ACT Fidelity Monitoring

For any evidence-based treatment, fidelity, or the degree to which an intervention in clinical practice aligns with the model developed in a research setting, is important to ensure individuals served are receiving the best possible care. For an intervention as complex as ACT, fidelity monitoring is especially important, both for ensuring high quality service delivery but also to identify training needs so as to engage in continual quality improvement.

 In Washington state, our ACT teams (called PACT teams) undergo annual fidelity monitoring led by SPIRIT Lab team members and affiliates. Though a variety of fidelity assessment tools exist, we use the Tool for Measurement of Assertive Community Treatment (TMACT), a validated measure co-developed by Maria Monroe-DeVita, PhD along with colleagues Lorna Moser, PhD at University of North Carolina and Gregory Teague, PhD at University of South Florida to better capture the full scope of ACT best practice. The TMACT includes a comprehensive rating protocol and guide, consisting of Part I (Introduction), Part II (Itemized Data Collection Forms), and an Appendix which includes templates for various parts of the evaluation process (e.g., sample fidelity review agenda, fidelity report).

TMACT RESOURCES

• TMACT Summary Scale
• TMACT Protocol PART I
• TMACT Protocol Part II
• TMACT Appendix

For more information about research conducted on the TMACT:

• Monroe-DeVita et al. (2011) The TMACT- A New Tool for Measuring Fidelity to Assertive Community Treatment
• Moser et al. (2013) Evaluating Integrated Treatment Within Assertive Community Treatment Programs- A New Measure
• Cuddeback et al. (2013) Fidelity to Recovery-Oriented ACT Practices and Consumer Outcomes

For more information about fidelity monitoring in Washington state, contact Research Coordinator, Chris McCain.