ORAL PRESENTATION

D. Eddington, C. Lem, M.Forget, H. Zachozy, C. Cheng

Background: The NorthBEAT Collaborative is a four-year research-to-action initiative committed to helping youth with psychosis in Northwestern Ontario get the help they need, when they need it. In addition to its over 30 signed member organizations, NorthBEAT is supported by two youth and family advisory groups intended to guide the Collaborative’s activities, provide feedback, and support the co-creation of targeted educational resources.

Objectives: We will provide a snapshot of the NorthBEAT Family & Lived Experience Advisory Group (#northbeatFLAG) and its successes, challenges, and activities to date. After providing some background on the FLAG, we will invite participants to share their own experiences with family advisory groups—whether as participants, facilitators, or potential new recruits—in order to inform FLAG activities. This session is intended to give family members and their allies an opportunity to share their perspectives about their needs as family advisory group members.

Discussion: We invite family members and clinicians in attendance at the EPION conference to join us in an informal discussion about their own experiences engaging with or participating as part of a family advisory group. We are particularly interested in hearing about successes, challenges, and new ideas from a provincial perspective in order to inform NorthBEAT’s FLAG activities.