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CARES Administration

Office of Individual and Family Affairs

CARES stands for Community, Advocacy, Resolution, Engagement, and Support.

The team includes Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) that provide education, guidance and assistance on a variety of topics.

Office of Individual & Family Affairs (OIFA)

The Office of Individual and Family Affairs (OIFA) promotes recovery, resiliency, and wellness for individuals with mental health and substance use challenges. Each OIFA team member has lived experience with behavioral health challenges, either from their own experiences of recovery or from directly supporting someone through their recovery. The OIFA is a unique team that supports members, families, providers, and stakeholders.

In collaboration with the OIFA departments at AHCCCS and the other AHCCCS Health Plans, the OIFA Alliance was created and advocates for:

  • Ending stigma,
  • Infusing member and family member voice in system design,
  • Supporting trauma informed environments,
  • Ensuring the availability of peer support and family support services,
  • Providing educational resources and opportunities, and
  • Assisting with navigating the health care system.

Contact the Office of Individual & Family Affairs

Division of Developmental Disabilities

Mercy Care

UnitedHealthcare Community Plan

Behavioral Health Advocacy

The Behavioral Health Advocacy Unit includes behavioral health advocates. Advocates work closely with members and/or their responsible person to ensure their voices and choices are heard and respected. The Advocates are able to assist in:

  • Breaking down barriers that prevent access to behavioral health services.
  • Navigating the behavioral health system.
  • Connecting members and families to community resources.
  • Assisting members and families as part of the planning team.

Members should talk to their Support Coordinator if they are having problems getting behavioral health services. They will connect an advocate to the member.

Contact the Behavioral Health Advocacy Unit

Additional Resources:

OIFA Empowerment Tools

AHCCCS has created a number of one-page flyer designed to help individuals navigate their behavioral health care needs and advocate for themselves or their family. They cover topics including:

  • Your Health Care Rights
  • Navigation Tools
  • Foster Care, Kinship, and Adoptive Families
  • Peer-Run and Family-Run Organizations
  • Formal Complaints

All flyers are available in both English and Spanish on the AHCCCS website.

General Advocacy

An advocate is available for members and their families who require mediation or assistance.

Examples of Advocacy Include:

  • Educational Concerns
  • Eligibility
  • Planning Documents Service Levels
  • Transportation Issues
  • Placement Issues/Mediation
  • Interstate Compact
     

Contact the Customer Service Center to Connect with an Advocate

Benefits Coordination

The Statewide Benefits Coordinator provides assistance, education and information to members, families and Division staff on Arizona and Federal Benefit Programs (Medicare/Medicaid), as well as responding to AZ-ABLE account questions.

The Coordinator addresses questions from members and their families about benefits and factors that may impact them. When a member is consistently above the resource limit, Support Coordinators can reach out to the Coordinator for assistance in finding ways to keep a member eligible for benefits.
 
There are resources available to assist with this type of situation such as an AZ-ABLE Account. These accounts allow a member to save money without impacting their benefits. The Coordinator can assist a member and their family with understanding these accounts or a presentation can be offered to the Support Coordinator, Planning Team or other interested stakeholders.
 
In addition, the Coordinator can provide assistance and education on Special Needs Trusts, Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, and other benefits that may be available to the member. When a member qualifies for more than one of these benefits, it can be difficult to understand how they interact with each other. The Coordinator is here to help and aides the member and family in gaining a better understanding of the different benefits and programs. 

Contact the Benefits Coordination Unit

Justice Reach-In

The DDD Justice System Reach-In Care Coordinator assists the Planning Team when a DDD member is involved with the criminal court system. This includes when a member is in a detention facility.   A detention facility can be a jail, prison, or a juvenile facility. The DDD Justice Program helps members who are returning to the community from the detention facility. The DDD Justice Liaison works with other agencies to assist the Planning Team with this transition.

When a member is in a detention facility, DDD works with many partners that make up the member’s Release Team. The Release Team may include:

  • DDD member
  • Member’s responsible person 
  • DDD Support Coordinator
  • Jail or prison medical staff 
  • Probation or parole officers 
  • DDD Health Care Services nurse
  • Member’s health plan representative
  • Behavioral health provider agency 
  • DDD Behavioral Health Administration
  • OIFA Behavioral Health Advocates

The Justice Liaison can identify the person as a DDD member for the detention facility medical staff. The Justice Liaison provides the following:

  • Signed HIPAA release from the most recent DDD file
  • Current list of member’s medications.
  • Guardianship paperwork if applicable

The Justice Liaison is an active part of the member’s Release Team. The Justice Liaison will assist the Release Team to make sure the member's medical benefits and Long Term Services and Supports (LTSS) are in place at the time of their release if eligible. The Release Team makes sure that all medical appointments and assessments are scheduled. The Release Team will discuss a transition plan for return to the community and will identify who is responsible for picking the member up upon release.
 

