Quarterly meet-up for non-provider ACT stakeholders who assume a role of overseeing ACT from a mental health authority perspective, funding ACT, providing ACT training and technical supports, which includes leading ACT fidelity reviews. The intent is to create a unique space to share challenges and solutions related ACT operations and services during the COVID-19 pandemic. This meet-up is hosted by Lorna Moser, PhD, of the Institute for Best Practices, UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health and Maria Monroe-DeVita, PhD of the University of Washington Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center, the sponsor for these ACT meet-up events.
Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) is a multidisciplinary, team-based model that provides intensive community-based and outreach-oriented services to people who experience the most severe and persistent mental illness. The vast majority also have a co-occurring substance use disorder and many experience comorbid medical illnesses as well as homelessness. This is a vulnerable population and their providers – ACT teams – are at elevated risk themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lorna Moser, PhD, Director of the UNC ACT Technical Assistance Center in the UNC Department of Psychiatry’s Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health; and Coordinator of the North Carolina ACT Coalition.
Maria Monroe-DeVita, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine; Co-Director of the Northwest MHTTC; and Director, Washington State Center of Excellence in First Episode Psychosis.
