Dissemination of assertive community treatment in the Netherlands

Objective: This study examined the adoption of the principles of assertive community treatment (ACT) by case management teams for severely mentally ill adults in the Netherlands. Methods: Using an email-survey, we obtained information from 39 program leaders who completed a 25-item checklist assessing adoption of the ACT principles. Respondents also indicated their intention to become a high-fidelity ACT program user. Results: Sixteen (41%) program leaders indicated their intention to implement ACT with at least moderate fidelity. Intention to implement ACT was associated with location in an urban area and caseloads with high rates of homelessness. Conclusions: Dissemination of ACT seems to be in an early stage in the Netherlands. Ongoing training, consultation, and research are necessary to stimulate the implementation of ACT in the Netherlands. Declaration of interest: This survey was carried out for the benefit of the second National Assertive Community Treatment conference in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. There were no grants involved.

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