Abstract

Introduction: Evidence from high-income countries demonstrates effectiveness of early intervention services (EIS) for people with First Episode Psychosis (FEP). In the US, OnTrackNY, a type of EIS, has been successfully implemented across many communites. No Latin-American country offers universal access to EIS for FEP, with the partial exception of Chile where FEP policies don´t conform to recently established evidence-based approaches. To apply OnTrackNY in Chile, adaptations to this new context are required. Objective: Identify stakeholder views on strengths and barriers associated with implementing OnTrackNY in Chile. Methods: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted in three Community Mental Health Centers (CMHC) in two regions across stakeholder groups: policy makers (n=5), CMHC Health Managers/Directors (n=4), mental health professionals (n=8). Conducted two focus groups with clients (n=13) and families (n=13). Stakeholders views about three areas were examined: Current FEP services in Chile; OnTrack implementation in Chile; and OnTrack training approach to support implementation. Results: Stakeholders shared consensus regarding strengths and barriers about each category. Current FEP services were viewed as lacking coordinated outreach and referral, promoting stigma and using a more traditional medical model. Stakeholders expressed strong acceptance of OnTrack model as it will help shift FEP services to a more recovery-oriented, patient-centered approach. Views about training identified important barriers including lack of incentives and limited time for training. Conclusions: Stakeholders consider OnTrack as an important approach to transform FEP services in Chile using a more recovery-oriented approach. Although some concerns in implementation logistics were identified, there appears to be strong support for OnTrack’s implementation with the appropriate adaptations.