Sheppard Pratt

Sheppard Pratt is a behavioral health provider whose assertive community treatment program, or ACT, brings psychiatric care to adults with a severe and persistent mental illness. The team is multidisciplinary, pairing a psychiatrist and registered nurse with a case manager, clinical social worker, peer specialist, substance use counselor and supportive employment specialist. Services include medication management, talk therapy and help with primary care and daily living.

ACT suits people who struggle with traditional outpatient visits, and care is delivered in a comfortable place, often at home, with support available during crises. Adults 18 and older qualify if they cannot succeed in outpatient settings and have faced hospitalization, frequent emergency room use, arrest, or a clear threat to living independently. Families can also get education and support. Referrals are made by phone, and the program runs in several Maryland counties, with the Elkridge office in Howard County.