The Clinique JAP at the CHUM was founded in 1999 by Dr. Béatrice Granger, with a small team of occupational therapists and social workers, to give young people living with early psychosis a better chance of recovery through specialized, early, intensive interdisciplinary care, focused mainly on community services. This innovative approach, shown to be the most effective for achieving symptom remission and helping young people return to a social role, was developed in Australia in the early 1990s and is now used worldwide. Over the years the clinic has grown and now serves more than 300 young people in downtown Montreal each year. Clinique JAP is one of the founding members of the Association des Programmes pour Premiers Épisodes Psychotiques (AQPPEP).

Meet Dr. Amal Abdel-Baki, psychiatrist at the Clinique JAP of the CHUM

Since 1999, Clinique JAP's mission has been to:

- Offer easy, timely access to treatment for young adults with psychosis
- Offer treatment based on collaboration with both the young adult and their loved ones, in a climate of realistic hope
- Achieve remission of psychotic symptoms and help the patient return to their community and to meaningful social roles
- Offer a wide range of services informed by the latest knowledge
- Promote the importance of early, intensive care for young people with a psychotic episode, from the first signs

Early detection of psychosis in collaboration with the CHUM's community partner organizations.
- Early and intensive intervention with the patient and their loved ones, in a collaborative approach with continuity of care.
- Training and education 

Clinique JAP is part of the Department of Psychiatry at the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM). As a teaching hospital, it welcomes and trains student interns and residents from various disciplines (medicine, psychiatry, occupational therapy, social work, nursing, and others) who want to develop their knowledge and skills in this area of care.

In addition to scientific lectures for physicians, psychiatrists and other health professionals, Clinique JAP also offers training and educational talks in community and school organizations that work with young people, and to support associations for loved ones of people with mental illness, to raise awareness of the importance of early intervention for psychosis.

- Young adults aged 18 to 35
- Young people with affective or non-affective psychosis as their primary diagnosis
- Young people who have never been treated, or who have been treated for psychosis for less than a year
- Young people living in the catchment area of CSSS Jeanne-Mance and CSSS Cœur-de-l'Île. Your postal code must begin with one of the following three-letter prefixes: H2H, H2K, H2L, H2T, H2V, H2W, H2X, H2Y, H2Z, H3B, H5B or H2J.

Young people can be referred by mental health professionals, physicians, psychologists or clinicians who work with youth. Family, school, friends, or the young people themselves can also request a consultation by contacting Clinique JAP. See the information on the Contact page.

Dr. Amal Abdel-Baki completed her medical training and residency in psychiatry at Université Laval in 2001. She completed a master's degree in biomedical sciences at Université de Montréal on predictors of the long-term course of schizophrenia in Quebec. She completed a one-year clinical and research fellowship at EPPIC in Melbourne, Australia, with the team of Prof. Patrick McGorry (a leader of the international movement for early detection and intervention in psychosis). For several years she has focused on early detection and intervention for psychosis in young people, as well as psychosocial treatment approaches, cognitive-behavioural psychotherapy specific to psychosis, and return to productive activity (work and studies) for young people with psychosis. She has worked at Clinique JAP since 2002 as a psychiatrist and as head of the clinic and of research.

Dr. Artaud has worked as a psychiatrist and clinical professor at Clinique JAP of the CHUM since 2006.

Dr. Clairélaine Ouellet-Plamondon is a psychiatrist in the Department of Psychiatry at the CHUM. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Université de Montréal and a researcher at the CR-CHUM.

After training in biomedical sciences, Dr. Ouellet-Plamondon completed her medical studies and, at the same time, a master's degree in biomedical sciences (MD/MSc program) at Université de Montréal. She then completed her residency in psychiatry at the same institution. After specializing, she joined the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto for a clinical fellowship in addiction psychiatry and schizophrenia, focused on first-episode psychosis and concurrent disorders (psychosis and substance use). Since 2013 she has worked at the CHUM as a psychiatrist on the Clinique JAP (Jeunes Adultes Psychotiques) and Unité de psychiatrie des toxicomanies (UPT) teams. Her clinical and research interests focus on early psychosis and substance use disorders. She is also interested in innovative practices such as nature- and adventure-based intervention.

