High-profile incidents of violence perpetrated by individuals who were found to have profound mental illness but had no history of dangerous behaviors – the Virginia Tech and Sandy Hook shootings, for example – often lead to the question: “What could have been done to help this person and prevent their violent actions?” This concise, accessible guide for helping professionals not trained in psychiatric health is a quick reference for identifying and intervening with a person experiencing a first psychotic episode. It guides non-medical helping professionals in how to identify a possible psychotic episode, how to interact compassionately and effectively with the individual, and how to make appropriate referrals toward receiving proper treatment.