While it is possible for anyone to experience severe illness from the coronavirus (COVID-19), it is critical to point out that the groups at highest risk include individuals who are 65 years and older, and individuals who use tobacco or have underlying health conditions such as a disease of the heart, diabetes, asthma, cancer, or [...]
The Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released a mobile app this morning to help primary care and behavioral health providers identify suicide risk among patients. Suicide Safe is available for Apple and Android phones and tablets. A webinar explaining the technology will happen at 12:30 today. The event is full at this point, but a [...]
People with a serious mental illness die more than 30 years earlier than people without those challenges. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be reflecting about some of the innovative strategies that we’ve implemented with our behavioral health community partners over the last several years to improve the health status of folks with a serious [...]
No doubt the word “ Sequestration” is front and center in your vocabulary these days. This is just a quick note to forecast how it might impact our mission. For starters… the main impacts from federal sequestration (i.e. the federal budget reduction for some programs) will be related to the services that we provide and [...]
We’re happy to announce that we’re officially adopting four evidence-based practice models endorsed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) including Assertive Community Treatment (ACT); Supported Employment; Permanent Supportive Housing; and Consumer-Operated Services. We’re adopting these evidence-based best practice models because they resonate with our core commitment to a system of care [...]
Our Division of Behavioral Health Services recently submitted its combined mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment services State Plan for FY 12-13 to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The Plan that we submitted to SAMHSA doubles as the State Plan that’s required by ARS 36-550.01. The Plan provides an overview of Arizona’s [...]
Guest blog by: From the Division of Behavioral Health Services Let’s Celebrate Wellness this Week! You are invited to join Arizonans this FRIDAY, September 23 to participate in the Line Dance for Wellness and Recovery which will be held at the Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza (next to the Capitol Lawn in Phoenix) and at DeMeester [...]
A new report is out that provides a state-by-state comparison of a wide range of behavioral health issues. Every state has to deal with some significant challenges with mental illness and substance abuse. For example, among people 12 and older, Alaska’s current illicit drug use rate more than double that in Iowa (13% versus 5%), [...]
Our 2010 Annual Behavioral Health Consumer Survey results are in, and the outcomes are encouraging! Each year, we conduct 2 surveys based on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Mental Health Statistics Improvement Program (MHSIP) consumer surveys: They are the Adult Consumer Survey and the Youth Services for Families. The surveys request feedback [...]
Our Division of Behavioral Health Services is the point guard for substance abuse prevention & treatment in Arizona (also referred to as the Single State Authority for Substance Abuse Services at the federal level). One of those concerns is the abuse of marijuana- which continues to be in high demand and abused in our state. [...]
