Restructuring our licensing bureaus to better address the needs of the state

To best serve the residents of our state, especially some of our most vulnerable populations, we have restructured and expanded parts of our website to reflect recent changes to the Division of Public Health Licensing (Licensing).

This updated structure will better serve the needs of Arizonans residing in, or receiving services at, an ADHS- licensed facility. To this end, we have eliminated the Bureau of Residential Facilities Licensing and created two new and more specialized units: Bureaus of Behavioral Health Facilities Licensing (BBHL) and Assisted Living Facilities Licensing (BALF).

The new BBHL will be responsible for licensing and regulating all behavioral health-related facilities. These were previously licensed by three separate bureaus. Going forward, facilities like sober living homes, counseling facilities, behavioral health outpatient treatment centers, and residential behavioral health facilities will belong under this new licensing bureau.

The licensing and regulation of assisted living facilities, adult foster care homes, adult day health care facilities, and nursing-supported group homes will be under the purview of BALF, a bureau dedicated to assisted living facilities.

Ensuring that related facility types are licensed and regulated by common, specialized team members will help the Department better protect the health and safety of patients and residents. It will also promote consistency, maximize the Department’s use of resources, streamline processes, help ADHS identify emerging trends, and provide better customer service to licensees and the public.

Where are we now?

Licensing is pleased to provide a new website for BBHL and has been working hard to finalize updates on the BALF website, which includes creating new educational resources for licensees and the public, updating all related internal and public-facing systems (i.e. AZ Care Check, Licensing Portal, Complaint Portal), and transitioning staff into their new bureaus.

To ensure a seamless transition for our licensees, BBHL has been communicating with impacted facilities to ensure awareness of the change and any subsequent effects. To date, all residential behavioral health facilities and sober living homes have transitioned over to BBHL, but the transition for the regulations of counseling facilities and behavioral health outpatient treatment centers will follow in the next few months.

Where are we going?

The Arizona Department of Health Services Division of Licensing is dedicated to providing oversight of all licensed facilities to ensure the health and safety of everyone who lives in, visits, or works at any of these locations across the state. Please visit our newly redesigned website to learn more about the incredible work being done by the dedicated public health professionals in Licensing to protect the public.

Visit azcarecheck.com to find information about any licensed facilities or providers.

For members of the public with a concern about a licensed facility or provider, learn more about our complaint investigation process and view our online complaint forms to file a complaint regarding a facility or provider.

By Tom Salow|2024-04-16T14:14:06-07:00April 16th, 2024|Licensing|Comments Off

About the Author: Tom Salow

Tom Salow is the Assistant Director for Public Health Licensing Services (Licensing) at the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS). With a career spanning over 17 years at ADHS, he has provided oversight and expertise in various roles. Beginning in 2005 as a senior rules analyst, Tom worked with a variety of licensing programs to draft, amend, and adopt administrative rules. In 2009, he became the manager for the Office of Administrative Counsel and Rules, leading Senior Rules Analysts, administrative counsel, and policies. He also served as interim legislative liaison for just under a year during this time. After a few years, he transitioned to the Division of Licensing as deputy assistant director (branch chief), overseeing Vital Records, Radiation Control, Child Care Licensing, and Special Licensing. This oversight included the medical and adult-use marijuana programs, business and finance, and enforcement. In January 2022, Tom became the acting assistant director, eventually being appointed as assistant director in June 2022. In his current role, he provides strategic leadership, overseeing the eight Bureaus within the Division of Licensing.