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BHECN is a proud supporter of Nebraska Medicine’s ASPIRE (Active Support for Psychosis in Recovery) Program.
ASPIRE is a treatment center for those with psychotic disorders that brings together a multidisciplinary group of specialists to provide comprehensive mental and physical health care.
The center offers services such as medication, primary care, individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy and care coordination to “guide and support people living with psychosis, and their families.”
Below, the program’s director, Melissa O’Dell, MD, (pictured) who also is an assistant professor in the UNMC Department of Psychiatry, tells us more about the work being done by the ASPIRE program.
Dr. O'Dell, tell us about the ASPIRE program's team.
The ASPIRE clinical team currently consists of 17 staff: four psychiatric clinicians, two therapists, a primary care doctor, along with students and trainees from various disciplines who are spending time on the team to learn best practices in treating people with psychosis. ASPIRE is a multidisciplinary team, in which clinicians and trainees work closely with nurses, a community resources technician, medical receptionist, and patient care technician to identify and bridge any care gaps to provide the highest quality care for patients with psychosis, who tend to experience overwhelming challenges in navigating a complex and fragmented health system and mental health system.
What kind of an impact does the ASPIRE Program have on those you treat?
Our aim is to partner with patients and those in their support systems to help them regain control of their lives and start working towards their hopes and dreams for the future after being diagnosed with a psychotic disorder. This process is often referred to as "recovery" and there's a lot more that goes into it than simply seeing a doctor now and again and taking a medication. Recovery looks different for each individual we serve, as it is defined by the individual served and not by us as the treatment team. For some patients this may mean going back to college, or finding a meaningful job or volunteer work. For someone else, it may be repairing family or friend relationships that were damaged during a psychotic episode. Some patients may need help learning life skills that they didn't have an opportunity to develop in young adulthood due to the effects of the illness on their life. Many patients are looking for help establishing and maintaining healthy habits to help minimize the impact of medication side effects on their well-being and live long healthy lives.
What do you think the public should know about psychosis and those who struggle with it?
Psychosis is a frightening and often debilitating experience that can leave those affected as well as those who care about them feeling hopeless, helpless and alone. While some people have a higher propensity to developing a psychotic disorder than others, based on genetic and other risk factors, it's important to remember that anyone can experience psychosis, whether as a result of a mental illness, extreme stress or sleep deprivation, substance use, or medical problems, and that having experienced psychosis doesn't change who you are as a person. Keeping this fact in mind can help us all make the stigma associated with psychotic disorders a thing of the past. This stigma can sometimes be as damaging to a person with psychosis as the illness itself, as people with psychosis often internalize societal messages about being damaged, dangerous, worthless, etc., which fosters a sense of alienation and demoralization in affected individuals that can lead to tragic outcomes such as suicide. In reality, people affected by psychosis can live full, happy lives with effective treatment and support; there is no reason to assume that receiving a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder is a life sentence of chronic disability.
How does BHECN’s support help ASPIRE’s mission?
With BHECN's support, ASPIRE has started a psychotherapy training program to help student therapist of various disciplines become confident and skilled in treating psychosis. There are a number of evidence-based psychotherapies that are proven effective to help people with psychotic disorders recover and live life to the fullest, but in most treatment settings throughout the U.S., these therapies are simply not available. Very few therapists receive training in treating this population, which stands to benefit the most from intensive therapy, and as a result most people with psychosis are not offered the resources that could help them reach their full recovery potential. BHECN is supporting ASPIRE's mission to expand training opportunities for therapists that will ultimately take their new skills and talents to organizations throughout Nebraska. Ultimately BHECN's workforce development support for this severely underserved population may serve as a model for other states that are grappling with how best to improve the standard of care for those with psychosis.
The ASPIRE program is housed in UNMC's Department of Psychiatry. The clinic is on the fifth floor of Poynter Hall on 42nd and Dewey streets. Learn more at the ASPIRE program's website.
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