Question

A nurse is caring for a group of clients. Which of the following clients should a nurse consider for referral to an assertive community treatment (ACT) group?

A. A client in an acute care mental health facility who has fallen several times while running down the hallway.
B. A client who lives at home and keeps "forgetting" to come in for his monthly antipsychotic injection for schizophrenia.
C. A client in a day treatment program who says he is becoming more anxious during group therapy.
D. A client in a weekly grief support group who says she still misses her deceased husband who has been dead for 3 months.

ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 6 Application Exercises

Answer 1

A referral to an assertive community treatment (ACT) group is most suitable for the client who keeps forgetting to come in for his monthly antipsychotic injection, as ACT provides comprehensive support in the community to improve treatment adherence for individuals with serious and persistent mental illness.

Step-by-step explanation:

A nurse should consider a referral to an assertive community treatment (ACT) group for a client who is not consistently adhering to their treatment plan in a community setting. The client described in option B, who lives at home and keeps forgetting to come in for his monthly antipsychotic injection for schizophrenia, is a suitable candidate for ACT. ACT is a model of mental health care designed to provide comprehensive, community-based psychiatric treatment, rehabilitation, and support to individuals with serious and persistent mental illness.

ACT teams are multidisciplinary and provide a range of services to clients, including applied behavior analysis (ABA), social communication groups, social skills groups, medication management, and assistance with social services. This approach can help improve adherence to treatment and prevent hospital readmissions by offering intensive, individualized support in the community, where clients are more comfortable and can be more easily encouraged to participate in their care plan.