ACT Updates

Office of Mental Health Establishes New Expectations for Training of ACT Team Members

The NYS OMH has established new expectations for the training of ACT team members including newly hired staff, staff who have been ACT team members for some time, and team leaders. The new expectations are due to the ACT Institute’s addition of online training modules for ACT team members. In-person regional training sessions will continue to be provided.

Please use this link to read the letter from Robert W. Myers, Ph.D., Senior Deputy Commissioner of OMH, which communicates these new training expectations.

Institute Updates Core Curriculum

In September 2011, the Center for Practice Innovation's ACT Institute recently updated the core training curriculum for ACT providers. The new curriculum includes 24 hours of in-person training plus 7.5 hours of web-based training. Starting in October, 2011, all new staff joining ACT teams will be required to complete the following training modules:

Assertive Community Treatment Model
Promoting Recovery through a Mobile, Team-based Approach
ACT Core Principles
Engaging Consumers in Assertive Community Treatment
Person-Centered Treatment Planning

Integrated Treatment of Co-Occurring Disorders

FIT Module 12: Stage-Wise Treatment
FIT Module 08: Motivational Interviewing
FIT Module 19: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Coping Skills and Problem Solving

The second web-based training module, entitled Engaging Consumers in Assertive Community Treatment, describes a variety of strategies used during the early and later phases of engagement. This module is a prerequisite for face-to-face Person-Centered Treatment Planning currently required for all new ACT staff members.

In another exciting development, the ACT Institute has also arranged for all ACT staff to receive free access to over thirty additional web-based modules in the FIT (Focus on Integrated Treatment) initiative. These modules cover a broad range of topics related to integrated treatment of mental health and substance use conditions such as: screening and assessment, supervision skills and advanced motivational interviewing and CBT techniques. The FIT modules can be accessed through the Learning Community by all ACT team members who are registered in the Learning Community.

Institute Launches Web-based Training Series

In November 2010, the ACT Institute launched the first in a series of web-based training modules. This first hour-long module, entitled Assertive Community Treatment: Promoting Recovery through a Mobile, Team-based Approach, provides a broad overview of the ACT model and is a prerequisite for face-to-face core training currently required for all new ACT staff members.

Developed by Center for Practice Innovations (CPI) trainers and other ACT experts, in collaboration with Allen Communications, the module also serves as an excellent refresher course for experienced ACT workers and staff employed in non-ACT treatment programs. You can access the module via CPI’s Learning Community.