Individuals with a Serious Mental Illness (SMI) designation have access to additional support and resources.
- Case Management to help you coordinate your care so you can meet your recovery goals.
- Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) if your care needs exceed the “standard”.
- SMI housing, when available.
- SMI Grievance and SMI Appeals.
- Technical support from the Office of Human Rights.
- Special Assistance to individuals that meet certain criteria.
View the AHCCCS OIFA “One-pager” for SMI Benefits.
thank you to both of you the information you have given is a great place to start. We met his caseworker team leader who said that although he is smi, he is only at the supportive care level and not part of tha ACT program. I find this hard to understand given his diagnosis, his repeated self addmittance to crisis for care and a criminal background because of his illness. i am trying to find out how exactly they determine ACT needs, and if he should have been placed there aleardy. Is this something that his current team should techinally already know and have failed to do, or are they really just ignorant to the fact. He had transitionl housing for 30 dys, but was denied access to the group home for which they had applied for him due to his criminal background. it wasn’t until over a month after his denial that they even applied for something else. Meanwhile he is at the local shelter where his belongings including his meds have been repeatedly stolen. He went over two months without even taking any medication. I did not know about the ISP and will be asking for a copy of that asap, same with the governance of the hippa laws since he did sign a RIO forme with his case manager but the other team members were acting like they needed seperate onesto deal with me and still wanted to talk to him alone. He still is staying at the shelter, has no food stamps, and i’ve already made mention to them about the ssi and they have not responded at all. He was basically a shoe in for the ssi they just need the diagnosis from his doctor, a list of meds from his providder, and a statement of his smi status from the case manger to appeal as they specifically said all they needed was to prove he is in fact suffereing from the illness. Its crazy to me they have not even helped him get food stamps, they say to him well just apply…he has no internet, or computer, he doesn’t know where the office is the phone number or how to set an appointment and fill out the application for the food stamps, he really is at a disadvantage when it comes to things like that he has never done this type of stuff before and has no clue. He has just been really lucky to get by on couches and in peoples bck yards and selling marijuana in the past. He now has a job that pays well under the ssi cutoff, and shold be able to get a place on his own, but have someone who regualrly checks in on him,he should get rental assistance and the down payment he needs to move in. For someone in his position he has been doing welll to keep up with things and maintin but the loss of meds is serious and is clearly having an effect on him already. thank you for your guys help and i will keep you up to date thank you
Very nice response from george. I agree participating as your friends advocate could be very helpful. Does he have a ISP, this is a agreenment between the provider and your friend. The services he needs are listed on the ISP. You should obtain a copy and then ensure the services are offered in timely manner. Maneuvering in the system is quite complex . During this process please ensure your friend has HOPE, there are many of us who have survived the system and enjoy life.
Please keep in contact
Dear Squale,
One manner of helping your friend is through the Regional OIFA (Office of Individual and Family Affairs) They are dedicated to helping us get access to Behavioral Health services.
The state AHCCCS site has a table of OIFA contacts. In addition, the administration of OIFA is through the AHCCCS office.
The additional denial of SSI should be handled with the Social security administration. Please assure the documentation is complete.
Squale, please use Google search to find links to AHCCCS, OIFA, & SSA.
Next use the AHCCCS Search box to find telephone numbers and email.
Now contact the OIFA office, as well as SSA, and make an appointment with OIFA team member & your friends’ Case Managers & Housing Specialist Set this appointment with your friend
This is essentially a “Staffing” for your friend. To attend you may need to have your friend sign a ROI (Release of Information).
When helping anyone with the clinics and services, Squale, you simply need a piece of paper that says “I authorize Squale to be my designated representative on MM/DD/YYYY.”
Now the clinic has what it needs for your temporary involvement. Do not let them hide behind “HIPPA”. Your friend has emergency needs, this cancels HIPPA confidentiality.
Finally, among other things, get the clinic to work the Social Security issues with your friend. Have them send a confirmation of diagnosis.
I hope this helps. I have subscribed to this site so we can discuss your friends’ progress.
George, Advocate-at-large, Phoenix
Thank you for advocating for your friend, he is lucky to have you. In general it is best to have an attorney to help with Social Security claims and appeals. The attorney will not get paid if they do not win the case.
Can you tell me which county your friend is living? Is he on AHCCCS (Arizona Medicaid)? That information will help the community respond with resources in his area.
People with an SMI designation receive additional rights — https://mentalhealthresources.org/your-rights-as-an-individual-with-smi-designation/ The Center for Disability Law has a Self-Advocacy Guide with great information — https://www.azdisabilitylaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MH3-New-Logo.pdf
Thank you for starting this important conversation. Hopefully, the community will offer you additional suggestions.
So my friend is schizophrenic, no family in this area, I had taken him to crisis center back in October. He was classified as SMI but had been with life well services since December he has been back to the hospital 3 times since then and had COVID twice starting at the shelter. He still didn’t have food stamps and they say they helped him file for SSI but he was denied because they didn’t provide anything showing he’s been diagnosed 5 this disability and now I’m trying to help him appeal the decision. But shouldn’t they be doing that? I asked to speak to members of his ACT team and eat told he’s not ACT just supportive care. He’s went into the hospital the first time in October and they have not found him housing yet is been over 6 months, meanwhile he stays at the shelter where all his belongings were stolen including his meds which he’s been off of for 3 weeks now. There care seems less then supportive. There taking advantage of the system, keeping him in there case load, charging for services he’s not getting when he clearly should be ACT level of care in the first place… Who do I talk to about this?