Topic Overview

If you have schizophrenia, it may be hard to keep track of all the things you need to do and the people who are helping you. Case management helps you do this. One person, called a case manager, helps you keep track of your treatment and your recovery goals.

Assertive community treatment (ACT) is a type of case management. Your ACT team includes a case manager, doctor, psychiatrist, and nurse. Your team can help you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You get care where you live. You don't have to stay in or visit a health care center to get treatment.

Your team can:

• Deliver medicine to your home.
• Provide many types of treatment.
• Help you with social skills, schooling, and work.
• Watch for problems in your mental and physical health.
• Help you keep in touch with your family.
• Help with routine tasks such as laundry, shopping, cooking, grooming, and getting around.

Assertive community treatment makes going to the hospital less likely if you have a relapse.¹

Contact the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI, www.nami.org) or talk with your health care team about whether ACT is available in your community. Some communities have services similar to ACT that are known by other names, such as community rehabilitation.