You’ll remember that ADHS and AHCCCS jointly applied for and received a $750K Planning Grant to explore integrating primary health care and behavioral health care- especially for folks with serious mental illnesses.  Our teams have been very busy over the last couple of weeks getting the initiative underway.  One of the concepts we’re exploring is a specialty Regional Behavioral Health Authority (RBHA) containing a Serious Mental Illness (SMI) Health Home. 

 Our Interagency Steering Committee is exploring the feasibility of contracting with managed care organization(s) to serve as a Specialty RBHA with SMI Health Homes in Maricopa County beginning October 1, 2013. The team has been working hard on a Request for Information (RFI) that we expect to release in the very near future to help us with our planning.  Meanwhile, our IT web design folks have been putting together a new website that should be ready to roll out next week.  Additional Stakeholder input will be getting underway in the coming weeks and months as well.  Stay tuned!