People with a serious mental illness die more than 25 years earlier than the general population…an unacceptable health disparity in anybody’s book. The increased mortality is largely from treatable medical conditions caused by modifiable risk factors like smoking, obesity, substance abuse, and not accessing primary and acute medical care. We recognized the need to address [...]
We recently extended our contract with the Regional Behavioral Health Authority in Maricopa County through September 30, 2013. We authorized the contract extension (which will be the 6th year of the contract) so that we can better serve our members and families while we hammer out the details of several new initiatives designed to improve [...]
If you or one of your family members receives behavioral health services in Arizona, it’s time to raise your voice and be heard. Over the next few weeks our ADHS Behavioral Health System Transformation Team will be sponsoring a series of forums so that folks can express their opinions about how we should shape the [...]
I haven't written much about the Arnold v. Sarn lawsuit because its so complicated and difficult to explain. Basically, it's a lawsuit filed against ADHS in 1981 (adding the Governor as a defendant in 2000) that has held the Department accountable to certain court orders about community-based behavioral health services for adults with serious mental illness in [...]
