Red Rock Branding founder joins Tulane psychosis panel at AACAP meeting

Glen McDermott appeared with Tulane University mental health experts at the 2026 AACAP Annual Meeting in Atlanta to discuss a decade of early psychosis intervention in New Orleans. The session focused on EPIC-NOLA’s growth, public awareness efforts through CALM, and why earlier detection can help young people get care sooner.

Why it matters: - Early psychosis intervention aims to identify young people at risk before a first episode and keep them connected to care beyond traditional treatment timelines. - EPIC-NOLA and its outreach campaign, CALM, are built around reducing stigma and shortening the time between symptoms and treatment. - The work matters for young people, families, and clinicians trying to get help before a crisis escalates.

What happened: - Glen McDermott, founder of Red Rock Branding, joined Tulane University mental health experts at the 2026 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Annual Meeting in Atlanta on Tuesday, Oct. 27. - The panel presentation was titled "A Decade of the Early Psychosis Intervention Clinic-New Orleans: Beyond the First Episode—Early Detection and the Continuum of Psychosis Care." - The session focused on the evolution of the Early Psychosis Intervention Clinic-New Orleans, or EPIC-NOLA, and its public awareness initiative, Clear Answers to Louisiana Mental Health, or CALM. - EPIC-NOLA has recorded more than 1,300 referrals since its founding in 2015. - The AACAP Annual Meeting draws more than 5,000 child and adolescent psychiatrists and other mental health professionals.

The details: - McDermott has worked with CALM on communications and outreach. - He joined EPIC-NOLA and CALM co-founders Dr. Ashley Weiss and Dr. Serena Chaudhry, EPIC-NOLA clinical high-risk program coordinator Patricia Hawley, and Dr. Ramin Mojtabai of Tulane University's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. - The discussion covered how early psychosis work has shifted over the past decade from pre-episode identification to longer-term care models. - McDermott said strategic communications have helped CALM use public awareness campaigns, digital marketing, and community partnerships to reduce stigma and guide families toward care. - Dr. Weiss said bringing clinical expertise together with strategic communications has helped reach more young people and families with information about signs of psychosis and how to seek help sooner. - Red Rock Branding manages CALM's strategic communications and public awareness efforts. - CALM is a community campaign of EPIC-NOLA focused on reducing stigma, promoting early detection, and helping young people access treatment sooner. - CALM was inspired by early intervention programs in Scandinavia, known as TIPS, and in New Haven, Connecticut, known as Mindmap. - Those programs helped build evidence that community education and early detection can reduce the duration of untreated psychosis, or DUP.

Between the lines: - The appearance placed branding and communications work alongside clinical research as part of a broader mental health access strategy. - The event also gave EPIC-NOLA a platform to show how a local program can use public messaging to support clinical referrals and earlier engagement. - The focus on awareness suggests that outreach remains a key barrier to treatment, not just the availability of care.

What's next: - EPIC-NOLA and CALM are likely to continue using public education and outreach to reach young people earlier in the course of illness. - The broader takeaway from the session is that psychosis care is moving toward earlier detection and more continuous support, not just treatment after a first episode. - Red Rock Branding is expected to keep supporting CALM's communications and awareness work.