Flexible Assertive Community Treatment (FACT): An Integrated Care Model Bridging Primary and Specialist Mental Health Services – Perspectives from Collaborating Partners and Relatives

Chair: Professor Anne Landheim
Symposium Overview: Individuals with serious mental illness are among the most vulnerable groups in society, often experiencing marginalization and social exclusion. They face significant challenges such as disability, unemployment, social isolation, and poor health — all of which contribute to reduced quality of life and shortened life expectancy. Despite needing coordinated and continuous care, they frequently encounter a fragmented and complex service system. There is a growing need for holistic and integrated care approaches that ensure collaboration between municipal and specialist health services. The involvement of the voluntary sector and patients’ social networks is also essential. In Norway, Flexible Assertive Community Treatment (FACT) is an integrated care model that bridges primary and specialist mental health services, aiming to provide seamless, person-centred support. In this symposium, we will present findings from research exploring FACT in the Norwegian context, highlighting perspectives from collaborating partners and relatives.
Talk 1 – Dr. Hanne Clausen, senior researcher, will introduce the FACT model and describe how inter-sectoral service provision functions in Norwegian FACT teams.
Talk 2 – Professor Anne Landheim will present findings from interviews with collaborating partners in both community and specialist health services, exploring their experiences of interprofessional and cross-sector collaboration.
Talk 3 – Associate Professors Randi Martinsen and Berit Arnesveen Bronken will present family members’ experiences with the follow-up and care provided by FACT teams in Norway.
Title, name and affiliation:
Doctor and senior researcher Hanne Clausen, Research Center for Substance Use Disorders and Mental Illness, Innlandet Hospital Trust
Professor Anne Landheim Research Center for Substance Use Disorders and Mental Illness, Innlandet Hospital Trust and Department of Mental Health Work and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Social and Health Sciences, University of Inland Norway.
Associate professor Randi Martinsen, Department of Health and Nursing Sciences, Faculty of Social and Health Sciences, University of Inland Norway.
Associate professor Berit Arnesveen Bronken, Department of Health and Nursing Sciences, Faculty of Social and Health Sciences, University of Inland Norway.

Anne Landheim