Table 1 Work style of ACT team compared to standard care

ACT team

Community Mental Health team

Overall patient load

80-100 patients

± 600 patients excluding assessments of new patients

Individual caseload

Maximum 35

250

Workstyle

Key workers act as care coordinator bur caseloads are shared

Individual caseloads

Site of most visits

>50% contacts are home visits

Office based

Engagement

Assertive; focus on engagement.

Non-assertive, no follow-up of missed appointments/reports of non-compliance

Working hours

Office hours

Office hours

24 hour cover

Patients referred to hospital-based after-hours service coordinated by ACT.

After-hours service of catchment area.

Frequency of contacts

Individualized according to patient need; fortnightly

Depends on caseloads, varies between monthly to three monthly.

Disciplines available

Full-time psychiatrist, social worker, psychiatric nurse, access to psychologist, occupational therapist, dual diagnosis outpatient service.

Full-time psychiatric nurse, access to social worker and psychiatrist, varied access to occupational therapist and psychologist.