Community-centered Care in the Justice System: A Case Study in ACT Adaptation in Rural Communities

Mental Health Treatment Courts and Assertive Community Treatment offer complimentary solutions for addressing needs of justice-involved individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) and co-occurring disorders (COD). Despite alignment on goals, Mental Health Treatment Courts and Assertive Community Treatment are rarely deployed collaboratively. The current study briefly reviews Mental Health Treatment Courts and Assertive Community Treatment and provides an exploratory case study of how these approaches were integrated and adapted in a rural community during and after the COVID pandemic to serve a surging population with SMI, COD facing unique needs and challenges. Experiences of adapting to challenges to meet the needs of justice involved individuals with SMI and COD provide a positive example for other communities facing similar challenges. In particular, deploying Assertive Community Treatment to full fidelity is not achievable in many communities, fidelity standards may not be universal, and fidelity may not be a necessity for successfully meeting the needs of Mental Health Treatment Court participants. As funding becomes increasingly scarce, this case study highlights the utility of adaptable, place-based solutions that balance fidelity with feasibility.