Interventions for Changes in Emotions, Perception, & Thinking (INTERCEPT)
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What is INTERCEPT?
Interventions for Changes in Emotions, Perception, and Thinking (INTERCEPT) is a unique mental health program for people ages 15 to 28.
It addresses new and distressing symptoms in their early stages, offering ways to help prevent them from growing into more serious conditions. A main goal is to prevent psychotic disorders from developing in young people.
Symptoms
How to know when a young person is at risk? Look for changes in thinking and behavior. Symptoms can include:
- Feeling suspicious of others
- Feeling like things are unreal
- Hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling things but wondering if others are sensing them too
- Trouble with communication—what you're trying to communicate and/or your understanding of what others are trying to communicate to you
- New ideas and beliefs that others might struggle to understand
- Trouble with speaking in a direct, organized way
- Withdrawing from friends and family
- Difficulties in school or at work
- Loss of motivation to do daily tasks
- Trouble with attention, concentration, and memory
- Changes in feelings and emotions
- Changes in sleeping or eating patterns
Even if a young person is having symptoms of psychosis, it does not mean that they have or will later have schizophrenia. Many of these signs and symptoms can be related with other things, such as depression, anxiety, trauma, physical illness, injuries, or frequent drug and alcohol use.
So if a young person experiences any of these symptoms, it is important to talk to a mental-health professional specializing in the assessment and interventions for psychotic symptoms. The earlier the intervention, the better the outcomes.
Our Approach
Through INTERCEPT, young people can learn to identify, monitor, and manage changes in behavior and mental health. Treatment is tailored to each person and can include individual and group therapy, problem solving, social skills training, goal planning, and more.
INTERCEPT aims to prevent early symptoms from turning into serious psychiatric conditions. Treatment, which is tailored to the unique needs of each patient, can include any of the following:
- Clinical evaluation and assessment
- Supportive counseling
- Evidence-based psychotherapy – Individual, Group, and Family formats available
- Following along or monitoring of symptoms
- Relapse prevention
- Clinical treatment with medication, if eligible
- Case management services
- Peer support
- Assistance with accessing and navigating community supports and services (e.g., work and school)
- Options to participate in research studies – generally aims to understand how to better help individuals with at-risk signs of serious mental illness
NOTE: Some services subject to patient need and eligibility.
What Sets Us Apart?
The program, supported by a grant from the Patrick P. Lee Foundation, is structured to minimize disruptions to school, work, and relationships. It can help young people make “course corrections” on their journey to mental wellness.
INTERCEPT is run by a team of specialists in child/adolescent and adult psychiatry who work with young people with serious psychiatric conditions. We also aim to provide services and supports that will help minimize disruptions to the young person’s ability to engage in school, work, and relationships.
Locations
We serve you in the Rochester metropolitan area and surrounding region.
1 location
Brighton Health Center
2613 West Henrietta Road, Suite E
Rochester, NY 14623
Patient Education & Support
Provider Referrals
If you are interested in the INTERCEPT program, please ask your doctor or mental health provider for a referral. Providers can review the frequently asked questions for additional details and then complete our online referral form.
Complete our form to refer a patient today.
Provider ReferralFrequently Asked Questions for Medical Providers
INTERCEPT is an early intervention program for young people at clinical high risk for psychosis.
CHR (clinical high risk) refers to early warning signs or symptoms that people may experience before the start of serious and persistent mental disorders like schizophrenia.
The clinic aims to prevent the onset of full psychosis. Individuals referred will be formally assessed for CHR by trained mental health specialists. Patients who meet CHR criteria will be enrolled in the clinic and can receive case management, in-person or online therapy, medication (if needed), healthy lifestyle goal setting and support, and other evidence-based interventions.
All referrals receive a comprehensive assessment by our team to determine if the patient meets CHR criteria. Providers are not expected to know if their patient meets CHR criteria at the time of referral.
To assist providers in their decision to refer their patient, we have developed an online HIPAA-compliant referral form with pre-screening questions to help providers review the most common early warning signs of CHR status and clinic exclusion criteria with their patient. Our team will review referrals submitted via our online form and conduct a phone screen to determine if a more comprehensive assessment by our team is recommended.
Even if your patient is experiencing early warning signs of psychosis, it does not mean that they have or will later have schizophrenia. Many of these warning signs are related to other things, such as depression, anxiety, trauma, physical illness or injuries, or frequent drug and alcohol use.
These experiences are more common than many people think, and for some, they go away on their own. However, if your patient is experiencing any of the early warning signs, it is important that they talk to a mental-health professional at INTERCEPT. The earlier that these signs are assessed and, if necessary, addressed, the better the outcomes.