Can frontline clinicians in public psychiatry settings provide effective psychotherapy for psychosis?

Abstract

This report consists of the personal reflections of seven frontline clinicians who participated in a formal training program for the psychotherapy of psychosis implemented in a large public clinic setting. The training was part of a quality improvement initiative, consisting of 12 hours of didactic presentation followed by 30 hours of weekly peer-group supervision. The clinicians comment on ways of working with patients prior to the training, and how their views and techniques changed as a result of the training. The reflections of frontline staff provide proof of the concept that psychotherapy for psychosis techniques can be added to existing clinical skills, and that it is possible to implement a program in psychotherapy for psychosis in a busy public clinic.