ESTABLISHING ASSERTIVE COMMUNITY TREATMENT AT KANZA MENTAL HEALTH & GUIDANCE CENTER, INC. IN BROWN, DONIPHAN, JACKSON, AND NEMAHA COUNTIES IN RURAL NORTHEAST KANSAS - Kanza Mental Health & Guidance Center, Inc. a non-profit community mental health center serving Brown, Doniphan, Jackson, and Nemaha Counties in rural northeast Kansas is establishing an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) program for adults and transitional-aged youth ages 18 years and older who experience serious mental illness or severe emotional disturbance and who are experiencing or at-risk of hospitalization, homelessness, or incarceration due to complex mental health challenges. ACT is an evidence-based program designed to provide comprehensive community-based services to persons with serious mental illness through a dedicated multidisciplinary treatment team who provides frequent contacts and supports. The project aims to serve 50 persons in its first year, and 100 persons annually thereafter, for a total of 450 people served through the project from September 2023-2028. The project goals include 1) establishing an operational, high-fidelity ACT program to better meet the needs of the population of focus who are at risk of hospitalization, homelessness, or incarceration; 2) improve the quality of life and functioning of individuals served by providing them with recovery-oriented, person-centered care and support they need to live independently in their communities of choice. The objectives include 1) Years 1-5, enroll no less than the number of individuals to be served annually; 2) complete comprehensive assessment and an individualized care plan with each client within 30 days of enrollment to reduce symptom severity by at least 25% within 6 months of enrollment; 3) provide weekly home and community-based contacts within 30 days of enrollment each year to reduce hospitalization, homelessness, and incarceration rates by 50%; 4) reach 80% or higher fidelity in the ACT program by end of Year 2 and maintain through Years 3-5; 5) increase reduction in homelessness, hospitalizations, incarceration, mortality, and substance overdoses compared to the year before program implementation starting in Years 1-2 and reaching at least 50% reduction in Years 3-5; 6) Years 2-5, within 6 months of enrollment, the ACT team will collaborate with at least 5 community partners of each client; 7) Years 2-5, the ACT team will provide recovery- and trauma-informed training to at least 100 community members with the goal of increasing education and awareness of mental health and stigma; 8) Years 2-5, within 12 months of enrollment, support at least 80% of clients in achieving at least one personal goal related to recovery, housing, employment, education, or criminal justice involvement.