Dr. Prométhéas Constantinides has been a psychiatrist and psychotherapist since 2005. He is also a clinical assistant professor at the Université de Montréal, where he teaches analytic psychotherapy and supervises psychiatry residents and other health professionals in this approach.

After medical studies and a specialization in psychiatry at Université de Montréal, in 2007 he completed additional research training at the Hôpital général juif de Montréal (McGill University network) on the processes of change associated with psychotherapy.

From 2005 to 2021, he worked at the Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal (IUSMM) with patients living with psychosis, in intensive community follow-up (SIM), in outpatient clinics, and on inpatient units. During the same period, Dr. Constantinides worked on developing an innovative psychotherapy, mentalization-based therapy for psychosis, while continuing a private psychoanalytic practice.

He joined Clinique JAP at the CHUM in 2022, where he continues his research on psychotherapy for psychosis.

Marilyn Paquet completed a master's degree in occupational therapy at Université de Montréal in 2009 on the recovery of people with serious mental disorders in the Quebec context. The continuum of care between youth and adult mental health services remains one of her interests, as does the vocational case manager role. In 2016 she completed a certificate in health and social services management at Université de Montréal. She has worked at Clinique JAP since 2010 and has been a team leader since 2019. She contributes to training the team's clinicians and external partners.

Marie-Pier has been working in psychiatry since she arrived at the CHUM in 2010. She began developing her expertise at Clinique JAP in 2012. A clinical nurse by training, she took to the case manager role extremely well after first serving as a nurse at the clinic. Six years later, she has become a go-to resource for the team. Marie-Pier became head of EQIIP SOL, a team for young people who are homeless and living with psychosis and substance use. As team leader, she coordinates a knowledge-exchange table (community of practice) that meets monthly to discuss detection and early intervention for psychosis and comorbid disorders among street-involved youth.

Over the years she has been involved in many groups (CBT for anxiety, regular groups, the outdoor group, a parent support group, and training for future first-episode clinics) and has also taken on responsibility for facilitating meetings and supervising and mentoring new clinicians. Known for her good humour, Marie-Pier loves working with young people; she is committed to their recovery and to the smooth running of the team.

Erhel Diard completed her nursing studies in France in 2010. She has a varied background: several years in mental health on various inpatient and emergency units, in both France and Montreal; in research (Avatar therapy); in physical health care; and a six-month international solidarity mission in India. She was part of the first cohort trained as a mental health nurse practitioner at Université de Montréal. Since 2019 she has been practising in this new role as an IPSSM at the CHUM, at Clinique JAP, with young people experiencing a first episode of psychosis. She particularly enjoys being creative in adapting her approaches to young people's needs. She is also involved in the training stream of AQPPEP (Association Québécoise des Programmes des Premiers Épisodes de Psychose).

Marie-Pascale graduated in occupational therapy from Université de Montréal in 2017. During her studies she broadened her horizons in mental health by exploring different cultures and approaches, including an internship at a private mental health clinic in France and volunteering at the Instituto de psicatria Gregorio Pacheco in Bolivia. She then began her career on an intensive community follow-up (SIM) team at the Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, which promotes community intervention, interdisciplinary work, and autonomy for adults with chronic mental health problems. She joined the CHUM Clinique JAP team in 2020. Through all these experiences, she puts the young person's experience at the heart of her work, advocating a partnership approach and integrating the promotion of physical activity into recovery.

Mathieu has been an occupational therapist since 2011, a graduate of Université de Montréal. He worked for four years in general psychiatry (inpatient units) and in addiction medicine-psychiatry (inpatient service), and has developed a particular interest in substance use issues. At Clinique JAP since the end of 2015, he believes in activity as a therapeutic medium; he loves to PLAY in his own life (board games, individual and team sports, music) and understands the importance of a well-balanced life! He enjoys teamwork and building a connection with young people, even when that connection is a challenge—a diagnosis and help can be hard to accept when you do not see the situation the same way as the treating team. He has also been involved in teaching (occupational therapy program — mental health stream, supervising students) since he graduated. He is also occupational therapy coordinator for mental health programs at the CHUM.

