Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) is a consumer-centered, recovery-oriented mental health service delivery model that has received substantial empirical support for facilitating community living, psychosocial rehabilitation, and recovery for persons with the most serious mental illnesses and impairments who have not benefited from traditional outpatient programs. The following are the important characteristics of ACT programs:
- ACT serves individuals with serious mental illnesses.
- ACT services are delivered by a group of multidisciplinary mental health staff who work as a team.
- ACT services are individually tailored for each consumer, and address the preferences and identified goals of each consumer.
- The ACT team is mobile and delivers services in community locations to enable each consumer to find and live in their own residence, and find and maintain work in community jobs rather than expecting the consumer to come to the program.
- ACT services are delivered in an ongoing rather than time-limited framework to aid the process of recovery and ensure continuity of caregiver.
This information is based on OMHSAS Bulletin 08-03 and The National Program Standards for ACT Teams.