One thing that folks have mentioned on my blog over and over is concern about who will need to submit fingerprints as part of their application under the AZ Medical Marijuana Act. Here’s the short answer: All applicants except a qualifying patient will need to submit a full set of fingerprints before getting a card [...]
A couple of weeks ago I planned to open the docket to overhaul the Administrative Code (Rules) that we use to evaluate and monitor health and safety in licensed behavioral health facilities in AZ. That plan was based on the assumption that the Medical Marijuana Act was going down to defeat because at that time [...]
By now you probably know that Proposition 203, the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act, appears to have passed after all (although the final determination will actually be made when the election is certified on November 29). The Act identifies ADHS as the organization that’s responsible for carrying out the provisions of the law. There will be several [...]
Arizona citizens with a serious mental illness have a life expectancy that’s 30 years less than the general population. These folks don’t die early because of their mental illness; rather, they die from preventable physical health conditions like obesity, smoking, lung disease, stroke and heart disease. That’s why the Department is partnering with the Milbank [...]
Two ADES offices in Maricopa County were awarded Bronze Medals for the prestigious 2010 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Hunger Champion Award. The East Southern Office in Phoenix, and the Gilbert Office on W. Guadalupe both received the Bronze Award, and were chosen from DES offices all over the U.S. The USDA only gave out 23 [...]
Ever since our Arizona Community Protection and Treatment Center (on the grounds of the Arizona State Hospital) opened in 1998, we’ve been providing treatment to sexually violent persons who have a mental disorder and who have been convicted (or found guilty except insane) of a sexually violent offense or were charged with a sexually violent offense and [...]
By now you probably know that Proposition 203, the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act appears to have passed after all (although the final determination will actually be made when the election is certified). The Act identifies the ADHS as the organization that’s responsible for carrying out the provisions of the law. There will be several teams of [...]
Our collaborative team of professionals from WIC, Maternal & Child Health, the Office of Children with Special Healthcare Needs and our Office of Childcare Licensure just finished and posted 4 dynamite videos to help our AZ Childcare Centers and Homes to adopt our Empower Pack wellness program. The videos range from about 7 to 9 [...]
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 [...]
In 1999 a bill was passed that charged the ADHS with licensing and inspecting abortion clinics. Before the law could take effect, a lawsuit was filed that “stayed” the regulation of abortion clinics until a settlement agreement could be finalized with the Department and the plaintiffs. Last year the settlement agreement was finalized, we developed [...]
