Gustavo Perez: Beyond the Clinic: The Healing Power of Kindness and Community - 2024 FEP Conference

𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲
📌 Living with a psychotic disorder can be an experience of uncertainty, isolation and diminished hope for young people and their loved ones. For providers, supporting people with complex psychological conditions increases risk of burnout. This presentation discusses how intentional kindness and community building strategies are good medicine practices that can benefit young people with psychosis, families and care teams.

𝐎𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬:
✅ Have a greater understanding of the subtle and explicit ways how psychotic disorders impact a large network of people, to include young people experiencing symptoms, family members, and care providers.
✅ Review the positive impact that kindness practices and intentional human connection have in people’s physical, mental and spiritual health.
✅ Discuss specific ways how EPICenter (A FEP in Tucson Arizona) integrates kindness practices and community building initiatives as core components of their program.

🗣️ 𝐆𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐯𝐨 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐳, (he/him) is a clinical associate professor at the University of Arizona, College of Medicine, Psychiatry Department where he directs the Early Psychosis Intervention Center (EPICenter). Dr. Perez's priorities include: Supporting young adults with serious mental illness in building a life of connection and purpose, advocating for families, preparing the next generation of providers to offer best diagnostic and intervention practices, and engaging with local communities to reduce stigma and increase opportunities for youth in different stages of psychotic disorder.

Dr. Perez is a licensed psychologist and a certified trauma specialist. He completed his doctorate degree in school psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and his clinical psychology internship at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Prior to joining the University of Arizona, Dr. Perez was the chief psychologist at the Pima County Juvenile Detention Center in Tucson AZ.

𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦: https://mhttcnetwork.org/south-southw...

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬:
📌 Early Psychosis Intervention Center (EPICenter) University of Arizona: https://psychiatry.arizona.edu/patien...
📌 Norton School of Human Ecology at the University of Arizona, Science of Kindness Community Collective: https://norton.arizona.edu/person/jea...
📌 Book: Have I Told You About My Superpowers: A book of resilient verse, Luther Kissam V., Little Star Publisher 2022
📌 Book: Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion, Gregory Boyle SJ, Simon & Schuster 2011
📌 Words Under the Words: Selected Poems, Naomi Shihab Nye, Far Corner 1995

The 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐌𝐇𝐓𝐓𝐂 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐏𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬 (𝐅𝐄𝐏) 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 was held virtually from June 5-6, 2024. Participants dedicated to enhancing FEP care, including individuals with lived experience, family members, providers, and researchers, came together to celebrate achievements and explore a future of sustained growth and accountability in FEP care. ‪‪@TIEMH‬

𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦: https://mhttcnetwork.org/south-southw...
𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦:    • 2024 First Episode Psychosis Conferen...  

00:00:00 Introductions
00:02:01 Gustavo Perez
00:04:32 Lessons Learned
00:07:43 Overcoming Feelings of Isolation
00:12:39 The Importance of Community
00:17:23 Beyond the Clinic
00:28:51 Who to Engage With
00:33:05 The Importance of Kindness
00:41:43 Barriers Faced
00:45:05 Systemic Barriers
00:48:58 Creating Community in Rural Areas
00:51:02 How to Teach Kindness
00:53:43 Closing Remarks

#kindnessmatters #psychosisawareness #psychosis