FOR CAUCUS & FLOOR ACTION

REVISED

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

RESEARCH STAFF

MEGHANN BRENNAN

LEGISLATIVE INTERN

JASON BEZOZO

ASSISTANT RESEARCH

STAFF DIRECTOR

HEALTH COMMITTEE

Telephone: (602) 542-3171

Facsimile: (602) 542-7833

TO: MEMBERS OF THE SENATE

DATE: April 18, 2001

SUBJECT: Strike Everything Amendment to H.B. 2484 -

high-performing schools (NOW: behavioral health systems; reporting)

Purpose

Requires the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) to recommend ways to eliminate duplicative reporting requirements of the behavioral health services system.

Background

Each year, the Division of Behavioral Health Services (DBHS) in the Department of Health Services (DHS) is required to produce up to 56 separate types of reports, either on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis, regarding data and information on the state’s mental and behavioral health services system. The reports include the following data: (1) the numbers of persons served; (2) expenditures for and status of treatment programs relating to alcohol/drug prevention, rural detox services, perinatal substance abuse services, involuntary commitment programs and other treatment programs; (3) enrollment, admission and discharge statistics; (4) various issues relating to subcontractors; and (5) other reports regarding services and funding. According to DHS, these extensive reporting requirements are often duplicative and unnecessarily exhaust resources. The strike everything amendment to H.B. 2484 requires the OAG to make recommendations for a more efficient model of reporting behavioral health system data and information by eliminating or streamlining existing reporting requirements.

In addition, the strike everything amendment requires the OAG to consider criteria that measure DBHS performance in clinical quality, availability of services and quality of service. The information required to measure the performance of DBHS is included in several existing reports. The Regional Behavioral Health Authorities (RBHAs) and providers report clinical quality information to DBHS on a quarterly basis in the client enrollment/disenrollment assessment reporting (CEDAR) system. The CEDAR system includes information on a patient’s diagnosis, presenting problems, substance use, response to medications, functioning assessments and health status. DBHS measures availability of services by using the referral date and the date of the patient’s first clinical visit. This information is reported by the RBHAs and providers in the CEDAR system and client information system. Lastly, every other year, DBHS mails a standardized questionnaire to patients to measure patient satisfaction. This tool is the mental health statistics improvement project. The completed questionnaire is sent back to DBHS directly.

According to DBHS, there is no cost associated with the provisions of this measure and, according to the OAG, the work relating to the requirements of this legislation can be absorbed in the next auditing cycle.

Provisions

1. Requires the OAG to recommend ways to eliminate duplicative reporting requirements of the behavioral health services system, and to recommend ways to streamline the reporting requirements into a more meaningful format.

2. Requires the OAG to consider criteria that measure DBHS’ performance in clinical quality, availability of services and quality of service.

3. Requires the OAG to complete the study by November 15, 2001.

4. Requires the OAG to submit a report of its findings to the Governor and the Legislature by December 15, 2001.

5. Provides for a general effective date.

Amendments Adopted by Committee

Adopted a strike everything amendment.

Senate Action House Action

HEA 4/3/01 DPA/SE 7-0-1 HEA 3/5/01 DPA/SE 9-0-0-1

3^rd Read 3/13/01 DPA 53-4-3

Prepared by Senate Staff

April 18, 2001