Outreach, assessment & support for intervention in early psychosis (OASIS) - OASIS (outreach, assessment & support for intervention in early psychosis) will expand early identification and coordinated…

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded Valleywise Health (Maricopa County Special Health Care District) $487,500 on September 30, 2026, under the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children with Serious Emotional Disturbances (SED) program (CFDA 93.104) to expand early identification and coordinated specialty care for youth and young adults at clinical high risk for psychosis across Maricopa County.

Valleywise Health will implement the Outreach, Assessment & Support for Intervention in Early Psychosis (OASIS) initiative, delivering trauma-informed screening, rapid diagnostic assessment, and stepped care interventions to reduce untreated psychotic symptoms and prevent progression to first episode psychosis. The program will serve youth and young adults ages 12–25, including those experiencing attenuated psychotic symptoms, functional decline, trauma exposure, co-occurring anxiety or depression, substance use, and significant social stressors such as poverty, housing instability, and limited transportation. OASIS will operate within Valleywise Health's Integrated Behavioral Health System, which includes a Level 1 trauma center, three behavioral health hospitals, and 11 Federally Qualified Health Centers. The initiative will integrate with Valleywise Health's two evidence-based first episode centers and expand referral pathways across schools, crisis providers, and pediatric practices. The program will serve at least 75 individuals annually and 1,167 unduplicated individuals over four years, including youth, young adults, and family members engaged in psychoeducation and support.

Period of performance runs from September 30, 2026, through September 29, 2030, with place of performance in Avondale, Arizona.

Outreach, assessment & support for intervention in early psychosis (OASIS) - OASIS (outreach, assessment & support for intervention in early psychosis) will expand early identification and coordinated specialty care for youth and young adults at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR p) across maricopa county by implementing trauma informed screening, rapid diagnostic assessment, and stepped care interventions that reduce untreated symptoms and prevent progression to first episode psychosis. Led by valleywise health (VH), the county's safety net health system, the initiative will serve diverse, low income, and underserved youth who often enter care through crisis driven, traumatizing pathways that reinforce distrust and stigma. By integrating CHR p services with VH's two evidence based first episode centers and expanding referral pathways across schools, crisis providers, and pediatric practices, OASIS will strengthen the county's early psychosis continuum and improve long term outcomes for vulnerable youth and families. The project will operate within VH's integrated behavioral health system, which includes a level 1 trauma center, three behavioral health hospitals, and 11 federally qualified health centers, and will serve youth and young adults ages 12-25, the developmental period when attenuated psychosis symptoms most commonly emerge. OASIS will serve at least 75 individuals annually and 1,167 unduplicated individuals over four years, including youth, young adults, and family members engaged in psychoeducation and support. The population of focus includes individuals experiencing attenuated psychotic symptoms, functional decline, trauma exposure, CO occurring anxiety or depression, substance use, and significant social stressors such as poverty, housing instability, and limited transportation. Many rely on VH as their primary or only source of care, making early identification and intervention essential to preventing symptom progression and supporting long term recovery. OASIS will implement a countywide early psychosis identification and intervention pathway modeled after yale's prime clinic, integrating validated screening tools (PQ b or prime screen), gold standard diagnostic assessments (sips/mini sips), and a full stepped care model that includes CBT for early psychosis (cbtep), family psychoeducation, peer support, supported education and employment, and psychiatric consultation when clinically indicated. CHR p services will be CO located within VH's first episode centers, with a third center opening during the project period to expand capacity and ensure rapid access. Project goals include reducing the duration of untreated attenuated psychosis symptoms; improving early detection and referral pathways; delivering culturally responsive, trauma informed CHR p services; strengthening the early psychosis continuum; and improving functional, academic, and social outcomes for youth and young adults. By november 2026, OASIS will implement countywide CHR p screening workflows and complete hiring of key staff, followed by early implementation of stepped care services using existing first episode center staff by december 2026. By march 2027, the program will fully implement non diagnostic screenings, sips/mini sips assessments, CBT EP, family psychoeducation, substance use screening and brief intervention, peer support, and supported education and employment, ensuring that at least 90% of eligible youth receive an evidence based service within 30 days of assessment. Performance measurement will be supported by EHR based data extraction, fidelity monitoring, and continuous quality improvement processes, and VH's multidisciplinary team, supported by strong community partnerships and more than a decade of early psychosis expertise, is well positioned to implement and sustain a comprehensive CHR p initiative that advances samhsa's priorities and strengthens behavioral health outcomes for youth across maricopa county.