Bill > SB1573

This bill amends Arizona's law regarding community mental health residential treatment services by modifying requirements for various mental health treatment programs. The bill maintains the existing goal of providing small, homelike residential facilities with multiple program types, including crisis residential treatment, long-term residential treatment, secure behavioral health residential facilities, semi-supervised group living, and socialization programs. A key new provision requires that inpatient behavioral health facilities cannot discharge a client who needs residential treatment until a suitable program that will accept the client is identified. The bill continues to emphasize multiple program components such as crisis intervention, rehabilitation, skill development, and community integration for individuals with serious mental illness. The programs are intended to provide varying levels of support, from intensive crisis intervention to gradual transitions toward independent living, with an emphasis on personalized care, skill building, and reducing social isolation. The bill also maintains existing requirements for program evaluation, multi-disciplinary staffing, and coordination between different treatment systems, ensuring a comprehensive approach to mental health residential services that prioritizes client needs and progressive, supportive care.

Health and Social Services

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/83015