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Telecare Opens New ACT Programs in San Bernardino, CA
April 08, 2008
TELECARE PARTNERS WITH SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY TO OPEN TWO NEW ASSERTIVE COMMUNITY TREATMENT (ACT) PROGRAMS
Specialized Programs Will Serve High Utilizers and Forensic Consumers
ALAMEDA, Calif., April 8, 2008 -- Telecare Corporation and the San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health have opened MAPS and FACTS, two Assertive Community Treatment-based (ACT) programs that will serve up to 110 individuals. MAPS (Members Assertive Positive Solutions) will serve 60 individuals who have been high-utilizers of Institutions for Mental Disease (IMDs) or acute psychiatric hospitals. FACTS (Forensic Assertive Community Treatment) will serve 50 members who have had repeated contacts with the criminal justice system and have been arrested as a result of their mental illness.
Funded by San Bernardino County through Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) funds, the two new programs serve individuals aged 18 to 59 and are based at 2080 S. E St., San Bernardino.
“These community-based programs will allow members to develop stable and hopeful lives in the community. We believe that a ‘whatever it takes’ approach is needed,” said Beatrice Serafin, Telecare’s San Bernardino-area administrator, who emphasized that a safe environment for both members and the community is Telecare’s highest priority.
In addition to these two new programs, Telecare has managed an ACT program for San Bernardino since 2003. ACT programs are for individuals with complex mental illness who often have co-occurring disorders such a as substance abuse. Programs typically include formal therapeutic interventions and informal supports such as family involvement and advocacy, peer support and linkages to community-based organizations and other resources that enable recovery. Each program provides wraparound services and supports, 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week, 365-days-a-year
“Telecare is a major provider of mental health services in California and has the experience in providing interventions needed to serve individuals experiencing major mental illness. By focusing on effective approaches in providing mental health services, rehabilitation, teaching critical community living and survival skills, and providing support, we believe the program can increase an individual’s opportunity to live in the community,” said Allan Rawland, Director of the Department of Behavioral Health, County of San Bernardino.
According to Rawland, the new programs’ goals include reducing by 50 percent the frequency of acute psychiatric hospital admissions in the first six months of program participation and improving each member’s sustainability in the community.
“Consumers in these ACT programs have complex requirements,” said Laurel Freeman, the FACT program administrator. “Telecare’s service delivery model includes innovative components, including a low clinical staff to client ratio to manage members’ needs.”
Other innovative services include:
• 24/7/365 wrap-around support with the ability to respond quickly to any member in need, wherever he or she may be in the community.
• A Drop-In Center providing a meaningful way to spend time during the day.
• Close working relationships with landlords and other housing providers, encouraging them to call on the Telecare team at the first indication of any problem.
• Culturally competent services sensitive to members’ specific cultural and linguistic framework.
According to Telecare, it is hoped that members will experience a range of positive outcomes, including:
• Fewer disruptive and/or harmful behaviors
• Fewer problems following s psychiatric medication plan
• Decreased harm caused by use of alcohol and other drugs
• Improvement in social and economic situation
• Involvement in pre-vocational, paid and volunteer jobs
“We look forward to continuing our collaborative partnership with Telecare as we transform the system of care in San Bernardino County to one that is focused on wellness and recovery which supports individuals with severe mental illness in creating rewarding and productive lives in the community, without the need for higher levels of care,” said Rawland.
About Telecare
Telecare, based in Alameda, California, is one of the largest providers of mental health services in the U.S. and has operated programs similar to those offered in San Bernardino in Alameda, Solano, and San Diego Counties. Telecare’s Recovery-Centered Clinical System (RCCS) provides an innovative recovery framework that incorporates the latest research and evidence-based practices. Telecare works in partnership with local, county, state and other behavioral healthcare organizations to design and provide recovery-focused services for high-risk individuals. Telecare is employee-and-family-owned with over 2000 employees and more than 60 programs in California, Texas, Oregon, Nebraska, and North Carolina.
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