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SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake County is providing a big increase in resources to help those who are suffering from mental illness. The county announced on Monday that it's expanding what it calls its Assertive Community Treatment, or ACT team.
This new expansion will help an additional 150 people who are dealing with serious mental illness. It will also mean the total number of ACT teams in the county will be five, with each team able to provide mental health services for 100 people.
"Odyssey House is really excited about this opportunity for expansion," said Lindsay Bowton, the director of ACT teams with Odyssey House, a substance abuse and mental health treatment facility.
"ACT teams are frequently called a hospital without walls. The goal is really to be a one-stop shop for people so that we can meet really all of their needs that we possibly can," Bowton said.
The Odyssey House will double its ACT team resources, meaning it will be able to help an additional 100 people.
"We've had a waitlist for several months, and it's really hard to turn down people that desperately need assistance and support," Bowton said.
Other agencies that have partnered with ACT teams include Valley Behavior Health and Volunteers of America.
The patients are all enrolled in the program and about 15% to 20% of them are homeless.
"The goal is really to support them with whatever they need in order to be successful and live a healthier life, gain some stability," Bowton said.
