One of the biggest barriers to providing effective treatment for persons with a serious mental illness who need court ordered treatment in Arizona is the lack of secure residential facilities that can provide secure court-ordered care.
These specialized facilities are key for ensuring people with an SMI get the care they need in a safe, structured environment. Secure facilities provide a controlled atmosphere where patients can receive individualized therapy, medication management, and life skills training, which are critical components for recovery.
Research suggests secure residential facilities are highly effective at stabilizing individuals with an SMI, reducing the likelihood of relapse, and preventing unnecessary hospitalizations, underscoring that treatment in secure environments can be a game-changer for people who require intensive care but aren’t suited for traditional outpatient or voluntary inpatient settings.
AHCCCS plays a key role in ensuring access to these essential services. For AHCCCS to fulfill its mission of supporting individuals with SMI, there needs to be an adequate supply of more secure treatment facilities.
Sadly, Arizona is falling short in that regard… even before the closure of St. Luke’s Hospital.
St. Luke’s lays off employees after license suspension
Arizona suspends operations at a St. Luke’s psychiatric hospital
St. Luke’s psych hospital may re-open under new operator
In Arizona, the shortage of secure residential treatment capacity is particularly dire.
In 2022 we were finally able to get badly needed funding ($25M) to construct 5 Secure Behavioral Health Residential Facilities (SBHRFs) with 15 beds each.
Unfortunately, that funding was swept in the 2023 state budget at the behest of the ACLU, leaving a critical gap in care that continues to affect Arizona’s most vulnerable.
Without secure residential facilities, some persons may end up cycling in and out of emergency rooms, hospitals, or even jails—none of which provide the sustained treatment needed to manage their mental health effectively.
When states lack enough secure residential treatment options (like Arizona) patients are left without access to the proper level of care, increasing the burden on emergency services and acute psychiatric hospitals.
For Medicaid programs to be successful in treating individuals with a SMI, they must have the infrastructure to support all levels of care, including secure residential treatment.
The absence of SBHRFs in Arizona is a huge gap in the care continuum and is compromising the health and safety of individuals and communities.
Arizona has an opportunity to correct this gap and reverse the tragic decision to nix funding for SBHRFs, but it will require state policymakers to prioritize the funding necessary to create these facilities.
Hopefully the next legislature and the governor will listen more to mental health professionals and families and less to the ACLU – and get these badly needed facilities up and running.
Without more secure treatment facilities Arizona will continue to fail to meet the needs of its SMI population, leading to poorer outcomes for patients and increased costs across the healthcare system.
The time to act is now—before more lives are lost or further destabilized by inadequate care options.
Call to Action: The Arizona Legislature must make secure residential treatment facilities a funding priority in the 2025 state budget. Providing comprehensive care for individuals with serious mental illness is not only a matter of public health but also a moral imperative.
