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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session
AMENDED
behavioral health facilities; accreditation
Purpose
Requires a behavioral health outpatient treatment center that is contracted with the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) or a regional behavioral health authority to include on its patient intake form the license number or name and address of the sober living home in which a patient is living, if applicable.
Background
Statute requires the Director of the Department of Health Services (DHS) to establish minimum standards and requirements for constructing, modifying and licensing health care institutions as necessary to ensure public health, safety and welfare. The Director of DHS (Director) may subclassify health care institutions into smaller subsets, including outpatient treatment centers and must adopt licensing provisions that facilitate the colocation and integration of outpatient treatment centers that provide medical, nursing and health-related services with behavioral health services (A.R.S. § 36-405).
The Director must also establish minimum standards and requirements for the licensure of sober living homes to ensure the public health, safety and welfare. The Director may use the current standards adopted by any recognized national organization approved by DHS as guidelines in prescribing the minimal standards and requirements but must include outlined statutory policies and procedures (A.R.S. § 36-2062).
A sober living home is any premises, place or building that
provides alcohol-free or
drug-free housing that: 1) promotes independent living and life skills
development; 2) may provide activities that are directed primarily toward
recovery from substance use disorders; 3) provides a supervised setting to a
group of unrelated individuals who are recovering from substance use disorders;
and 4) does not provide any medical or clinical services or medication
administration on-site, except for verification of abstinence (A.R.S.
§ 36-2061).
A service provider is an organization or mental health professional that meets the criteria established by the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) and has a contract with AHCCCS or a regional behavioral health authority (A.R.S. § 36-3401).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires a behavioral health outpatient treatment center, that is a service provider, to include on its patient intake form the license number or name and address of the sober living home in which the patient is living, if applicable.
2. Allows DHS to verify compliance with the patient intake form requirement:
a) during any in-person survey or complaint investigation; or
b) at any other time determined by DHS.
3. Defines sober living home and service provider.
4. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by Committee
1. Removes the requirement that health care institutions that provide behavioral health services become accredited.
2. Applies the patient intake form requirement to only behavioral health outpatient treatment centers that are service providers.
3. Allows a behavioral health outpatient treatment center to include the name and address of a patient's sober living home in place of the sober living home's license number.
4. Allows the DHS to verify compliance with the patient intake form requirement:
a) during any in-person survey or complaint investigation; or
b) at any other time determined by DHS.
Senate Action
HHS 2/12/25 DPA 6-0-1
Prepared by Senate Research
February 12, 2025
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