Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI)
Implemented in 2008, the County of San Luis Obispo's Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI)programs include outreach and education; efforts to increase access to under served populations; improved linkage and referrals at the earliest possible onset of mental illness; and the reduction of stigma and discrimination. Prevention involves increasing protective factors and diminishing an individual's risk factors for developing mental illness. Mental health and wellness are improved by helping individuals cope with risk factors and develop stronger protective factors. Early Intervention programs are intended to prevent mental illness from becoming severe, and reduce the duration of untreated severe mental illness, allowing people to live fulfilling, productive lives.
PEI includes six funding categories for programming:
- Prevention: increasing protective factors and diminishing an individual’s risk factors for developing mental illness,
- Early Intervention: addressing and promoting recovery and outcomes for a mental illness early,
- Outreach for Increasing Recognition of Early Signs of Mental Illness: engaging, encouraging, educating, and/or training and learning from potential responders, ways to recognize and respond to early signs of mental illness,
- Stigma and Discrimination Reduction: activities to reduce negative feelings, attitudes, beliefs, etc. to being diagnosed with a mental illness,
- Access to Linkage to Treatment: creating access and linkage to medically necessary care, and
- Suicide Prevention: preventing suicide as a consequence of mental illness.
