Therapy in the Desert features the only Psychosis and Bipolar Recovery Program in Nye County. ​In addition, the agency features the only Flexible Assertive Community Treatment (F.A.C.T) for Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders (SSD) and bipolar disorders in all of Nye County, called “The DeFilippo Project," which is named after its initial designer Leonard DeFilippo who passed away in April 2024.

 

The DeFilippo Project continues to be refined and implemented by Dr. Ronald Pak. The program was produced through an integration of both DeFilippo and Pak’s case studies of past patients who fit the general psychiatric literature criteria for “full-remission,” as well as triangulation of successful psychosis recovery models from mainstream published journals, which include the Kingdon and Turkington models of psychosis recovery. As of 2024, independent researchers from a private University are still monitoring the program. The outside researchers have served to be invaluable as they provide a neutral and nonbiased perspective on what is helpful and unhelpful that the DeFilippo Project offers for individuals diagnosed with SSDs and bipolar disorders.

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An unexpected addition to the program was discovered through case files and notes. Over 90% of the patients who were not responding to the traditional manualized treatments for SSDs and Bipolar were found to have been diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder prior to age 12. These neurodevelopmental disorders included ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and various intellectual disabilities. The researcher at the DeFilippo Project found that these foundational neurodevelopmental disorders made the SSD or Bipolar Disorders far more treatment-resistant due to its impacts on working memory and cognition. For example, the foundational neurodevelopmental conditions were found to impair a schizophrenic individual’s working memory to a point where they could not retain or recall the coping skills learned in their therapy sessions. In addition, the gaps in their memory history from conditions such as ADHD and Autism increased the risk of schizophrenic patient filling in the gaps in their memory with more fantasy or psychotic explanations.

 

Furthermore, the unregulated racing thoughts of foundational developmental conditions such as ADHD, made it almost impossible for many individuals with psychosis or bipolar to be able to slow down their cognitions to a point where they could rationally and effectively reflect and process their thoughts and emotions. This inability to reflect and mentalize their thoughts and feelings robbed them of a crucial coping skill needed to enter a state of recovery or remission from psychosis or mania. Due to this very specific population that constituted the vast majority of the patients treated at the DeFilippo Project, the program evolved from a classic psychosis recovery program to a program designed specifically for individuals with SSD or bipolar who were diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental condition prior to age 12, who are treatment resistant due to this interplay. The ongoing research in the program has produced a more elongated treatment duration but effect sizes regarding successful treatment have been notable.  ​

 

• After Hours Therapy Program

 

The "Midnight Hour Light" project is an after-hours therapy program that was created after a needs assessment was conducted in 2023, which found that many individuals in Southern Nevada were more likely to respond favorably to psychotherapy treatment at night. Many residents reported that their symptoms would worsen at night due to the countless distractions they use for coping during the day being no longer available during the hours of darkness. Being able to process and put words behind their experiences served as a regulatory outlet, which was found to improve their psychosocial functioning. 

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• ​Supportive Employment Program. 

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The agency features an APA Division 12 adhering Supportive Employment Program that networks with local businesses to employ individuals suffering from severe psychiatric illnesses while providing them the opportunity to practice skills to increase their distress tolerance and overall psychosocial functioning in the workplace setting. However, space is very limited in the supportive employment program, and there typically is a waitlist. 

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• Research on Asian American Hate Crimes

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More information will be available soon, but the DeFilippo Project will incorporate a program that will focus on research on anti-Asian sentiment in the Southwestern states.