Youth ACT

Intensive intervention for young people in Brooklyn with significant mental health issues

JCCA’s Youth ACT program provides families with a comprehensive team of professionals to deliver intensive, highly-coordinated, individualized services and skilled therapeutic interventions to maintain the child in the home, school, and community. The team includes a psychiatric nurse practitioner, a Family Peer Support specialist, licensed mental health professionals, an educational support specialist, a clinical support specialist, program assistant, and a team leader.

What are the program’s goals?

• Interventions focus on improving functional impairments and severe symptomatology due to the youth’s mental illness.
• Family-driven, youth-guided interventions enhance family functioning in order to foster health, well-being, and stability.
• The program’s evidence-based, trauma-informed approach uses the child’s and family’s own strengths to focus on recovery and re-integration.
• With a team-based approach, every member of the team is a resource for the family and understands each young person’s needs and individualized interventions.

What services are provided?

• Assertive Engagement
• Case Management
• Assessment
• Child and Family Services Planning
• Individual, Group and/or Family Counseling/Therapy
• Family/Individual Psychoeducation
• Psychosocial Rehabilitation
• Crisis Intervention
• Medication Management
• Family Peer Services
• Vocational/Educational Services

Who is eligible?

ACT clients aged 10-21 must meet two or more of the following criteria:

• Youth and/or family has not adequately engaged in, or responded to, treatment in more traditional settings
• Two hospitalizations within one year or one hospitalization of 60 days or more
• High use of psychiatric emergency or crisis services
• Persistent severe major symptoms
• Residing in or being discharged from inpatient program, or deemed eligible for a residential treatment facility (RTF)
• Home environment and/or community does not provide the necessary support required to adequately address mental health needs for developmentally appropriate growth
• Young person has been clinically assessed to be at immediate risk of requiring a more restrictive living situation without intensive community services