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01-11-2016 | Original Paper

“Sometimes What They Think is Helpful is Not Really Helpful”: Understanding Engagement in the Program of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT)

Authors: Miriam George, Jennifer I. Manuel, Megan E. Gandy-Guedes, Shenee McCray, Dina Negatu

Published in: Community Mental Health Journal | Issue 8/2016

Abstract

This exploratory study recruited a purposive sample of twelve clinical staff from a Program of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) team in central Virginia to understand the perceptions and experiences related to assertive engagement. The researchers coded the transcribed data initially as twenty-three sub-themes and further refined the data into four overarching themes: characteristics of assertive engagement, PACT engagement strategies and engagement strategies for difficult to engage clients. Further analysis emphasized that PACT team members emphasized the importance of the therapeutic relationship for engagement, which proves challenging for hard-to-engage clients.

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Title: “Sometimes What They Think is Helpful is Not Really Helpful”: Understanding Engagement in the Program of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT)
Authors: Miriam George
Jennifer I. Manuel
Megan E. Gandy-Guedes
Shenee McCray
Dina Negatu
Publication date: 01-11-2016
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Community Mental Health Journal / Issue 8/2016
Print ISSN: 0010-3853
Electronic ISSN: 1573-2789
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-015-9934-9

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“Sometimes What They Think is Helpful is Not Really Helpful”: Understanding Engagement in the Program of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT)

Abstract

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Abstract

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