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Services & Programs : Services
for the Seriously Mentally Ill : Assertive Community Treatment for Adults
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The Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) program is the preferred model of treatment for both the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill and the Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction. The model’s effectiveness and success with recovery has been extensively researched and documented.
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The Assertive Community Treatment
(ACT) program provides an integrated
continuum of care for adults over 18 who
have a diagnosis of serious and persistent
mental illness. A multidisciplinary team of
professionals includes case managers, nurses,
addictions and supported employment
specialists, as well as a physician and a
therapist.
Research has shown that the ACT
program helps consumers through:
- better control of symptoms;
- lower use of inpatient services;
- better quality of life;
- more independent living;
- improved substance abuse outcomes;
- higher rates of competitive employment;
- greater consumer and family member
satisfaction.
ACT services are time unlimited and are
provided eight hours a day, five days a week,
as well as weekends and holidays for two
hours daily. After-hours services are available
through the ACT crisis on-call system.
The ACT program is certified through the
Indiana Division of Mental Health and
Addiction.
Treatment Goals
The cornerstone of the ACT approach is a
recovery concept to rehabilitative mental
health treatment. Services are tailored to each
individual with the primary goals of decreasing
psychiatric hospitalizations and increasing
stable housing. Additional goals may include
stable employment, continuing education and
meaningful relationships. Informal supports to
consumers (family, loved ones, landlords, etc.)
are essential treatment partners and are
encouraged to attend treatment planning
meetings.
Criteria for admission/discharge
Adults appropriate for ACT services meet
one or more of the following criteria:
- three or more psychiatric hospitalizations
or emergency room visits per year;
- housing instability (more than three
moves per month or homeless);
- resistive to traditional treatment within
the last six months;
- dual diagnosis with an addiction of six
months or longer;
- one or more encounters with the legal
system in the last year;
- discharge from long-term care (state
hospital) within the last six months.
Although ACT services are time unlimited,
there may be a point when consumers no
longer want or need services. For example, if
they’ve met the following criteria: 1) gone a
year without hospitalization; 2) had minimal
use of the crisis on-call system; 3) successfully
utilized their crisis plan; and 4) met their
personal goals.
Financial information
Medicaid eligibility is preferred as ACT
services are provided by programs funded
through the Division of Mental Health and
Addiction and are recognized as a legitimate
service by the Indiana Medicaid program.
Referrals
To make a referral to ACT, contact the
Community Support Program director at (574)
533-1234, ext. 353. |
