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MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS Number
1-800-499-7455
Local Base Service Units
215-785-9765
215-257-6551
215-345-5327
NAMI Bucks HELPINE: 1-866-399-NAMI (6264)
to NAMI PA
to NAMI.org
| | (Assertive Community Treatment Program)
PACT Program
Lenape Valley Foundation PACT
- First PACT
in PA
Program of Assertive Community Treatment
The phone number
for PACT is 215-343-7696
|
JoAnne Davis is Director of the PACT Program as of May 1, 2006.
Ms. Davis comes to Lenape Valley Foundation's program with over 20 years experience of providing mental health services to individuals and families. JoAnne is a Licensed Social Worker who has a lengthy history managing and supervising staff. JoAnne's previous position was Director of Adult and Family Services at a Bucks County Community Mental Health Center. JoAnne has been actively engaged in direct service while working in her own private practice and consulting with area businesses prior to accepting this position.
joanne.davis@lenapevf.org |
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What is PACT?
The Program of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) is an effective,
evidence-based, outreach-oriented, service delivery model for people with severe
and persistent mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder
and bipolar disorder. Using a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week, team
approach, PACT delivers comprehensive community treatment, rehabilitation, and
support services to consumers in their homes, at work and in community settings.
What does "team approach" refer to?
PACT teams are coordinated combinations of psychiatrists, nurses, social
workers, substance abuse treatment specialists, vocational rehabilitation
counselors and peer counselors. Unlike traditional community services,
PACT teams:
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have one staff member for every 10 clients (a staff to client ratio of 1:10). |
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treat both psychiatric and substance abuse disorders at the same time. |
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take services to the client rather than requiring clients to come to the
office. |
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provide team case management - the person with a mental illness is a client of
the team, not of an individual staff member - so continuity is maintained when
staff leave the team. |
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coordinate provision of psychiatric care with general medical care and dental
care. |
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continue to see a client who is in a hospital or jail, which often facilitates
an earlier return to the community. |
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employ a psychiatrist who is a full team member, who participated in treatment
planning. |
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lessen the family's responsibilities of providing and coordinating care so a
PACT client and his or her family can relate more easily as family members.
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Why did Bucks County decide to use the PACT model?
A group of Bucks County NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) members
who had taken the NAMI Family To Family Education class saw the need in our
community for more comprehensive mental health services. After
learning about PACT through the NAMI National website: http://www.nami.org/about/pact.htm,
a few of the graduates of the education class formed an advocacy group called
NAMI Bucks County Families In Action. After completing further research on
the benefits of this program by contacting PACTs in nearby states and the NAMI
National Office, this group advocated for PACT for over a year, meeting with
county and state mental health administrators as well as our local
representatives and county commissioners. At a Consumer and Family
Satisfaction meeting held in December 2001 it was agreed that PACT would be a
pilot demonstration program to be located in the middle of Bucks County.
"How long has PACT been operational in Bucks County?"
The LVF PACT opened its doors to the first clients in Bucks County as of September 2002.
Where is the PACT office located?
Lenape Valley Foundation is the provider who is responsible for the PACT
program. The main office for the Lenape Valley Foundation PACT is located
at Lenape Valley Foundation office Doylestown, PA. However, the majority of services (at least
75%) will be provided by the team to the consumers in the program directly in
the community.
Who will be served by the Lenape Valley Foundation PACT?
This program was developed to serve up to 50 clients living in central and Upper
Bucks County who meet the criteria for admission. A typical urban program
serves between 100-120 clients and, if the need exists, this program could be
expanded to meet the additional needs of the county.
An appropriate referral to the LVF PACT program will be at
least eighteen (18) years old, a resident of Central or Upper Bucks County,
willing to voluntarily engage in the program and meet the "Diagnostic
Criteria" as stated in the "Lenape Valley Foundation PACT Programs
Admission Criteria." Eligibility information can be found on
the LFV PACT Referral Form which can be obtained from the PACT Team Leader for
PACT 215-343-7696, ext. 5027.
Is PACT rehabilitation- and recovery-oriented?
Absolutely! PACT is a rehabilitation model. From its beginning, before the
words recovery and empowerment were used in the mental health field, PACT helped
consumers regain control of their lives and move ahead in their plans. The
PACT approach helps people live in regular housing, socialize in the community,
and return to school or work. PACT's attention to basic needs (housing,
medical care, income) enables consumers - even those with very severe
disabilities - to regain stability, assess their goals, and take steps toward
recovery.
Is there a history of success?
Yes, 34 years of documented success since it was started in 1973. PACT is the only community mental
health program with an extensive research base. Findings from ongoing
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) research comparing PACT clients with
persons whose primary treatment site was the hospital indicate the program's
success.
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PACT clients spend much less time in hospitals and more time in independent
living, spend less time unemployed, earn more from competitive employment,
have more positive social relationships, enjoy greater satisfaction with
life, and have fewer symptoms of severe mental illness. |
|
In one study, only 18 percent of PACT clients were hospitalized the first
year compared with 89 percent on the non-PACT treatment group. For
those PACT clients who were re-hospitalized, stays were significantly shorter
than stays of the non-PACT group. |
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In a landmark five-year National Institute of Mental Health-funded study by
the Schizophrenia Patient Outcomes Research Team, scientists reviewed
current scientific evidence documenting the most effective treatments for
schizophrenia. Along with appropriate and careful use of
anti-psychotic medication, the study endorses the comprehensive approach of
assertive community treatment as a model of proven benefit to people with
schizophrenia. |
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PACT is recommended as a best practice by the Schizophrenia PORT study done
by John's Hopkins University and the University of Maryland. |
Where can I learn more about PACT?
More information about PACT can be found at the NAMI National website: http://www.nami.org/about/pact.htm.
Information can also be found at this site about ordering the PACT Model of
Community-Based Treatment for Persons with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness:
A Manual for PACT Start-Up, or can be ordered via the Internet http://www.nami.org
by clicking on the Books section.
|
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To learn more about the LVF PACT, contact JoAnne
Davis, Team Leader for PACT 215-343-7696
joanne.davis@lenapevf.org
For more information about the LVF PACT Advisory Committee, email Chairperson,
Charlie Bechtel
|
of Bucks County
Pennsylvania
