Program areas at Schizophrenia & Psychosis Acti
Care, Support & Education:The Organization provides administrative support, materials and oversight for more than 100 Schizophrenia Alliance (SA) self-help/peer support groups, which are run by and for people diagnosed with psychiatric brain disorders that include psychosis. Support groups hold weekly conference calls that serve hundreds of attendees.The Organization also supports Families for Care (FFC), which organizes peer support groups for families of those with schizophrenia or schizophrenia-related brain illness. FFC provides education and support to enable families and their loved ones with schizophrenia to build positive, accepting relationships.
Research InitiativesThe Organization funds research initiatives that: - Increase schizophrenia disease awareness and understanding (recharacterize schizophrenia for the public/key audiences). - Seek new disease biomarkers and other early disease indicators that could improve diagnosis and treatment. - Expose and eliminate barriers to care. - Amplify the impact of anosognosia on treatment and care decisions.
Collaboration and AdvocacyThe Organization promotes timely and appropriate diagnoses, treatments, peer support intervention and education and is a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Outreach and Research AlliancePartner to advocate for research specific to schizophrenia and psychosis. It participates in advocacy coalitions such as the Mental Health Liaison Group to improve community awareness of andtreatments for schizophrenia and other psychosis-spectrum diseases.The Organization also advocates for inclusion of the patient voice in treatment research andregulatory reviews, including sponsoring an Externally-Led Patient-Focused Drug Developmentmeeting in 2022 that amplified patient and caregiver voices to reach key drug development andreview audiences.
Awareness: The Organization builds awareness of and educates about schizophrenia, psychosis and related disorders through extensive website resources, initiatives such as the Anosognosia Coalition, social media outreach and participation in media interviews, webinars and public programs.