Assertive Community Treatment

Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) is a service-delivery model that provides comprehensive, locally based treatment to people with serious and persistent mental illnesses. ACT provides highly individualized services directly to consumers. ACT recipients receive the multidisciplinary, round-the-clock staffing of a psychiatric unit, but within the comfort of their own home and community. To have the competencies and skills to meet a client's multiple treatment, rehabilitation, and support needs, ACT team members are trained in the areas of psychiatry, social work, nursing, substance abuse, and vocational rehabilitation. The ACT team provides these necessary services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, each day of the year.

The ACT model is indicated for individuals that have a severe and persistent mental illness causing symptoms and impairments that produce distress and major disability in adult functioning (e.g., employment, self-care, and social and interpersonal relationships). ACT participants usually are people with schizophrenia, other psychotic disorders (e.g., schizoaffective disorder), and bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness); those who experience significant disability from other mental illnesses and are not helped by traditional outpatient models; those who have difficulty getting to appointments on their own as in the traditional model of case management; those who have had bad experiences in the traditional system; or those who have limited understanding of their need for help.

The program addresses needs related to:

Assertive Community Treatment is funded by both the Missouri Department of Mental Health and by MO HealthNet Division.

Click here for Missouri ACT teams contact information

ACT toolkit at SAMHSA

News Release - January 2008