Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) is an evidence-based practice model designed to provide treatment, rehabilitation, and support services to individuals who are diagnosed with a severe mental illness and whose needs have not been well met by more traditional mental health services. The ACT team provides services directly to an individual that are tailored to meet his or her specific needs.
ACT teams are multi-disciplinary and include members from the fields of psychiatry, nursing, psychology, social work, substance abuse, and vocational rehabilitation. Based on their respective areas of expertise, the team members collaborate to deliver integrated services of the clients' choice, assist in making progress toward goals, and adjust services over time to meet clients' changing needs and goals. The staff-to-client ratio is small (one clinician for every ten clients), and services are provided 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for as long as they are needed.
ACT teams deliver comprehensive and flexible treatment, support, and rehabilitation services to individuals in their natural living settings rather than in hospital or clinic settings. This means that interventions and skills teaching are carried out at the locations where individuals live, work, and socialize and where support is needed. ACT teams share responsibility for the people they serve and use assertive engagement to proactively engage individuals in treatment.
Forensic Assertive Community Treatment (FACT) teams provide ACT services and other enhanced services to ACT-eligible individuals who also have criminal justice involvement. The team serves consumers on parole, probation, returning to the community from jails and prisons, participating in alternative-to-incarceration and treatment court services, and those with histories of high-risk and violent behavior.
ACT and FACT Team Clinicians provide expertise in the areas of family support, criminal justice issues, substance use, housing, employment, and wellness self-management.
Essential Position Functions:
- Collaborate with a multi-disciplinary team to provide services consistent with the ACT model.
- Participate in daily team meetings to review and plan client services.
- Provide the expected number of services to clients each month, 80% of which are in the community.
- Complete required documentation in a timely and high-quality manner.
- Work collaboratively with clients, their families, and community partners to assist clients in achieving their treatment and recovery goals.
- Coordinate client care through close involvement with hospitals, substance use treatment facilities, etc.
- Complete immediate needs assessments, comprehensive psychosocial assessments, individualized service plans, and crisis/relapse prevention plans.
- Use evidence-based treatments in the areas of mental health and substance abuse to address client needs (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy, harm reduction, motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care).
- Provide services to assist clients with needs such as family support, housing, entitlements, employment, education, vocational interests, community integration, and connection to physical health care.
- Provide services to assist clients with needs such as legal advocacy, navigating the criminal justice system, and coordination with legal agencies.
