“The mission of the Mental Health Division is to promote recovery and safety.”
PROGRAM of ASSERTIVE COMMUNITY TREATMENT (PACT) TEAMS
STATEWIDE IMPLEMENTATION
The Program of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) is an effective, evidenced-based, recovery-oriented mental health service delivery model that utilizes a transdisciplinary team approach providing intensive outreach-oriented services to individuals with severe and persistent mental illnesses and co-occurring disorders. Utilizing a client-centered approach, team members share responsibilities for addressing the needs of consumers and carry low caseloads to allow for individualized care and frequent contacts (1-10 staffing ratio). Services are available 24/7 and directed to consumer needs with 75% to 85% of outreach delivered in the community. All services are intended to support recovery and fully reintegrate the consumer into the community by utilizing peer specialists and incorporating evidence-based practices and promising practices into individualized service planning. PACT is for individuals who have high use of psychiatric hospitalization and crisis services, have difficulty benefiting from traditional services, and may have a high risk or history of arrest and incarceration. PACT is funded for $10.4 million per year for statewide implementation.
The Mental Health Division (MHD) has contracted with the Washington Institute for Mental Health Research and Training (WIMHRT) to assist with implementing statewide PACT teams. In July 2007, the six western Regional Support Networks (RSNs) began serving clients in seven PACT teams and the three eastern RSNs began serving clients in October 2007. Each PACT team is presently enrolling an average of 4-6 consumers per month until full capacity is reached. The goal of the 10 PACT teams is to gradually enroll consumers to serve a total of between 648 to 800 individuals statewide:
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• 6 full (urban) PACT teams (serving 80-100 consumers per team)
• 4 half (rural) PACT teams (serving 42-50 consumes per team)
Western and Eastern State Hospital patients, who meet discharge criteria, have priority for admission with the goal of closing four wards over the next biennium: 3 WSH wards and 1 ESH ward.
MHD and WIMHRT staff began conducting baseline fidelity assessment site visits for the seven western PACT teams in October 2007 to determine the extent to which each program’s practices adhere to the WA-PACT Program Standards. On-site baseline fidelity assessments for the three eastern PACT teams began Febuary 2008. Subsequent on-site fidelity assessment reviews will then be conducted with each of the 10 PACT teams every 6 months. PACT outcomes being considered for review include:
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• Gradual reduction of recently added state hospital beds;
• Decreased state hospital utilization;
• Increased consumer satisfaction and quality of life;
• Decreased community inpatient and crisis service utilization;
• Increase in/better housing;
• Increase in employment;
• Reduction in criminal justice involvement; and
• Graduation from PACT
Contact Information:
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For more ways to get in touch with the Department of Mental Health Services, go to the DSHS Contact Information Web page. Mental Health Related Questions Contact:
