Evidence record
Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System—Review of Selected Behavioral Health Services
- Jurisdiction
- Arizona
- Publishing agency
- Arizona Auditor General
- Publication date
- September 29, 2022
- Source record
- Original document linked
Findings
8
Recommendations
1
Overall conclusion
AHCCCS did not ensure all peer specialists met qualification and supervision requirements; some peer specialists were not supervised, potentially jeopardizing the quality of peer support services. The agency should enhance oversight and monitoring of contracted health plans to ensure compliance.
Scope
Scope: AHCCCS administration of behavioral health services, including peer and recovery support specialists’ qualification and supervision requirements, the AHCCCS Housing Program (including Scattered Site and Community Living Program), and related reporting and governance; time frame largely FY2021 with specific datapoints through March 2022 (peer specialist sample from Oct-Dec 2021; housing waitlist data through Mar 2022).
Findings (8)
Each finding has a stable link.
- F-911
AHCCCS provided behavioral health services to more than 583,000 members in fiscal year 2021 and spent over $2.7 billion, but did not ensure all peer specialists met qualification and supervision requirements, potentially jeopardizing the quality of services.
- F-912
AHCCCS has established behavioral health performance measures and contracts for independent assessments, including services provided to members with a serious mental illness (SMI).
- F-913
Did not ensure that 21 of 23 peer specialists reviewed met both State and federal qualification requirements and/or were supervised according to requirements, potentially jeopardizing the quality of peer support services.
- F-914
Directed contracted health plans to oversee the provision of peer support services but did not have a process to ensure this oversight occurs.
- F-915
Provides housing rental subsidies to eligible AHCCCS members with an SMI and some with general mental health/substance use disorders; as of March 2022, about 2,300 enrolled with 4,134 on waitlist.
- F-916
Contracts with a Housing Administrator to manage the Housing Program and has established performance measures for assessing Housing Administrator performance.
- F-917
Administers various committees, councils, task forces, and workgroups related to behavioral healthcare services.
- F-918
Provides reports to the Legislature, Joint Legislative Budget Committee, and Governor on behavioral healthcare expenditures and programs in response to legal and statutory requirements.
Recommendations (1)
- R-806
AHCCCS should develop and implement processes for monitoring its contracted health plans’ oversight of peer specialists to ensure they meet qualifications and receive supervision as required.
Related finding F-914