Early Intervention in Psychosis Monday to Friday 9-5 tel. 01442 275 46 Fax 01442 275 496

1. Early Intervention in Psychosis Monday to Friday 9-5 tel. 01442 275 46 Fax 01442 275 496 • 150 new referrals / year • Mainly schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar, drug induced psychosis, dual diagnosis • We also work with a few At Risk Mental State patients • We work with our patients for up to 3 years ( 450 in total ) • We take direct referrals over the phone from GPs , schools, parents • If you are not sure whether you should refer – please telephone us up. We will be happy to discuss you r concerns and see your patient.

2. What we do • Medication, we will prescribe and monitor any potential side effects. We will ask you to repeat prescriptions once we have no concerns. We will still monitor side effects and react if any concerns for your peace of mind. • Where safe, we try to wean patients off their medication after a year or two. It is to establish what their minimum effective dose is, or whether they can stay well without medication. • Physical checks. Behavioural weight management/ lifestyle assessment – we do them.

3. Psychological therapies • CBT based relapse prevention. • Working with patients/families so that they can manage the illness themselves. ( recognise relapse early, contingency plans etc.) • CBT for residual symptoms, social anxiety, depression etc. • BFT ( behavioural family therapy ) • Work with substance abuse • Help to return to employment, education. • Accomodation.

4. EIPS are referrer friendly • Simply a phone call to explain what your concerns are. you can fax your patient’s medical hx later • 16 – 35 years old • 14-15 only if your local CAMHS clinic unable to see • We are based in Hemel and have no staff after 5 pm so in very urgent cases we will not be able to see the patient immediately and will liaise with your local crisis team • Self-referrals welcome • Telephone for EIPS WEST 01442 275 460

5. St Albans functional and medically unexplained symptoms clinic • patients with somatisation (physical complaints where an underlying medical cause cannot be found.) • patients with amplified symptoms ( underlying medical condition cannot adequately explain the severity or nature of presenting symptoms.)

6. Common symptoms include: • Neurological symptoms: • (tremor, paralysis of a limb or paraesthesia, speech or swallowing difficulties, headaches seizures, falls,) • GI complaints ( bowel complaints, IBS ) • CV complaints ( chest complaints, hyperventilation syndromes) • Chronic Fatigue • Chronic Pain • Body Dysmorphic Disorder • Sleep Disorders

7. Initially 1 day/week, from July 2011 • multidisciplinary assessment by a psychologist, consultant nurse and consultant psychiatrist. • We offer a CBT-based treatment concentrating on the patient’s experience of their symptoms and how they are affected by them. We usually offer up to 10 CBT sessions. • Where appropriate, patients will be offered a choice between psychotherapy and medication

8. We can also provide PRACTICAL TRAINING FOR REFERRERS: • We want to enable the primary care professionals to gain ‘hands on’ experience in dealing with their MUS clients and to generalise their experience to gain expertise in working with this group of patients. • We can develop a tailor-made management plan for your patient. The plan ( blue print ) will be shared and discussed with you so you can learn ‘on the case.’ • We provide subsequent consultations and supervision by request for the referrers and their clients.

9. How to refer: • Through your usual IAPT route, please indicate that the referral is for MUS • Or directly to Dr Jacek Kolsut / Hildah Jiah on Tel 01442 275 460 Fax 01442 275496 • ( please speak to Alexis Williams, team secretary and tell her that your call/fax is for MUS as we share the office with Early Intervention in Psychosis ) • Jacek.kolsut@hertspartsft.nhs.ukHildah.Jiah@hertspartsft.nhs.uk