As an occupational therapist, he is interested in the person as a whole and wants them to develop their potential and make the most of as many occupational opportunities as possible, because a psychotic episode can sometimes interfere with important plans such as school or work.

Léa Léveillée Elbariz began her career in psychiatry at Hôpital Notre-Dame after completing a college diploma in nursing. She then continued her studies while keeping her job as a psychiatric nurse, and has since completed her bachelor's degree in nursing (2019). She developed her clinical expertise by working in various mental health departments. Those experiences led her to become an outpatient case manager at EQIIP SOL. She is committed to working in partnership with young people and the various people who support their recovery. One of her primary interests is to work directly with the person in their environment.

Audrey Livet, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and researcher in psychiatry at the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), where she practises in the psychology service at the Clinique JAP outpatient clinic (Jeunes Adultes Psychotiques). A member of the Ordre des psychologues du Québec, she specializes in cognitive and behavioural therapies for psychosis (CBTp) — from the first to the third wave. She also has solid experience facilitating therapeutic groups in hospital settings and in private practice.

Alongside her clinical practice, she plays an active role in training and supervising students and health professionals in evidence-based psychosocial interventions, particularly CBTp. As a health professional researcher at the Centre de recherche du CHUM, she is interested in the effectiveness and implementation of psychosocial interventions for psychotic disorders, with a particular focus on cognitive and behavioural therapy (individual or group) and early intervention approaches.  

Édith Maisonneuve completed a bachelor's degree in social work at Université de Sherbrooke in 2011. She has worked at the CHUM since graduating and has gained experience in several specialties, including four years in neurology. She has been at Clinique JAP since 2016 and joined EQIIP SOL in 2017. She is interested in systemic issues related to homelessness and mental health. She regularly takes part in the sports group, which she sees as a way to help young people get active.

Marie-Pier Proulx joined EQIIP SOL at Clinique JAP as a social worker in June 2021, just after obtaining her bachelor's degree in social work at Université du Québec à Montréal. Before working with EQIIP SOL, Marie-Pier spent several years in the community sector, particularly with girls and women in difficult situations. Also an artist, she completed professional training at the École de danse contemporaine de Montréal (2016) and a college diploma in contemporary dance at Cégep de Saint-Laurent (2013). For Marie-Pier, dance and social work have always been intrinsically linked. Her social commitment runs through her artistic career, where she leads several community art projects, including the forum theatre play Le contrôle du corps des femmes, created in collaboration with participants from the Centre des femmes d'ici et d'ailleurs and members of Vichama Collectif. Resolutely inventive and committed, Marie-Pier cares deeply about the well-being of the young people she works with. She will listen, support, and walk with young people on the path to recovery.

Carmela Schiraldi has been a mental health occupational therapist since 2009. She worked for eleven years at the Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal (IUSMM) with a varied clientele (anxiety and mood disorders, psychotic disorders, substance use, and forensic psychiatry). She established community partnerships to create recovery opportunities for patients through various mediums (for example a theatre troupe and an adapted sports group). She has also developed a private practice with adults struggling with various mental health-related problems. She takes an active part in the teaching mission of the profession, notably by supervising university students and taking part in events that promote occupational therapy in mental health. Since 2020 she has returned to her first love and joined the Clinique JAP team at the CHUM. As an occupational therapist, she places the whole person at the heart of her work, and draws on young people's dreams and desires to engage them in their recovery.

An occupational therapist by training, Audrey has worked in neurology since graduating with a master's in occupational therapy in 2013 from Université de Montréal. She has, however, always had an interest in mental health, since a formative internship in psychiatry at Hôpital Notre-Dame during her studies, where patient advocacy and empowerment were at the forefront. Her arrival at Clinique JAP in 2017 was a professional challenge, but also an opportunity to rediscover the helping relationship from a different angle.

After her specialty training in surgery, Dr. Granger worked as a surgeon in Val-d'Or for a few months, then completed a second specialty in psychiatry. She founded Clinique JAP in 1999, seeing the need for this kind of care for this population. A dynamic and innovative woman, she also founded the CHUM day hospital for psychotic disorders.