Assertive Community Treatment (ACT)

The Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) program is a client-centered, community-based mental health service model that has received substantial empirical support for facilitating community living, psychosocial rehabilitation, and recovery for persons who have the most severe and persistent mental health illnesses and have not benefitted from traditional outpatient programs.

ACT is assertive community-based mental health and case management that's individualized and based on the client's needs. According to those needs, an individual has access to a multi-disciplinary team composed of the following:

• Psychiatrist & Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners
  • Psychiatric Evaluations, Medication Management
• Social Workers
  • Clinical Assessments, Individual and Group Counseling, Support with Daily Living, Case Management
• Substance Use Specialist
  • Individual and Group Counseling Related to Substance Use Disorders
• Employment Specialist
  • Support and Advocacy for Employment Goals
• Peer Support Specialist
  • Support with Daily Living, Case Management
• Nurses
  • Assessing and Monitoring Psychiatric and Medical Concerns, Medication Management
• Housing Case Manager
  • Support and Advocacy for Securing and Maintaining Housing

The goals of the program are to stabilize individuals so they can safely function and remain in the community, reducing hospitalizations and emergency room visits, and re-engaging consumers when appropriate in traditional outpatient services. ACT team members work with clients in their homes, neighborhoods, and community locations, providing on-call phone support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Eligibility:

• Carroll County residents who are 18-years-old or older, having a severe and persistent mental illness
• Individuals who have targeted psychiatric diagnosis as designated by the State of Maryland's priority population
• Individuals who have had multiple hospitalizations and/or emergency room interventions over the past year, and/or legal involvement due to their psychiatric illness
• Individuals who have a history of missed appointments or non-compliance with traditional outpatient mental health services
• Individuals who voluntarily agree to receive ACT community-based therapy and rehabilitation services

Referral Process:

• Contact the ACT Program Director to initiate a referral
  • Shari Bowman, LCSW-C, 443.244.8691
• When an opening occurs, the Program Director will conduct a face-to-face evaluation
• The referral source/consumer will be informed of the evaluation results and recommendations
• If appropriate, the client will be authorized by Optum MD for ACT mobile treatment

**The use of evidence-based interventions aligns with our agency's vision to be the foremost mental health provider for youth, adults, and families in Carroll County by providing innovative, culturally sensitive, and highly-effective treatment. CCYSB curently uses five treatments which are evidence-based models requiring fidelity to the model.