Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) is an evidence based model for providing comprehensive community-based treatment to person with severe and persistent mental illness. The Headwaters ACT Team is a multidisciplinary group organized as mobile mental health service providers.
ACT is a way of delivering a full range of services to people who have been diagnosed with a serious mental illness.
Elements of ACT:
-With ACT, consumers are hospitalized less often and have more stable housing
-Team members are involved and familiar with all consumers
-The team works one on one with individual clients and families
-Cultural respect and guidance is offered by a Cultural Coordinator
With ACT, consumers get help taking care of their basic needs – taking medications, cooking and many other individual needs. The ACT team helps consumers find housing, apply for food stamps, go back to school, or get a job.
How does ACT work?
A Team Approach: An Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), RN, licensed mental health professionals, mental health practitioners, an employment specialist, a peer support specialist, a cultural coordinator, and a substance abuse specialist join together on ACT teams to give consumers ongoing, individualized care.
Services Provided Where They are Needed: Consumers receive ACT services in their homes, where they work, and in other settings in the community where problems occur or where support is needed.
Personalized Care: ACT teams work with relatively small numbers of people, those in greatest need of intensive services to live independently in the community.
Time-Unlimited Support: ACT teams give consumers services and support they need for as long as they need them.
Continuous Care: ACT team members work regularly with frequency of services that can range from several contacts a day to once a week or less depending on the need of the client.
Flexible Care: ACT teams fit their schedules around the needs of the consumers.
Comprehensive Care: ACT teams provide an array of services to help meet consumer needs, including case management, nursing, representative payor services, vocational, medication management, alcohol and drug services and skill building.























