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Aim: No previous study has investigated interventions for homeless youth suffering from first episode psychosis and comorbid substance use disorder (HYPS). An intensive assertive community intervention team (IACIT) offering outreach interventions, housing support as well as integrated care for early psychosis and substance use disorder (SUD) was created in 2012 at the Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM). To explore the impact of the addition of an IACIT to an early intervention for psychosis service (EIS) on housing stability, functional and symptomatic outcomes and mental health service use., Methods: A two-year longitudinal study comparing the outcome of HYPS receiving combined EIS and IACIT since 2012, to a historical cohort of HYPS receiving EIS only between 2005 and 2011. Socio-demographic data, housing stability, functioning, illness severity, SUD severity, emergency room visits and hospitalizations were assessed at admission, at 1 month, and every 3 months thereafter., Results: HYPS receiving EIS + IACIT achieved housing stability more rapidly and spent less time hospitalized than HYPS getting EIS only (RR 2.38, P = .017). HYPS with cocaine misuse were less likely to attain housing stability (RR 0.25, P = .04). No between-group differences were found for psychiatric symptoms, functioning and SUD outcomes., Conclusion: The addition of IACIT-HYPS to EIS was associated with earlier housing stability and reduced total hospitalization days compared to EIS alone., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

In Canada, about 6,000 youth are homeless every night, many of whom suffer from addiction and psychotic disorders. To facilitate the exit out of homelessness, access to care and to improve psychosis and addiction outcomes, a new intensive outreach intervention team (EQIIP SOL) was created in Montreal (2012). It offers intensive outreach services dedicated to homeless youth suffering from first episode psychosis and addiction (HYFEPA) in addition to an early psychosis intervention service (EIS) in collaboration with the Addiction Psychiatry Unit. Our aim is to describe the characteristics, clinical, functional and housing outcomes of HYFEPA followed by EQIIP SOL. This two years long prospective longitudinal study with all HYFEPA (n = 42) admitted to EQIIP SOL between 2012-2015 reports at multiple time points, clinical (CGI, GAF), functional (SOFAS, work/study, housing autonomy) and substance use disorder (DUS, AUS) outcomes and acute services use (hospitalizations, emergency room visits). We observed that, at baseline, HYFEPA showed poor prognostic factors (eg. cluster B personality, substance use disorders, legal problems, childhood trauma and lower education level). The majority reached housing stability after 6 months and their functioning and illness severity improved with time. This suggests that HYFEPA improve with an intensive outreach intervention team integrated to an EIS., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)