By Hannah Elsmore | Arizona Capitol Times
Lawmakers crossed the aisle this session to pass legislation aimed at holding behavioral health treatment centers accountable and increasing inclusivity of severe mental illnesses that are often overlooked.
Multiple bills signed into law this session were centered around expanding services for people with serious mental illness, or SMI.
Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, or AHCCCS, published death trends among people receiving SMI benefits for the first time in 2022. There were at least 1,769 deaths for people in that category in 2022, according to a report that was shared with the Joint Legislative Budget Committee in September 2023. The majority of deaths occurred naturally, but 86 were reported as suicide.
This legislation was shepherded by lawmakers in a collaborative effort with a new prominent group at the Capitol, the Arizona Mad Moms.
The group is composed of parents and friends of SMI individuals who look to shine a light on how difficult it can be in the state to receive proper mental health treatment, especially for under-represented mental illnesses – such as schizophrenia.
Sen. Catherine Miranda, D-Phoenix, led “Mental Health Mondays” this session, sharing stories of people with serious mental illness who have been let down by the state’s mental health system.
