Last month we approved the renewal of the fifth and final year of the Magellan behavioral health contract in Maricopa County.   Before making the decision to grant the 5^th year of the contract, our team assessed the progress that has been made in various areas, including access to and coordination of care; grievance and appeal processes; case manager expansion for kids and with complex needs; service utilization in the areas of supported employment, peer support and housing; and fiscal management. These performance measures focus on both quality and fiscal accountability, and most of these key measures demonstrate progress toward meeting or exceeding the performance expectations.  Magellan has demonstrated a successful strategic allocation of funds toward high risk populations while minimizing administrative overhead expenses.  Because we need to realign the contract year for Maricopa County back to the standard state Fiscal Year; however, Year 5 will run from September 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012.