Session: Transforming Psychosis Services: Social Work Science at the Nexus of Culture, Recovery, and Policy (Society for Social Work and Research 30th Annual Conference Anniversary)

Individuals experiencing psychosis are characterized by substantial heterogeneity in cultural backgrounds, clinical presentations, access to resources, and support needs, necessitating innovative and comprehensive service provision across the course of illness. The growth of community mental health services has supported the utility of harnessing a coordinated resource delivery framework, but treatment disparities persist in key clinical, occupational, and functional domains. Moreover, existing services report disproportionate rates of disengagement and dissatisfaction with treatment, particularly within early intervention services, further underscoring the need for critical evaluation of barriers and facilitators to service user retention and successful programmatic implementation. Social work is ideally positioned to lead this charge through navigating integrated mental health service settings and amplifying service user experiences to develop innovative and culturally responsive methods of promoting sustained clinical, functional, and person-centered recovery. This symposium brings together five studies that exemplify social work science as a driver of transformative change in psychosis services centered on equity, cultural humility, and recovery. The first presentation draws on a large, multi-site qualitative study exploring the vocational trajectories of youth and young adults in early psychosis programs. Findings illuminate key mechanisms of self-efficacy, non-illness-centered identity, social support, and financial capacity - shaped by systemic and cultural contexts. These insights highlight the importance of tailored supports and policy-level change to promote meaningful recovery. The second study employs network analysis to examine the relationships between symptom domains and personal recovery orientation using data from over 100 coordinated specialty care sites. Results underscore the centrality of affective symptoms and empowerment-related recovery factors, reinforcing the value of interventions that prioritize self-determination and relational well-being, beyond symptom reduction alone. The third presentation reports on a pilot randomized trial of a modified Cognitive Behavioral Suicide Prevention intervention for adults with schizophrenia in a community mental health setting. Findings demonstrate the feasibility and potential effectiveness of a symptom-tailored, stakeholder-informed model, with meaningful reductions in suicide ideation, depression, and distress, emphasizing the value of real-world adaptation and implementation. The fourth paper investigates cultural measurement bias in widely used social cognition assessments through qualitative cognitive interviews with Latine individuals with schizophrenia. Participants described misalignment between task expectations and their lived cultural realities, suggesting that conventional tools may obscure rather than clarify cognitive functioning. This work points to the need for culturally valid assessment practices to ensure equitable diagnosis, treatment planning, and outcome evaluation. The final study explores the impacts of diagnostic disagreement on treatment engagement in early psychosis care. Participants shared how clinical labels often clashed with personal, spiritual, or cultural understandings, contributing to mistrust, stigma, and disengagement. These narratives emphasize the importance of relational, flexible, and justice-oriented approaches that honor multiple ways of knowing. Together, these studies illustrate how social work research can bridge the gap between scientific evidence, community realities, and policy reform. Presenters will offer actionable strategies to advance equity, trust, and recovery in psychosis care, reinforcing social work’s leadership role in shaping inclusive and responsive mental health systems.