Benefits of Assertive Community Treatment

According to the Assertive Community Treatment Organization, ACT is an intensive outpatient approach. It is designed to integrate the patient with severe and persistent mental illness, functional impairments, or personality disorders into the community. The goals of Assertive Community Treatment are to promote the independence of the patient, to prevent homelessness, and to prevent unnecessary hospitalization. Assertive Community Treatment is a team approach where psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, social workers, substance abuse councilors, and vocational rehabilitation councilors work together to acclimate the client to life outside the hospital. ACT teams provide case management, assessments, psychiatric and substance abuse services, or any other service or treatment that the patient requires. The staff is trained to provide housing assistance, family education, and to aid the patient in finding employment. ACT, as opposed to medically monitored residential treatment, does not take place in a hospital. By providing treatment in the actual community setting, the ACT approach to therapy eradicates institutionalism. This condition occurs when a client has been in a psychiatric hospital or other situation where he/she has been removed from the community for a long period of time. The client often becomes unwilling, or unable to function in the outside world. Assertive Community Treatment can benefit the mentally ill or impaired client in many ways:

1. ACT services are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This is a valuable tool in crisis prevention and intervention.

2. One of the services that ACT provides is employment assistance. By working with local businesses, the client is able to find a job suited to his or her unique abilities.

3. By providing housing assistance, the ACT team is able to prevent the client from becoming homeless.

4. Assertive Community Education provides family support and education. This enables the people closest to the client to understand and support the clients treatment plan.

5. The Psycho-educational Services staff works with clients to teach them skills that help them manage their respective lives and illnesses.

6. The mentally ill client becomes less socially isolated by participation in activities within the community.

7. Clients are provided with substance abuse counseling to combat any addiction issues that they may have.

8. Assertive Community Treatment is unique to each client, and is based on his or her unique needs.

9. ACT gives the client hope for recovery, and empowers them to take control of their lives and illnesses.

10. Assertive Community Treatment is designed to be a long term service. The treatment is provided until the client is fully capable of managing his or her life. Often the services and treatment are provided for a period of years, as long as the client demonstrates the need for support.

ACT has been shown to be cost effective and clinically effective. Assertive Community Treatment has been implemented in the U.S, Canada, and England.