symptoms and functioning.
Hosted By
Division of Behavioral Healthcare Education
Register for this event
Contact Information
bheweb@drexel.edu