To maintain the collaborative, consumer empowerment vision and recovery values of assertive community treatment. The local NAMI affiliate, local consumer organizations, and the management of the agency sponsoring the team should collaborate to determine membership. At times, the NAMI Statewide ACT Steering Committee may assist. These may include representatives of organizations that interact with the ACT team, such as homeless services, consumer peer support organizations, food shelf, faith based entities, criminal justice providers, housing authorities, landlords, employers, and community colleges. The Advisory Group should have at least 10 members, but usually fewer than 15 members to facilitate discussion.
Members typically serve for a staggered, two-year term.
Members should be knowledgeable about severe mental illnesses and the challenges that people with severe mental illnesses face in living in the community the team will serve, or already serves. People recovering from mental illnesses, and their relatives, are very well qualified to identify problems and solutions that others overlook. Members should be good problem solvers who have a positive attitude. Members listen to and seek to understand the perspective of all stakeholders. Members must make a commitment to regularly attend Advisory Group meetings.