Accessing Behavioral Health Services in Schools

AHCCCS covers medically necessary behavioral health services for Medicaid-enrolled students. Many of these services are provided directly on school campuses, making it easier for students to get services where they are, and as soon as they need help. If you need help accessing behavioral health services for yourself or others, see How to Access Behavioral Health Services flowchart.

The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) and the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) created the School and Behavioral Health Partnerships Resource Guide for principals, other education administrators, school mental health professionals and anyone who wishes to be a voice that promotes the need for school mental health resources in Arizona. Seven AHCCCS health plans collaborated to provide a resource for each designated health plan point of contact for Behavioral Health Services in Schools. Utilize the Behavioral Health in Schools flyer.

An updated and maintained list of County Code, Type Code, District Code, and Site Number (known as CTDS codes, which is a nine digit number that the Arizona Department of Education uses to identify Arizona schools) is available on the AHCCCS Medical Coding web page.

In 2019, the Arizona State Legislature enacted ARS 15-120, also known as the Mitch Warnock Act, which requires all public-school staff to undergo suicide prevention training. According to the statute, AHCCCS annually updates suicide prevention training materials on the Suicide Prevention Training in Schools webpage. Working with the Arizona Department of Education (ADE), AHCCCS offers continuous suicide prevention training for schools, families, and community members at no cost, available at public venues like schools and libraries. Additionally, AHCCC and ADE frequently provide suicide prevention training for all school staff, students, families, and community members at the ADE office location in Phoenix.

For further inquiries, please email bhinschools@azahcccs.gov

Jake’s Law

In 2020, the Arizona State Legislature passed Jake’s Law which requires that schools must develop a policy to refer students for behavioral health services, and to allow families to opt-in or opt-out of the referral process each year. Additional Jake’s Law requirements for schools are outlined in ARS 36-3436.01. The Arizona School Board Association has created a policy that schools can use to create their own district policy.

For further inquiries, please email bhinschools@azahcccs.gov

FAQ for Parents

  • How do I get behavioral health services for my child?
    • If your child is a current Medicaid member, call the number on the back of your insurance card.
    • If your child is not currently a Medicaid member, call the phone number for the AHCCCS Complete Care-Regional Behavioral Health Agreements (ACC-RBHAs) in your area, OR request a referral for services from your child’s school.
  • Does my student need an individualized education plan to receive behavioral health services in their school?
    • No, an individualized education plan is not required to receive behavioral health services in their school. Each school has unique relationships with behavioral health providers in their area. Some schools allow services to be provided on campus; other schools refer students off campus. Speak with your school nurse or principal on how to connect your student with services.
  • Do I need to provide permission for my child to receive a referral, or to receive behavioral health services in their school?
    • Yes. A parent or guardian must provide permission for their child to receive a referral, or to receive a behavioral health service. This does not apply to ARS 36-2272 when an emergency exists that requires a person to perform mental health screening or provide mental health treatment to prevent serious injury to or save the life of a minor child.
  • How much does it cost to receive behavioral health services?
    • This is different for everyone, though there should be little to no out-of-pocket cost for services provided in, or referred by,our child’s school. You may be required to pay premiums or co-payments to receive medical services under some AHCCCS programs. Generally, the amount of these payments depends on the AHCCCS program and your monthly income.

FAQ for Schools

  • How do I get behavioral health services for students at my school?
    • The School and Behavioral Health Partnerships Resource Guide gives school leadership and parents steps to follow to partner with a behavioral health provider in your community, and to create the necessary policies to make referrals. This guide was created by AHCCCS and the Arizona Department of Education. Sample policy templates are included.
  • Who pays for behavioral health services in schools?
    • Behavioral health services for children who qualify for Medicaid (AHCCCS) may receive services through their AHCCCS health plan. Further, uninsured and underinsured students may also receive behavioral health services paid by AHCCCS under the Mental Health Block Grant (MHBG), the Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Block Grant (SUBG).
  • What is the Mental Health Block Grant and which children are included?
    • The Mental Health Block Grant provides grant funded services to children with serious emotional disturbances and individuals who have experienced a first episode of psychosis within the past 2 years.Learn more on the Mental Health Block Grant web page.
  • What is the Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Block Grant and which children are included?

AHCCCS School-Based Universal Referral Form

Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System is making efforts to improve the system of care for school professionals making referrals to community mental health providers. As part of these efforts we are sharing the School-Based Universal Referral Form English / Spanish which can be used by school professionals (i.e., counselor, social worker, psychologist, nurse, etc) who have obtained parent/guardian consent and are following district policy to make referrals to community mental health providers.

FAQ for School-Based Universal Referral Form

  • Who should use this form?
    • This form is to be utilized by school staff who make referrals to community mental health providers.
  • Who can make referrals to community mental health providers?
    • A school professional ( i.e., counselor, social worker, psychologist, nurse, etc.) must get the parent/guardian consent and follow district guidelines prior to making a referral for a student to a community mental health provider.
  • Does a school need to know the student’s insurance information before making a referral?
    • No. Referrals can be sent to AHCCCS registered community mental health providers without knowing the student’s insurance information. Insurance information and available funding sources can be discussed/determined during the intake with the community mental health provider.
  • How much does it cost to receive behavioral health services from a community mental health provider?
    • This is different for everyone, though there should be little to no out-of-pocket cost for services provided in, or referred by, your child’s school. You may be required to pay premiums or co-payments to receive medical services under some AHCCCS programs. Generally, the amount of these payments depends on the AHCCCS program and your monthly income.

School Feedback Form

Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) wants to ensure a smooth and easy process for school districts to refer students to community behavioral health providers. It is our priority for students to receive timely services, regardless of the funding source (i.e., Medicaid, federal grants, etc.). The intention of this feedback form is to capture the experience of schools working with community behavioral health providers and to identify the successes, the delays, and/or barriers schools have experienced. We hope to use this feedback to collaborate with our contracted health plans to remove barriers for school districts, and improve the timeliness of service delivery for students. Please fill in as much information as you have available. If you do not have information for a particular question, please leave it blank. Also, indicate if you would like assistance with resolving barriers. If you do not want assistance at this time or choose to remain anonymous, your feedback will be used to inform overall system improvements.

This form can be completed multiple times by the same district, so if you are not currently experiencing a barrier or do not wish for assistance at this time, you can always complete this form again if anything changes. AHCCCS greatly appreciates you taking the time to provide us with feedback.

Please find our feedback form at this link: School Feedback Form

Revised 07/16/2024