title: Facilitating Social Integration for People With Severe Mental Illness Served by Assertive Community Treatment.
abstract: This article explores the experience of workers on Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams surrounding their efforts to facilitate social integration for their clients.
  
  
  
  Sixteen workers were individually interviewed and eight additional workers participated in two focus groups.
  
  
  
  The formation of caring relationships between worker and client was an important first step towards social integration for ACT clients. Community activities offer opportunities for social interaction.
  
  
  
  The frequency of community based activities should be increased. Social integration should be a targeted focus of service by structurally embedding a social integration specialist onto the ACT model.
authors.affiliation: The Rutgers University School of Nursing, Camden, NJ. Electronic address: linzshei@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sheila J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Linz
authors.affiliation: Seton Hall University College of Nursing, South Orange, NJ.
authors.forename: Bonnie A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Sturm
mesh_terms: D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D010348:Patient Care Team; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012944:Social Support