Penn Medicine

Changing Minds, Empowering Lives

HeadsUp is a collaborating organization whose mission is to help end the stigma around psychosis through education, advocacy, and support. We promote early intervention centered around personalized, accessible, and effective care for all people in Pennsylvania. Learn More +

When you or someone in your family is suffering from psychosis it can be hard to know where to turn. The first experience with psychosis can be frightening and confusing but finding help early provides the best hope for recovery.

We understand that navigating these changes can be challenging. We offer a supportive platform of hope to individuals and their families to make information, care, and recovery more manageable.

Worried about yourself?

Sometimes we notice our minds or bodies are feeling off which can feel confusing or even scary. If you have been experiencing troubling beliefs, problems with perception, disorganized thinking, or withdrawal it is good to know there are people who can help you sort through these uncomfortable feelings and determine if and when care may be needed. Even though it is hard to reach out, it is important not to ignore these signs.

What is Psychosis? Animated Short Video

I Have More Questions

Worried about a family member or friend?

If someone you care about has been exhibiting unusual behaviors such as problems with perception, disorganized thinking, or withdrawal there are people who can help. While it may feel uncomfortable to reach out, its important not to ignore early signs of concern or distress. Take the first step and learn more about early psychosis.

How can I help someone experiencing psychosis?

What is the best way to  talk to my loved one?

Recognizing & Responding to Early Psychosis for Community Health Providers

Designed for community mental, behavioral, and physical health workers, this FREE full day workshop is an intensive introduction, overview and practice of psychosis identification, management and referral to evidence-based care.

HeadsUp Grand Round Series

An intensive (up to 160-hours) dive into applicable, recovery-centered education for individuals involved in early psychosis care. Led by experts in the field, sessions will cover childhood through young adulthood and will include tools for early detection, diagnosis, treatment best practices, and post-treatment management. Varying sessions will be held virtually twice per week via Zoom Events over the course of 7 months via a grand-rounds format from April to October 2024.

Visit the HeadsUp training page to learn more or to register.

PA Early Psychosis News!

January, 2024

Check out the latest installment of our quarterly newsletter and read about the strides we are making in PA early psychosis care.

NEW VIDEO!

"A Look Inside Early Psychosis Care in Pennsylvania"

At a PA FEP (First Episode Psychosis) center, treatment is designed with each individual in mind and involves many types of trained, caring professionals who will work with each person on a plan of recovery. The Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) model is a comprehensive and team-based model, emphasizing hope, empowerment, and collaborative management of care.

Watch this short video to learn more

New Video!

Availability and Accessibility of Coordinated Specialty Care in HHS Region 3

Developed with the Central East Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) in collaboration with HeadsUp, this video is geared towards secondary school professionals and highlights the availability and accessibility of Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) in US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Region 3 (Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Washington DC, Virginia, & West Virginia).

Watch Video Here!

Events & Announcements

HeadsUp Early Psychosis Mentor Phone Line

First Episode Psychosis (FEP) centers are not always conveniently located. If you are a Pennsylvania clinician working with a client who may be experiencing early psychosis, we are here to help connect you to information regarding specific care, research, and telehealth resources. For more information or to submit your first question visit the HeadsUp Early Psychosis Mentor page in the clinician’s space of our website OR you can now call our toll free line: 1-833-933-2816

Watch and share this brief video about our early psychosis mentor program.

Look Inside a PA Early Psychosis Center

Finding hope and support with providers from the STEP clinic

"It's really helped for me to realize that things can get better, you can make improvements in your life. Nothing's easy at first but with practice and time and effort it becomes gradually easier. There is nothing you can't overcome.”

An empowering path to recovery with the caring team from the ENGAGE clinic

"I didn't know that I had empowerment, that I was a valid human being...I am very excited about the possibility for the future for myself in a way that I couldn't have imagined would have been possible without the FEP programs.”

First Episode Psychosis Centers in PA are Making a Difference

Early Intervention in Psychiatry

91%

91% decrease in number of participant hospitalizations

126%

Employment rates increased by 126%

85%

School enrollment increased by 85% in those over 18

82%

82% decrease in suicide attempts

76%

76% decrease in homelessness

*all mentioned data is at 24 month follow-up

Catherine (Cat) Conroy, M.Ed, Manager of HeadsUp
Neurodevelopment and Psychosis Section, Department of Psychiatry
Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
10th floor, Gates Pavilion, HUP
3400 Spruce Street, Rm. 10054, Philadelphia, PA 19104
headsuppaorg@gmail.com

We are available during standard business hours (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm) to answer any questions you may have about our organization or to direct you to programs in Pennsylvania that can offer clinical help.

Urgent help.