Severe and persistent mental illnesses (SPMI) are a group of mental health disorders that can have significant impact on a person’s life. These disorders can substantially interfere with major activities of daily living. This impact can be present in their family relations, learning and development, work and social integration. Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) is a widely researched service delivery model for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness (and co-occurring substance abuse) who experience consistent, severe symptoms and who benefit from regular, intensive treatment from a multidisciplinary team of trained mental health professionals. Participants of this workshop will learn the basic difference between a mental health condition and severe and persistent mental illness through understanding the diagnostic criteria.