I am not an expert in this field but I believe that there is growing evidence that we can identify youth who are vulnerable to a psychotic episode in young adulthood. Further, there are skill based interventions that can reduce those odds by teaching cognitive and social skills and, perhaps even, providing some medication to help youth better manage the stresses of adolescence and the predisposition toward psychosis that may be evinced by other neurological risks and predispositions (e.g., a history of seizures or other evidence of sensory overload). Given that social workers are placed in many elementary, middle, and high schools, the management of these risk management and amelioration protocols could become standard practice. This might require that social workers develop skills and opportunity to develop and lead these efforts or, at least, engage in the social and cognitive intervention and family work.