Contact the Justice System Liaison

Customer Service Center

The Customer Service Center provides the opportunity for members, families, and the community to bring forward issues and questions that need resolution.

The Customer Service Center helps resolve inquiries related to: 

  • Member or Family Questions
  • Member Grievances
  • DDD Processes
  • Available Community Resources

Contact the Customer Service Center by phone at 1-844-770-9500 option 1 or via email at [email protected].

Affordable Housing Unit

The Affordable Housing Unit works with  Public Housing Authorities, the Arizona Department of Housing (ADOH), the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to offer qualified members limited affordable housing opportunities in Maricopa and Pima Counties. Residents from other counties in Arizona may apply for these Affordable Housing opportunities if they are willing to relocate to these counties.

Affordable housing requires a monetary deposit and the first month’s rent payment to move in, all of which are the responsibility of the household. Monthly rent is 30% of the household’s combined income. If required, the household must also establish utilities including electricity and water prior to moving in. Live-in caregiver income is not factored into the member’s combined household income. Members can live by themselves, with family members, or with roommates as long as the household members meet the combined income and housing requirements

Learn more about available housing opportunities.

Contact the Affordable Housing Unit

Community Engagement

In partnership with the DES Office of Community Engagement, the DDD Community Outreach and Engagement staff present to school districts, first responders, contracted providers, community stakeholders, including health care providers, Department of Child Safety personnel, and tribal organizations about DDD services and eligibility.

Partners with other state agencies including:

  • Arizona Department of Education
  • Department of Child Safety
  • Arizona Early Intervention Program (AzEIP)
     

Contact the Community Engagement Unit

Council & Committee Support

DDD OIFA staff provide support to:

DDD OIFA staff also provide administrative support to the Developmental Disabilities Advisory Council (DDAC). The DDAC includes volunteers appointed by the Governor’s Office. Their mission is to provide oversight and advise the DDD Assistant Director.

The DDAC conducts:

  • Council Meetings with the DDD AD
  • Statewide Public Forums

DDD OIFA staff:

  • Responds to inquiries and Assists with Grievances
  • Acts as the Liaison between the Council and DDD
     

Contact the Council Support Unit

Volunteer Coordination

DDD has volunteer openings for members, family members, and providers.

Independent Oversight Committees (IOC) provide oversight on topics related to the human rights of people with developmental disabilities. Each IOC has between 7 and 15 members. Some members are required to have specific experience. Parents of individuals who receive services from DDD are also on the committees. Visit the IOC homepage to learn more and apply.

Program Review Committees (PRC) review member Behavior Plans. They also make recommendations to address challenging behaviors. Membership is open to a wide range of people. PRC sessions are held twice a day. Volunteers are not required to attend all sessions. Visit the DES Volunteer Center for more information.

Developmental Disabilities Advisory Council (DDAC) members advise the DDD Assistant Director on Division matters. Volunteers are appointed by the Governor. Members, parents, and providers are eligible to participate. Applications are available on the Governor’s website.

Contact the DDD Volunteer Coordinator team via email with any questions.

Tribal Liaison

To ensure constant communication and contact with the 22 Tribes, the role of the DDD Tribal Liaison is to:

  • Conduct tribal outreach and engagement and serve as a representative of DDD.
  • Provide Divisional/Programmatic information and updates
  • Provide technical assistance to Tribal Social Services

The liaison provides feedback to the Tribal Relations Manager so issues can be addressed and resolved for tribal members.

The Tribal Liaisons can assist with individual cases involving tribal members. These cases could include: feedback/complaints, assistance with program eligibility, navigation of programming, and streamlining communication between tribal members and DES staff.

Separate presentations can also be requested outside the regularly scheduled Tribal Consultations/Informational Sessions and Tribal Informational Forums should members need additional information.

Contact the DDD Tribal Liaison

Annette Yazzie
Phone: 480-904-3965

Learn more about DDD Tribal Relations.

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