AHCCCS Integrated System of Care (ISOC)

Background

In 2001, the Jason K. Settlement Agreement established the Arizona System of Care as a set of values and principles to guide behavioral health service delivery to children in Arizona.

On July 1, 2016, the Arizona Department of Health Services, Division of Behavioral Health moved to AHCCCS to further integrate physical and behavioral health care within the AHCCCS health care delivery system. Since then, AHCCCS has continued to advance the System of Care model to include the adult population and to incorporate an integrated health perspective.

The goal of the Integrated System of Care is to ensure appropriate, adequate, and timely services for all persons across the lifespan, with a primary focus on improving quality of life throughout all system intersections and service interactions that individuals may encounter.

System Oversight Structure

Policies related to SOC

  • Coordination of Care with Other Government Agencies – AMPM 541
  • Behavioral Health Services for Children in Department of Child Safety (DCS) Custody and Adopted Children – ACOM 449

    • Forms related to SOC

    Behavioral Health Clinical Chart Audit

    In February 2023, AHCCCS reinitiated the Behavioral Health Clinical Chart Audit process. Based on health plan and stakeholder feedback, multiple enhancements have been made to the audit process. The Behavioral Health (BH) Audit portal was developed and formally released for use on May 18, 2023. The BH Audit portal will be utilized by the managed care organizations (MCOs) to conduct the behavioral health audit. It will allow completion of audits in real time as well as efficient opportunities for data analysis. The BH Audit portal follows the BH Audit Tool and the accompanying Behavioral Health Clinical Chart Audit Instruction Guide.


    Child and Family Team Practice

    AHCCCS continues to work on improving Child and Family Team (CFT) practice. In partnership with its Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), the AHCCCS ISOC and Workforce Development teams implemented a statewide two day, in-person CFT facilitator training. The new training is intended to build the skills of those staff facilitating CFT meetings and to ensure CFT practice aligns with the 12 Principles. CFT training requirements, as well as supervisor coaching and monitoring requirements for CFT facilitators are outlined in AMPM Policy 580. Supervisors will ensure the competency of their staff and monitor the fidelity of the CFTs being facilitated under their supervision using the CFT Supervision Tool. Supervisors will provide coaching on the nine essential elements of CFT practice as needed but can also have staff re-trained in the CFT Facilitator Training, if needed.

    The AHCCCS ISOC team is currently working with the National Wraparound Implementation Center to improve care coordination for children with complex needs. The System of Care team will continue to work on improvements and implementation of the Wraparound model throughout 2024 and 2025.

    Resources from National Wraparound:

    Court Ordered Evaluation and Treatment

    On September 4, 2020, the Arizona Supreme Court Committee on Mental Health and the Justice System provided a number of recommendations to improve the justice system for those with mental health care needs.

    This included a focus on developing strategies to engage and intervene prior to entry into the justice system. In response to the Committee’s recommendations, AHCCCS created a Court Ordered Evaluation / Court Ordered Treatment (COE/COT) committee, which includes members from the Committee on Mental Health and the Justice System and additional system stakeholders (e.g. members of the Court, district attorney’s, mental health providers, state health plan members and the Office of Individual and Family Affairs) and community members.

    This committee’s goal is to develop an effective and standardized statewide training on Court Ordered Evaluation and Treatment by the end of 2023. This training will include individual county processes, resources, and user experience from the peer-member/family perspective. The training will be publicly available and intended for a variety of audiences.

    For more information related to COE/COT processes, please visit AHCCCS COE/COT webpage.

    Project AWARE - Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education

    Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education) is a federal initiative funded by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the US Department of Health and Human Services. The project aims to expand partnership between education and mental health systems at the state and local levels and to develop a sustainable infrastructure for school-based mental health programs and services. The Arizona Project AWARE team is a partnership between Arizona Department of Education (ADE), AHCCCS, and three Local Education Agencies (LEAs). Project AWARE is focused on ensuring access to behavioral health services for students by establishing and promoting referral pathways and partnerships between Local Education Agencies, parents, and behavioral health community providers.

    AHCCCS provides continuous education and behavioral health funding sources that enhance wellness for all Arizona students and communities. The education could be online or in-person depending on the interest of the requesting school or district. Project AWARE supports suicide prevention training as required by the Mitch Warnock Act and more information can be found at Suicide Prevention Training for Schools. This is facilitated through a collaborative partnership of the ADE and AHCCCS working as a team to provide suicide prevention training to school staff and community members. School staff take priority, but everyone is encouraged to use this online form to request suicide prevention training. This training could be online or in person depending on the curriculum.

    Current and Future Projects & Goals

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    Revised 05/28/2024