Assertive Community Treatment
Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) is a form of case management; it is a model for providing comprehensive community-based treatment to persons with severe and persistent mental illness. The Headwaters ACT Team is a multidisciplinary group organized as mobile mental health service providers. The Headwaters ACT multidisciplinary team includes a psychiatrist or certified nurse practitioner with authority to prescribe medications; registered nurse; cultural coordinator, case managers with specialties in mental health, substance use disorders, and vocational support; peer support specialists; administrative staff, and a team leader who is a Mental Health Professional.
Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) is a form of case management; it is a model for providing comprehensive community-based treatment to persons with severe and persistent mental illness. The Headwaters ACT Team is a multidisciplinary group organized as mobile mental health service providers. The Headwaters ACT multidisciplinary team includes a psychiatrist or certified nurse practitioner with authority to prescribe medications; registered nurse; cultural coordinator, case managers with specialties in mental health, substance use disorders, and vocational support; peer support specialists; administrative staff, and a team leader who is a Mental Health Professional.
The team functions interchangeably to provide treatment, rehabilitation, and support services to persons identified and diagnosed with serious and persistent mental illness to live successfully in the community. Services are continuous and long-term. Headwaters ACT Team members do not have individual caseloads. Instead, the team shares responsibility for clients in the program. Rather than seeing clients only a few times a month, Headwaters ACT team members with various skills and backgrounds contact clients as often as necessary, sometimes 10 ore more times a week. Each client gets to know multiple members of the team. If a team member is on vacation, is ill, or leaves the program, individuals will still receive services from other Headwaters ACT members.
Headwaters ACT services are intended primarily for individuals who are 18 or older with psychiatric illnesses that are most severe and persistent including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder with psychotic features are given the highest priority of service. Individuals with a primary diagnosis of a substance abuse disorder, a developmental disability, borderline personality disorder, traumatic brain injury or autism spectrum disorder are not eligible for Headwaters ACT services.
Primary Goals of Headwaters ACT Treament
• To lessen or eliminate the debilitating symptoms of mental illness and to minimize/prevent repeated acute episodes of the illness.
• To reduce or eliminate hospital stays both locally and out of state.
• To reduce or eliminate jail time.
• To meet basic needs and enhance quality of life.
• To improve functioning in adult social and employment roles and activities.
• To obtain and keep independence in the community.
• To lessen the family's burden of providing care.
Primary Goals of Headwaters ACT Treament
• To lessen or eliminate the debilitating symptoms of mental illness and to minimize/prevent repeated acute episodes of the illness.
• To reduce or eliminate hospital stays both locally and out of state.
• To reduce or eliminate jail time.
• To meet basic needs and enhance quality of life.
• To improve functioning in adult social and employment roles and activities.
• To obtain and keep independence in the community.
• To lessen the family's burden of providing care.
Plans are highly individualized for clients. Every day, Monday through Friday, the team reviews each clients progress in reaching their goals. If an individuals needs suddenly change, the Headwaters ACT team can respond immediately.
Headwaters ACT Services
The majority of the Headwaters ACT services are provided in the client's home, neighborhood, employment sites, or in places where people spend their leisure time. Headwaters ACT provides services wherever clients need those services. If a client is hospitalized, the team will facilitate admission, treatment, and discharge and support the person throughout the entire inpatient process.
The majority of the Headwaters ACT services are provided in the client's home, neighborhood, employment sites, or in places where people spend their leisure time. Headwaters ACT provides services wherever clients need those services. If a client is hospitalized, the team will facilitate admission, treatment, and discharge and support the person throughout the entire inpatient process.
Headwaters ACT targets clients with severe and persistent mental illness, significant difficulty doing the things needed to live independently in the community, and continuously high service need.
Assistance is provided in the following areas:
1. Activities of daily living.
2. Housing.
3. Family life.
4. Employment.
5. Benefits.
6. Managing finances.
7. Health care.
8. Medications.
9. Co-occuring disorders.
10. Counseling.
Headwaters ACT Referrals
Referrals to the Headwaters ACT team come from a variety of sources. Individuals who are referred for Headwaters ACT services are reviewed by the team with a diagnostic assessment and a functional assessment to determine if an Headwaters ACT team is appropriate and beneficial for the individual. Most Headwaters ACT clients (80%) must be diagnosed with a psychotic disorder, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder with psychotic features.
Referrals to the Headwaters ACT team come from a variety of sources. Individuals who are referred for Headwaters ACT services are reviewed by the team with a diagnostic assessment and a functional assessment to determine if an Headwaters ACT team is appropriate and beneficial for the individual. Most Headwaters ACT clients (80%) must be diagnosed with a psychotic disorder, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder with psychotic features.
Headwaters ACT is a rehabilitation service, not a crisis service. However, the Headwaters ACT team will be involved in managing the crisis of Headwaters ACT clients.
The Minnesota Department of Human Services limits the number of clients accepted into the program per month, as well as the total number of clients served. Please see our referral form under the Application for Services tab or contact the Administrative Assistant at (218) 333-2220.