Assertive Community Treatment
A Team Approach to Community-based Care
At our Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) program, we are here to support you in taking positive steps towards independent living. We believe recovery is possible with the right plan and support in place.
Our job is to do whatever it takes to support you in your recovery journey where you live, work, and recreate. Our multidisciplinary team includes a psychiatrist, a nurse, a team lead, case managers, substance use disorder counselors, peer support specialists, and employment specialists, who are all here to help you on your path.
We connect you to the proper resources so you can achieve your goals. We will work with your identified support network, such as family, friends, and community to take steps towards making recovery happen.
Our program is based on an evidence-based national model that helps individuals live independent lives and focuses on a strength-based approach to recovery.
What to Expect
Your support services start with your hopes and dreams. Our staff uses recovery dialogues to encourage you to think about what you want in life and develop individualized recovery plans to guide your work in the program. We can work with you where you feel most comfortable at our office, in your home, or at the peer center.
Our culture is based on recovery. We believe in respect and non-judgment, and we celebrate individual uniqueness. We care about the interpersonal relationships we develop so we can foster a supportive program setting.
Our staff is passionate, resourceful, and motivated. We are your partners in recovery and will be with you throughout your journey.
Our goal is to help you thrive in your community. We want you to be the leader of your recovery journey and to create the life you want for yourself and to feel a part of your community.
What We do
Services include, but are not limited to:
- Outreach and engagement
- Community-based wraparound services
- Intensive case management
- 24/7 availability
- Housing support
- Medication support and education
- Substance use disorder treatment
- Vocational and educational services
- Peer support services
- Benefits Counseling
- Nursing Services
- Recovery-centered services — to awaken hope and enhance motivation
For more information or referrals, contact Sandra Gore at 541-426-4524.
Meet our ACT Team
Dr. Josh Boverman, Psychiatrist
Sandra Gore, Case Lead
Eva Oveson, ACT Case Manager
Maggie Hunt, Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor
William Weisz, Supported Employment Supervisor
Sven Geirnaert, ACT Case Manager
Aidan Wandschneider, Peer Support Specialist
Kelly Bigsby, Registered Nurse
Shane Lodder, ACT Case Manager
Oregon Center for Excellence
Wallowa Valley Center for Wellness operates under the Oregon Center For Excellence for Assertive Community Treatment (OCEACT) which provides training and technical assistance to support new and existing ACT programs throughout Oregon.
Common Questions About Assertive Community Treatment
Who do we serve?
Adults who have been diagnosed with a serious mental illness. Specialty populations served by this program are those at risk for hospitalization or institutionalization; those who have criminal justice involvement; those who have not been successful with traditional mental health programs; and those who transitioned from institutional settings.
How do you get referred to the program?
Referrals come from state hospitals, group homes, acute psychiatric hospitals, and certain community providers. Learn more about the referral process for Eastern Oregon here.
What are the admission criteria?
- Adults ages 18 and older
- Those at risk for hospitalization or institutionalization
- Criminal justice involvement
- Have not been successful with traditional mental health programs
- Transitioning from institutional settings
- Dual-diagnosed
What is Assertive Community Treatment (ACT)?
It is an intensive and highly integrated treatment approach for community mental health service delivery. ACT is one of the oldest and most widely researched evidence-based practices in behavioral healthcare for people with severe mental illness. ACT serves individuals whose symptoms of mental illness result in serious functioning difficulties in several major areas of life, often including work, social relationships, residential independence, money management, and physical health and wellness. ACT’s explicit mission is to promote the participants' independence, rehabilitation, and recovery, and in so doing to prevent homelessness, unnecessary hospitalization, and other outcomes that impact recovery goals. In essence, ACT programs are “hospitals without walls” and aim to prevent participants from being incarcerated and hospitalized. ACT participation is voluntary and services are time unlimited (no end date of services necessary). However, clients may transition to higher or lower levels of care and even back into the ACT program from other levels of care such as residential services. ACT teams must have a Team Lead, Clinician, Nurse, Psychiatrist or Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Peer Support Specialist, Supported Employment Specialist, Case Manager, and Addictions Counselor. Other positions can also include a Housing Specialist or a Supported Education Specialist. Contact is required with our multidisciplinary team for at least 120min/4x a week. ACT strives to make 80% of its contacts community-based. Essentially, we bring the services to our participants to the greatest extent possible, including home visits.
Why Assertive Community Treatment?
Research shows that ACT reduces hospitalization, increases housing stability, and improves the quality of life for people with the most severe symptoms of mental illness. Basically, it works - in improving the lives for individuals with the most severe symptoms of mental illness.
