Act (assertive Community Team) – Practice Experiences From Montenegro

Abstract

Establishing teams for the treatment of mental health in the community is a particular way of organizing services in mental health, and its implementation improves the social integration of patients with severe mental illness. These teams’ work is based on principles of assertive community treatment. They have significantly increased adherence to the treatment process, and reduced the number of readmissions of schizophrenic patients. The dominant target group that we have included in our work consists of patients with a high number of rehospitalization (more than two admissions in a calendar year), and in their cases we start with this mode of treatment right after the stabilization and discharge from hospital This team aims to introduction into avoiding placements in a psychiatric institution by using an integrated multidisciplinary approach and by terrain work. We also aim to: • Increasing capacity and improving the level of cooperation within the primary health care. • Reducing the stigma of mental health. • Performing the treatment of the patient in the least restrictive environment. • Stabilization of social functioning and protection of the patient's position in the community. • Providing better support to families of patients. • Regular medication Introduction of the team for the treatment of mentally ill persons in the community will reduce the number of rehospitalization in institutions of secondary and tertiary level, and will achieve better adherence to the treatment of patients with severe mental illness in Montenegro.