Assertive Community Treatment is a team approach designed to provide comprehensive, community-based rehabilitation. Segue refers to their ACT programs as IMPACT. The ACT model enables people to be able to live, work, learn and participate fully in their communities. The IMPACT teams serve residents of Jackson and Hillsdale counties who need intensive and individualized treatment to promote their recovery.
ACT Admission Criteria:
- Individual is 18 or older
- Individual resides in Jackson or Hillsdale County
- Individual has a Severe & Persistent Mental Illness, a Severe Mental Illness, a Co-Occurring Disorder.
- Individual has multiple service needs and difficulties accessing needed services and supports
An individual receiving ACT services demonstrates acute or severe psychiatric symptoms that are seriously impairing their ability to function and prevent recovery as a result of their diagnosis. Functional areas of impairment may include: maintaining housing, accessing needed mental health and physical health care; performing ADLs; maintaining or finding interpersonal relationships; and/or taking medication as prescribed. The individual has a history of inpatient hospitalization or crisis home usage. The individual’s past or current response to treatment has been minimal even with intense services being provided for an extended period of time; or medically managed exposure in a highly structured setting for an extended period of time, i.e., SA treatment in a residential setting, state psychiatric hospital, or prison.
The IMPACT teams serve consumers who have a Severe and Persistent Mental Illness diagnosis, for example: Schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders, Mood Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Personality Disorders, or a Co-Occurring (Mental Health and Substance Use) Disorder. If the client does not have an Axis I SMI diagnosis and only has Borderline Personality Disorder, ACT is not appropriate for the client.
The IMPACT program provides interventions designed to help individuals live in the community or to assist in the transition to independent living. This is achieved by reducing or stabilizing symptoms, reclaiming or acquiring living and work skills, improving coping skills, and monitoring medications. The frequency of interactions allows the team to watch for increased symptoms and monitor health and safety during times of increased symptoms. The team is a group of skilled, trained and experienced staff. Our advocates, nurses, clinicians certified peer support specialists, and physicians possess credentials or licenses in counseling, psychology, social work, dialectical behavior therapy, substance abuse, nursing, vocational and/or pharmacology.
Services and supports may include case management; crisis intervention; health services; individual, group or family therapy; person-centered treatment planning; activities of daily living skills; medication review and monitoring; psychiatric evaluation; and coordination of care with other providers and physicians. Services and supports are provided primarily by one team of staff who meet daily to discuss each consumers needs. Each member of the team sees each consumer. The team consists of a Team Leader with a master’s Degree, RNs, M.D., and other qualified mental health professionals (QMHP) of various degrees and licensure. IMPACT provides 24-hour, seven-days a week emergency response services. The majority of services are provided one on one in the consumer’s community. In addition to this Segue offers groups to address specific areas of concern and skill development. They include the following groups:
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills
DBT treatment is designed to reduce incidences of self-harm, reduce need for crisis services and improve quality of life. The DBT Skills Group meets weekly, and includes outpatient individual therapy, after-hours crisis phone support and case consultation. The skills group teaches interpersonal effectiveness, mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and self-management. The group focuses on attaining, strengthening and utilizing skills. Skills groups are facilitated by DBT trained master level clinicians or RN’s. DBT therapy is provided by master level therapists.
Healthy Living Skills
This group meets once a week for one-hour. The group focuses on nutrition, daily living skills, medication education and health and fitness. The Healthy Living Skills group is provided under the supervision of the RN, and the ACT Team Leader.
IDDT - Dual Diagnosis Substance Abuse Groups
Dual Diagnosis groups assists consumers in identifying the effects of substance abuse on their symptoms of mental illness. Options for reducing the use of alcohol and other illegal or non prescribed substances are discussed. Consumers share their recovery stories during the group. This group is lead by Segue staff credentialed in Substance Abuse, or with specialized training and under the supervision of the Master level Team Leader. The group is held at least weekly.
Anger Management Skills
Anger Management Group focuses on learning skills to cope with everyday stressors that have led to instances of aggressive or violent acting out in the past. Triggers are identified and methods for managing behavior when triggers are present are identified and plans made to utilize these skills. This group is lead by Segue staff and held weekly. Anger Management Skills groups are facilitated by a QMHP under the supervision of a master level Team Leader.
Social Skills
The Social Skills Group focuses on developing skills to promote community integration and inclusion, and to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. It helps participants feel more comfortable starting conversations, responding to others, and developing friendships. Social Skills groups are facilitated by a QMHP under the supervision of a master level Team Leader.
Traveler’s Guide
The Traveler’s Guide Group is a self exploration into motivation, resources, and recovery. Group participants explore the 7 decisions based on the book, “The Traveler’s Gift” by Andy Andrews. It is a travel back in time to explore the decisions of great men and women in history, and can be a chance to create a life worth living to the fullest, no matter what opposition or obstacles one might face. The Traveler’s Guide group is facilitated by staff who has received the specialized training and certificate. In Jackson, the group is facilitated by a trained Peer Support Specialist.