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Assertive Community Treatment (ACT)

Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) is an intensive, multidisciplinary team-building community treatment using home and community visits as the primary mode of intervention and integrating different aspects of treatment. ACT is a treatment model for persons with serious mental illness who have had multiple hospitalizations and difficulty maintaining stability in the community. In Indiana, ACT is operated by Community Mental Health Centers that have received specific certification by the Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) for ACT. This is aligned with the President's Commission on Mental Health goal to expand the use fo evidence-based practices.

Purpose: ACT has been shown to be effective in reducing re-hospitalization, emergency room contact, and arrests. ACT is most effective for those that have a history of hospitalization or homelessness. The ACT team is made up of a psychiatrist, a team leader, a nurse, substance abuse specialists, supported employment specialists, and other mental health professionals. The team works together to provide intensive services to help consumers with all aspects of living in the community, medication management, housing, independent living skills, counseling, employment, addiction treatment, and budgeting.

Scope of Need: There are 24 certified ACT teams in the state; twenty are funded by DMHA. There are an additional three providers that have certified ACT teams but are not funded by DMHA and one provider has secured certification for a second team. There is a provider that is considering the development of an ACT team that specializes in serving individuals that are dually disabled and another is planning a forensic ACT team. There were 1735 individuals enrolled in ACT services in state fiscal year 2008.

Centers with ACT Teams

  • Midtown
  • Lifespring
  • Samaritan
  • Southwestern
  • Hamilton
  • Howard
  • Centerstone, Columbus
  • Oaklawn
  • Swanson
  • Centerstone, Bloomington
  • Tri-City
  • Community
  • Wabash Valley
  • Gallahue
  • Dunn
  • Park
  • Edgewater
  • Meridian Services
  • Southlake
  • Center for Mental Health
  • Northeastern
  • Four County
  • Cummins
  • Adult and Child
  • BehaviorCorp

Implementation: When DMHA decided to develop ACT, providers, family members, consumers, experts in the field and DMHA staff worked together in the development of the final rule. As DMHA began developing plans to fund ACT teams, it was decided to fund what became the ACT Center to provide technical assistance and training for developing ACT teams.

To encourage the continued development of ACT teams, the program was added to the Medicaid State Plan in state fiscal year 2004. Community Mental Health Centers may apply for certification in one or more ACT teams and bill Medicaid for the ACT services. Interest in obtaining certification for additional teams is regularly expressed by providers, and activity toward obtaining new certifications continues. The certification process ensures that the provider meets established standards for the ACT program and allows the provider to bill Medicaid through the Mental Health Rehabilitation Option for the services provided by the ACT team.

Contact information: Charles Boyle, Bureau Chief, DMHA, 317-232-7805 Charles.Boyle@fssa.in.gov

8-3-08