The reason that we restrict it to Montreal is that the philosophy of the program is to see patients in the community and engage patients wherever we can engage them. For example, if people don’t want to come to the hospital because they feel stigmatized, the case manager can meet them at a local coffee shop and work with them there. We also work very closely with families. And case managers visit families at home if patients don’t want to come to the hospital. In this case, it becomes extremely difficult to go outside of Montreal. These kinds of early intervention programs need to be developed in all regions of Quebec so that everyone can benefit. Anyone who does not live on the Island should still be encouraged to get help as soon as possible through a family doctor or CLSC, and there are other services available even if the PEPP program isn’t available in other areas.
-Ridha Joober, MD, PhD, Mini-Psych School 2012