Complex Psychosis Program

The Complex Psychosis Program (CPP) is a tertiary program comprised of inpatient and community services with sites at Addiction and Mental Health clinics, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Camrose, University of Alberta and Alberta Hospitals fully integrated with provincial CIS and supported by specialists and primary care.

Mission of the CPP:

  • To provide the highest level of evidence-based clinical care to those who suffer from complex psychosis particularly those with refractory illness (including to clozapine), and psychiatric and physical comorbidities that may include neurodevelopmental, neuropsychiatric, concurrent, metabolic and genetic disorders.

Vision of CPP: 

  • To develop a patient-focused and innovative provincial program providing a continuum of care across inpatients and community; to design local protocols and care pathways for the assessment and treatment of complex psychosis; to implement monthly, multidisciplinary, complex case reviews; and to continue monthly journal club/scientific sessions.
  • To develop a research and educational platform that showcases the Division of Community Psychiatry and the University of Alberta as international leaders of clinical excellence through research into refractory illness through clinical trials, peer-reviewed publications, national guidelines and annual psychopharmacology conference.

Patient Scope:

Lifespan of those presenting with psychotic disorders with a focus on early identification and intervention in young adults as well as individuals with severe and/or refractory illness

Levels of Engagement:

Academic:

  • Clinical Teaching Unit

Research:

To encompass CIHR Pillars:

  • Biomedical Research
  • Clinical Research
  • Health Services Research
  • Social, Cultural, Environmental, and Population Health Research

Clinical

Full, multidisciplinary and multimodal evidence-based approach offering psychoeducation, pharmacotherapy, individual/group psychotherapies, family and peer support to patients with complex psychosis.

Services:

A comprehensive, wrap-around, multi-agency service in collaboration with primary care providing consultation to in- and outpatients incorporating standardized and consensus criteria-based assessments and evaluation of efficacy, tolerability, functionality, quality of life and outcome based on:

  • BAP 2019 Evidence-based Guidelines for Pharmacological Treatment of Schizophrenia
  • CAMH 2017 Integrated Care Pathways
  • CPA 2017 Schizophrenia Guidelines
  • APA 2017 Treatment Response and Resistance in Psychosis (TRRIP) Guidelines
  • NICE 2014 Schizophrenia Guidelines
  • CPA 2013 LAI Guidelines.

Referral Source:

Physicians from all specialities including primary care physicians.

Research Scope:

Investigator-initiated and industry sponsored clinical trials to support a wide variety of observational and experimental studies to include:

  1. Identification of phenotypes and endophenotypes associated with complex psychosis
  2. Understanding of the neuropathophysiology and neurobiology of complex psychosis
  3. Assessment of genetic and environmental risk factors particularly substance use
  4. Evaluation of preventative and treatment strategies
  5. Development of clinical tools to assess relapse, medication selection, side effect evaluation, psychosocial interventions.

Research Affiliations:

  • Clinical Trials and Research Program
  • Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program
  • EEPIC
  • ACCESS Open Minds
  • Northern Alberta Clinical Trials
  • Centre of Excellence Real World Clinical Outcomes (CERWCO)
  • Campus Alberta Neuroscience
  • Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute (NMHI)
  • Physician Learning Program (PLP)
  • Neurochemical Unit
  • University of Calgary
  • Canadian Consortium of Early Intervention in Psychosis
  • Women and Children’s Health Research Institute
  • Canadian Council on Continuing Education in Pharmacy
  • Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative