When a marketing strategist shares a stage with child psychiatrists, it signals that the fight against mental illness is no longer confined to the clinic. That was the scene on October 27 at the 2026 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) Annual Meeting in Atlanta, where Glen McDermott, founder of Red Rock Branding, sat alongside Tulane University mental health experts to discuss a decade of early psychosis intervention, public awareness, and community outreach.
Glen McDermott joined Tulane University mental health experts to discuss a decade of early psychosis intervention, public awareness, and community outreach
One of the biggest challenges in early psychosis intervention is reaching people before they experience a crisis.”— Glen McDermott, Founder of Red Rock Branding
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ATLANTA, GA, UNITED STATES, November 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Glen McDermott, founder of Red Rock Branding, joined clinicians and researchers from the Early Psychosis Intervention Clinic-New Orleans (EPIC-NOLA), affiliated with Tulane University School of Medicine, at the 2026 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) Annual Meeting in Atlanta on Tuesday, October 27, to discuss a decade of work advancing early psychosis detection, treatment, and public awareness in New Orleans.
The presentation, titled A Decade of the Early Psychosis Intervention Clinic-New Orleans: Beyond the First Episode—Early Detection and the Continuum of Psychosis Care, examined the evolution of EPIC-NOLA, which has recorded more than 1,300 referrals since its founding in 2015, and its public awareness initiative, Clear Answers to Louisiana Mental Health (CALM).
McDermott, who has worked with CALM on its communications and outreach efforts, joined mental health professionals affiliated with Tulane University, including EPIC-NOLA and CALM co-founders Dr. Ashley Weiss and Dr. Serena Chaudhry; Patricia Hawley, EPIC-NOLA’s clinical high-risk program coordinator; and Dr. Ramin Mojtabai of Tulane University’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.
The session addressed how early psychosis intervention has evolved over the past decade, from identifying young people at risk before a first episode to providing continued care beyond traditional treatment timelines. McDermott highlighted the role of strategic communications in these efforts, including how CALM has used public awareness campaigns, digital marketing, and community partnerships to reduce stigma and help individuals and families find appropriate care.
“One of the biggest challenges in early psychosis intervention is reaching people before they experience a crisis,” said McDermott. “Our work with CALM has focused on making psychosis easier to recognize and talk about, while helping people understand where to turn for help. I’m honored to be part of this discussion with clinicians and researchers who have dedicated their careers to improving care for young people.”
“Early intervention begins with awareness,” said Dr. Ashley Weiss, co-founder of EPIC-NOLA and CALM. “By bringing clinical expertise and strategic communications together, we’ve been able to reach more young people and families with information that helps them recognize the signs of psychosis and seek care sooner.”
The AACAP’s Annual Meeting brings together more than 5,000 child and adolescent psychiatrists and other mental health professionals to share research, clinical developments, and approaches to improving mental health care for children, adolescents, and young adults.
Red Rock Branding manages the strategic communications and public awareness efforts for Clear Answers to Louisiana Mental Health (CALM), a community campaign of EPIC-NOLA aimed at reducing stigma, promoting early detection, and helping young people access treatment sooner. CALM was inspired by early intervention programs in Scandinavia (TIPS) and New Haven, Connecticut (Mindmap), which have helped build evidence that community education and early detection can reduce the duration of untreated psychosis (DUP).
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Jennifer
Carmichael
jennifer@redrockbranding.com
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Why it matters: This collaboration between a branding firm and academic psychiatry shows that reducing the duration of untreated psychosis depends on more than clinical tools—it requires community education and destigmatization. With EPIC-NOLA surpassing 1,300 referrals since 2015, the model suggests that strategic communications can be as critical as medical intervention in reaching young people before a crisis.
