Support/Resources - TI-Related AHCCCS Initiatives

Whole Person Care Initiative (WPCI)

In 2019, AHCCCS launched the Whole Person Care Initiative (WPCI) to enhance our existing efforts to identify and address the social risk factors which impact the health outcomes of our members. Current priorities for the WPCI focus on the following social risk factors:

  • Providing support for transitional housing, particularly for members being discharged from an inpatient behavioral health facility; individuals experiencing chronic homelessness; and, to reduce recidivism, individuals transitioning from correctional facilities with limited resources.
  • Exploring ways to leverage existing non-medical transportation services to support a member’s access to community based services such as access to healthy food and employment services.
  • Utilizing the existing service array to model service delivery aimed at reducing social isolation for members utilizing the Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS) including consideration of a peer workforce to provide the services.
  • Partnering with the Arizona Health Information Exchange, Health Current, to establish a single statewide closed-loop referral system enabling health care providers to more easily screen and refer members to community based social services organizations to address social risk factors of health.

For the latest information about WPCI, please check out our WPCI webpage and WPCI News and Resources pages. If you would like to sign up for email notifications when new information becomes available: Update Me on Whole Person Care. You may also share ideas and feedback to AHCCCS by emailing us at WPCI@azahcccs.gov.

Housing

AHCCCS provides several permanent supportive housing programs throughout Arizona alongside supportive health services to help members in need. Our housing programs are provided to members with a designation of Serious Mental Illness (SMI) and some services are provide for members with a General Mental Health and/or Substance Use Disorder (GMHSUD). Providing supportive housing services not only helps members gain and maintain housing, it also helps lower utilization of emergency and crisis services. AHCCCS provides supportive housing services to approximately 3,000 members across the state. Visit the AHCCCS Housing Programs webpage for more information.

Note that responsibility of AHCCCS Housing Programs and Payment transitioned to a new Housing Administrator on October 1, 2021. The Transition timeline, FAQs, and housing policies can be found on the AHCCCS Housing Programs webpage.

AHCCCS has also requested an amendment to the 1115 Research and Demonstration Waiver to seek waiver and expenditure authority to implement the AHCCCS Housing and Health Opportunities (H2O) demonstration effective October 1, 2022. Learn more about the proposal at the H2O webpage.