Forensic assertive community treatment (FACT) is a service delivery model intended for individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) involved with the criminal justice system.
Similar to assertive community treatment (ACT), FACT provides services that are client-focused, community-based, time-unlimited, and delivered by a multidisciplinary team. The implementation of FACT can improve mental health outcomes and daily functioning for individuals with SMI, reduce recidivism by addressing criminogenic risks and needs, divert individuals in need of treatment away from the criminal justice system, manage costs (by reducing reoccurring arrest, incarceration, and hospitalization), and increase public safety.
This brief provides an overview of the following topics related to FACT:
- Explains the populations that FACT serves and what their needs are
- Reviews who makes up a FACT team and services FACT teams deliver
- Provides insight into how FACT team members work with criminal justice professionals to serve their clients
- Highlights the kinds of institutional support needed to implement FACT
- Describes the additional services FACT provides compared to traditional ACT services
- Explores how clients are referred to FACT through the criminal justice system
- Looks at successful implementation of FACT in sites across the country
- Examines the effectiveness of FACT
- Underscores the need to conduct ongoing evaluation of the impact on clients who receive FACT
- Highlights the importance of tracking outcomes from FACT implementation
This brief was first shared in 2019.
(External Link, Publication, PDF, 669.02 KB)