FACT Pilot Program Act

The bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a 5-year pilot program, through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, to award grants to eligible entities. These grants will enable States and local governments to expand their forensic assertive community treatment (FACT) team programs , which provide intensive, field-based services to individuals with serious mental illness who are involved with the criminal justice system. FACT programs offer round-the-clock, time-unlimited care including mental health, addiction treatment, vocational training, and housing assistance, delivered by a multidisciplinary team that includes criminal justice partners and forensic peer specialists. Additionally, the bill mandates a study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to recommend measurable metrics for program effectiveness, such as reductions in recidivism , psychiatric hospitalizations, and emergency department utilization. The study will also identify model fidelity mechanisms, develop policy proposals for scaling up programs, and provide an implementation framework for new FACT programs, including those in rural communities. It will include a cost estimate for proposals and a cost-savings and benefits analysis, with findings reported to Congress and publicly disseminated.