The University of Minnesota’s National Alliance of Mental Health (NAMI) on campus will host its First-Episode Psychosis education event on Tuesday.
With speakers talking about their experiences with psychosis, the event’s main purpose is to raise awareness about first-episode psychosis by educating students about first-episode psychosis, early treatment and challenging misconceptions. The event will be in the Whole in Coffman Union from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and is free to all attendees
First-episode psychosis is a term used to describe when someone shows early signs of beginning to lose contact with reality, most commonly affecting those in their mid to late 20s. Psychosis is a collection of symptoms that affect the mind.
The goal of the event is to educate the campus community about early warning signs, treatment options, resources, reducing stigma and promoting empathy and support through experts from M Health Fairview’s NAVIGATE program. Experts include NAVIGATE IRT and Co-Director Kayla James, NAVIGATE Program Director Kayla Laturnus, NAVIGATE Supported Employment and Education Specialist Stephanie Simons and NAVIGATE Family Peer Specialist Nancy Howe.
M Health Fairview’s NAVIGATE program was developed by the National Institute of Mental Health and provides early intervention and support for young adults experiencing first-episode psychosis.
The event will also feature personal testimonies from community members who have lived and experienced first-episode psychosis or supported someone going through it, along with a Q&A session with community members and experts from the NAVIGATE program.
NAMI Minnesota is a non-profit organization that supports mental health advocacy, education and resources.
UMN NAMI President Mitchell Mueller said the main purpose of the event is to raise awareness about first-episode psychosis because it is often misunderstood and stigmatized.
Mueller said attendees will gain a better understanding of what psychosis is beyond misconceptions. He hopes attendees will gain practical knowledge about how to support peers who are dealing with and experiencing symptoms of first-episode psychosis.
“We want people to leave feeling hopeful that psychosis is treatable, recovery is possible with the right support,” Mueller said.
Mueller said UMN NAMI wanted to organize the event because first-episode psychosis affects a lot of young adults, specifically college-aged students.
“Early intervention is really crucial for better outcomes with first-episode psychosis, but the issue with that is many people don’t really recognize the early signs or know where to seek help,” Mueller said.
Early intervention aims to get treatment quickly to manage symptoms and often prevents the need for long hospitalization.
Mueller said UMN NAMI is committed to breaking down stigmas about mental health conditions with psychosis being an area where education can make a pretty significant impact.
The NAVIGATE program has been a “very awesome and supporting group,” Mueller said, in sharing resources and information about first-episode psychosis with UMN NAMI.
Mueller said students should come to the event because although they may not be experiencing first-episode psychosis, somebody they know may experience it in the future.
“I want to ensure that no student feels alone in their mental health journey and everyone has access to the support that they need,” Mueller said.
UMN NAMI Secretary Maveric Kalenberg said the event’s primary goal is to make sure people are comfortable being able to express themselves.
“Psychosis is pretty misunderstood and pretty stigmatized and right now at our age in the college years, that’s when first aid psychosis really actually happens and is most prominent,” Kalenberg said.
