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.
Essential Position Functions:
- Compile and send weekly census reports and monthly change of status reports to SPOA.
- Maintain consumer medical records and computerized data to ensure compliance with Medicaid, NYS Office of Mental Health, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene standards, and Bridge policies and procedures.
- Assist staff as it relates to data entry and maintenance of consumer records.
- Attend morning meetings, take minutes, and communicate relevant scheduling and program information to staff as they conduct their work in the community.
- Create a consumer medical records chart.
- Archive medical records and copy records for medical record requests.
- Maintain and update program logs, and monthly and weekly organizational boards.
- Update the team scheduling calendar to support the Director.
- Maintain and update program materials, forms and office supplies.
- Responsible for all telephone inquiries relating to the program and triaging messages between the program and clinicians conducting community visits.
- Provide receptionist duties when needed.
- Coordinate time sheet collection & paycheck distribution to the program.
- Liaison to staff completing field visits in accordance with program safety plans.
- Conduct health insurance eligibility checks and ensure accurate updated information is entered in the electronic medical record.
- Notify staff and support program staff to ensure consumers are enrolled and recertify for Medicaid and health insurance.
- Provide team with information about consumer’s status with Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), spend-downs, and inactive status.
- Support staff with communication with HRA, Medicaid, MCOs, and consumers to enroll, and address spend-down issues and eligibility.
- Conduct electronic charting audits to ensure all documents are completed and available for the team to complete monthly Medicaid billing.
- Run electronic reports to support the Team Leader to manage oversight of documentation.
- Coordinate with the Biller and the Billing Manager to ensure monthly billing can be submitted timely and all issues are resolved when denials are received for bills submitted to the Department of Health and MCOs.
- Support the team in the coordination of up-to-date information in the electronic medical record about the consumer’s pharmacy.
- Support team leader, staff, and psychiatrist in communication with Managed Care ensuring documentation is faxed and transmitted to MCOs to authorize services and medications.
- Assist with tracking of Health Home enrollment and submit reports to Health Homes on participant status as needed, and communicate with Biller and Billing Manager on payment that should be submitted to the Health Home.
- Manage service dollar petty cash account in accordance with THE BRIDGE’s policy and procedures for the distribution and reconciliation of metro cards and cash for consumer purchases.
- Process check requests for the program.
- Provide culturally competent support in accordance with THE BRIDGE’s policies.
- Perform other duties as required by the Director, Assistant Vice President, and Senior Vice President of Community Support Programs.
