Assertive Outreach Team implementation

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Organisations assessed on whether they are providing assertive outreach services through having at least one assertive outreach team in place.

Rationale
Assertive Outreach Teams, known also as 'assertive community treatment teams', provide intensive support for the severely mentally ill people who are 'difficult to engage' in more traditional services. Many will often have a forensic history and a dual diagnosis. Care and support is offered in their homes or some other community setting, at times suited to them. Workers can be involved in direct delivery of practical support, care co-ordination and advocacy as well as more traditional therapeutic input. The aim of the service is to maintain contact and increase engagement and compliance. The Mental Health National Service Framework standard four states that ‘all mental health service users on the Care Programme Approach (CPA) should receive care which optimises engagement, prevents or anticipates crisis and reduces risk.’ The NHS Plan target on Assertive Outreach Services states that: ‘There are a small number of people who are difficult to engage. They are very high users of services, and often suffer from a dual diagnosis of substance use and serious mental illness. A small proportion also have a history of offending. Services to provide assertive outreach and intensive input seven days a week are required to sustain engagement with services and to protect patient and public.’ The NHS Plan target for Assertive Outreach Teams is 220 teams by December 2003.

Thresholds

Legend
Achieved	ü	2 or more
Under achieved	-	1
Significantly under achieved	x	0

For this indicator, combined trusts (those acute or primary care trusts that also provide mental health services) have been given a lower threshold, which reflects the typically smaller populations for who they provide services.

Legend
Achieved	ü	1
Under achieved	-	-
Significantly under achieved	x	Less than one

More technical information