PROGRAM FOR ASSERTIVE COMMUNITY TREATMENT

PACT

PROGRAM SUMMARY:  PACT (Program for Assertive Community Treatment) is a program designed to address the special needs of the chronically mentally ill.  It has been described as the “hospital without walls”, which speaks to the intensity of service in this program.  The PACT team is comprised of mental health professionals, including nurses, social workers, and a medical director.  The team is organized to have twenty-four hours a day, seven days per week availability for the clients.  Staff rotate evening and weekend calls, making home visits up to two times a day, seven days a week.  The team is always seeking creative ways to support the personal growth of their clients and take a stance of providing continuity in the care they provide.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:  Since this program is funded by Merit Behavioral Health, clients must be eligible for Title 19 funds.  Clients must also meet clinical criteria for this program, including an Axis I diagnosis, a history of numerous hospitalizations and a history of failures or potential failure in more traditional mental health support programs.

PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE:  Merit Behavioral Health (state Medicaid insurance)

HOW TO MAKE A REFERRAL:  Call the PACT team at 515-282-9972.  A staff person will follow-up with this initial contact to review clinical information and to confirm Title 19 eligibility.  An intake interview may be scheduled, or an appointment made with the doctor for an initial psychiatric evaluation.  Once the doctor approves the admission, the case must be reviewed with Merit Behavioral Health for their final approval.

PROGRAM GOALS:  To establish and maintain a therapeutic relationship with our clients and to assist them in stabilization of their illness.  Most of the clients served in the PACT program will remain with the program on a long-term basis.  Discharges from the program do occur when a client has been symptom free for a substantial period, and no longer require the support of the team.