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Youth ACT is an intensive, comprehensive and community-based rehabilitative mental health service. Services are provided in the home, school, or community using a multidisciplinary team. Individualized services help stabilize youth, ages 14-21, to decrease hospitalizations and out of home placements.

The Youth ACT team works intensively with youth with severe mental health or co-occurring mental health and substance use issues to help them remain in their community and reduce the need for residential or inpatient placements.

The team also works with youth discharging from hospitals or residential treatment centers to ensure a smooth transition back to their home, family, and community. Services are delivered in an age-appropriate and culturally sensitive manner designed to meet the specific needs of each member.

A Support Team for Teens

Services are provided in the home, with Youth ACT providing 3-5 sessions per week.

Your team includes:

  • a therapist
  • a youth peer support specialist
  • a parent partner
  • a youth and family skills coach
  • a psychiatric nurse practitioner
  • a clinical supervisor 

Youth Assertive Community Treatment FAQs

How long can my child and family receive ACT services?

Youth ACT can last as long as needed.

Who can make referrals?

Hospital emergency departments, Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTFs), Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Hospitals (CABHH), county workers, even the family. Anyone can make a referral to Youth ACT.

What makes Youth ACT unique?

  • Individualized, intensive services that help stabilize youth in the community to help decrease hospitalizations and out of home placements.
  • An integrated team approach.
  • Services are provided where the youth is living, providing 3-5 sessions per week.

How many appointments will each youth/family have each week?

  • Youth ACT is an intensive model to help stabilize youth and families. This service requires a commitment to 3-5 in-person sessions per week.
  • Sessions will occur on three separate days and will total a minimum of 90 combined minutes.
  • These sessions will be comprised of therapy (individual or family), psychiatric medication management, parent partner support, youth and family skills, and youth peer support. 

How does someone qualify for Youth ACT?

  • Youth need to be ages 14-21 years old.
  • Live within the 7-county metro area (Hennepin, Ramsey, Anoka, Washington, Dakota, Scott, Carver).
  • MA/PMAPs insurance.
  • Have a diagnosed mental illness with symptoms that interfere with everyday life and demonstrate a need for high-intensity community-based services.
  • A diagnostic assessment that has been completed within the last six months. Youth who do not have this and demonstrate a need for Youth ACT services, a diagnostic assessment will be completed by our team as part of the intake for final determination of eligibility. 

Can the Youth ACT services can be provided concurrently with waivered services?

Yes, in some cases. The county must approve the concurrent care. Talk to your County Case Manager to determine eligibility.

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