A final agreement has been reached in the Arnold v. Sarn case regarding care and services for individuals with serious mental illness (SMI). The settlement ends a more than three-decade long lawsuit against the state and establishes a blueprint for a successful community-based behavioral health system in Arizona.
Litigation commenced in 1981.
The final settlement, which will become a final enforceable judgment subject to court approval, provides a variety of community-based services and programs agreed upon by the state and plaintiffs, including crisis services; supported employment and housing services; assertive community treatment; family and peer support; life skills training, and respite care services. The Arizona Department of Health Services is required to adopt certain national quality standards outlined by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, as well as annual quality service reviews conducted by an independent contractor and an independent service capacity assessment to ensure the delivery of quality care to the state’s SMI population.
The agreement is an enforceable contract that is structured so the Court can enforce the requirements should the state not fulfill the terms. It is not anticipated that additional funding is required to comply with the agreement.