Behavioral Health – Page 4 – AZ Dept. of Health Services Director's Blog

Staying in the Saddle

By Will Humble|2017-02-10T09:49:20-07:00January 9th, 2015|Behavioral Health, General, Preparedness, Prevention|

We’ve had a great run together since I accepted the Interim ADHS Director position 6 years ago. I’m grateful to all of you for trusting me in this important position and for working together for the benefit of the folks of Arizona. We’ve made tremendous progress toward our Vision of Health and Wellness for all [...]

Comments Off

State Health Assessment & Arizona Health Improvement Plan

By Will Humble|2017-02-10T09:49:20-07:00January 9th, 2015|Affordable Care Act, Behavioral Health, Preparedness, Prevention|

To better understand the health status of Arizona's population, we partnered with the county health departments to conduct Community Health Assessments in 2014. We used the Community Health Assessments to develop a comprehensive State Health Assessment, which became basis for putting together an Arizona Health Improvement Plan (AzHIP). We began developing the AzHIP in late [...]

1

Improving Outcomes at the Arizona State Hospital

By Will Humble|2017-02-10T09:49:21-07:00January 2nd, 2015|Behavioral Health|

A key priority of our agency during 2014 was to improve outcomes among patients on their path to Recovery at the State Hospital. Our Hospital team cares for people who have mental health issues, whether for civil reasons or committed through the criminal courts. We also oversee the Arizona Community Protection and Treatment Center. In [...]

Comments Off

Prescription Painkiller Misuse and Abuse

By Will Humble|2017-02-10T09:49:21-07:00December 30th, 2014|Behavioral Health, Prevention|

The misuse and abuse of prescription painkillers continued to be a major public health challenge in 2014. Misuse and abuse of opiate prescription painkillers continued to kill more than car crashes in 2014….but we also completed some key interventions this year. In 2014 we released new Arizona Opioid Prescribing Guidelines for Arizona clinicians. They’re a [...]

Comments Off

Tobacco Use

By Will Humble|2017-02-10T09:49:21-07:00December 29th, 2014|Behavioral Health, Prevention|

The Top 5 things that kill people in Arizona: heart disease, cancer, lung diseases like emphysema and chronic bronchitis, stroke, and injuries. In fact - these 5 conditions cause 63% of all deaths - which is nearly 18,000 people each year in Arizona (about 50 people/day). Tobacco use is a major factor in 4 out [...]

Comments Off

Improving Behavioral Health Outcomes

By Will Humble|2017-02-10T09:49:22-07:00December 27th, 2014|Behavioral Health|

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 [...]

Comments Off

Regulatory Reform

By Will Humble|2017-02-10T09:49:22-07:00December 25th, 2014|Behavioral Health, Licensing|

We met a major milestone in 2014 when we filed our final new set of regulations for Arizona’s 5,500 licensed healthcare facilities. We’ve now completed our overhaul of the State’s regulations of hospitals, behavioral health inpatient facilities, nursing care institutions, recovery care centers, hospices, behavioral health residential facilities, assisted living facilities, outpatient surgical centers, outpatient [...]

Comments Off

New Counseling Facility Rules

By Will Humble|2017-02-10T09:49:22-07:00December 23rd, 2014|Behavioral Health|

On January 1 we’ll begin accepting applications for a new class of health care institution called counseling facilities. New Rules (adopted this week) provide facilities a way to become licensed for counseling services. The new rules will allow the facility to be stand-alone (doing all administrative activities itself) or to be affiliated with another counseling [...]

Comments Off

Arnold v. Sarn Service Capacity Increases on Target

By Will Humble|2017-02-10T09:49:22-07:00December 22nd, 2014|Behavioral Health|

Service capacity increases mandated by the Arnold v. Sarn lawsuit are on target. The exit agreement on the suit stipulates an increase of services for folks living with a serious mental illness in Maricopa County during fiscal years 2015-2016. Mercy Maricopa Integrated Care (the regional behavioral health authority for Maricopa County) is on target in [...]

Comments Off

ADHS Awards New Behavioral Health Services Contracts

By Will Humble|2017-02-10T09:49:22-07:00December 18th, 2014|Behavioral Health|

The mind and body aren’t separated - and neither should the healthcare delivery system - especially for folks with a serious mental illness. 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 [...]

Comments Off