Opportunities for Integrating Physical Health Within Assertive Community Treatment Teams: Results from Practitioner Focus Groups

This qualitative study assessed the experiences of assertive community treatment (ACT) team members regarding the integration of physical and mental health self-management for persons with serious mental illness. Three focus groups elicited information from participants concerning barriers, strategi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Community mental health journal 2017-04, Vol.53 (3), p.306-315
Main Authors: Meyer-Kalos, Piper S., Lee, Michael G., Studer, Lynette M., Line, Tanya A., Fisher, Colleen M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Assertive community treatment
Assertiveness
Community and Environmental Psychology
Community health care
Community Mental Health Services
Constraints
Cooperation
Cooperative Behavior
Delivery of Health Care, Integrated
Educational systems
Female
Focus Groups
Group research
Health problems
Health research
Health services
Health status
Humans
Integrated care
Integrated delivery systems
Integrative medicine
Interviews as Topic
Male
Medical research
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Mental disorders
Mental Health
Mental health care
OpenURL
Original Paper
Patient Care Team
Primary care
Primary Health Care
Psychiatry
Qualitative Research
Self Care
Selfmanagement
Social integration
Studies
Teams
Training
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Description
Summary:This qualitative study assessed the experiences of assertive community treatment (ACT) team members regarding the integration of physical and mental health self-management for persons with serious mental illness. Three focus groups elicited information from participants concerning barriers, strategies, and recommendations. Findings from inductive analyses revealed six overarching themes: (1) collaboration with primary care, (2) improvements in engagement, (3) team-focused roles, (4) education and training, (5) recommendations for system level barriers, and (6) systems collaboration. Participant recommendations suggest that ACT teams are well positioned to integrate mental and physical health treatment, but further research is needed to support integrated care.
ISSN:0010-3853
1573-2789
DOI:10.1007/s10597-016-0043-1