The Social Service Department completes a thorough and clinically relevant psychosocial assessment of patient needs and strengths to assist in providing appropriate treatment, in coordination with the community, to assist with successful reintegration to the community.

Program Description

Beginning with the admission process, Social Services is involved in all phases of patient treatment, treatment planning, direct treatment (individual, group, and family), discharge planning, and discharge follow up to evaluate continuity of care and effectiveness of interventions and discharge plans. 

Social Services are individually tailored to patient needs through the employment of a Bio-psychosocial Systems Model. The department coordinates all admissions into the hospital; In addition maintains an open communication with all RBHAS/TRBHAS, the Division of Behavioral Health, AHCCCS/ALTCS, DES/DDD, and all community support networks

Program Goals

The department coordinates all referrals for admission of Forensic, Civil and Adolescent patients, to ensure all admissions meet the criteria for the least restrictive level of treatment. 

Once a patient is admitted, it is the Social Service Department which maintains on-going contact with the patient*s family and community service providers in order to involve them in patient treatment. We strive to continue to include the Adult Clinical Team or the Child and Family Team, who have been involved with the patient in the community for continuation of care during the patient's stay. 

In addition, the Department manages the hospital's census under licensure guidelines and requirements, maintains the wait list when census reaches capacity. When there is a treatment disagreement. The department coordinates dispute resolutions between the hospital treatment teams and the community providers.

Scope of Services

Office of Administration
Evaluates appropriateness of referrals from review of clinical documentation, prepares patient profile summary for the Chief Medical Officer for final decision on the appropriateness of admission and coordinates admission with the community providers, the court and the treatment unit.

Forensic Program Social Workers
Coordinate the admission of the Restoration to Competency and Guilty Except Insane patients ordered by the criminal courts. The Forensic Social Workers procure records from the community for competency and risk evaluation assessments. The Social Workers complete thorough psychosocial assessments, develop treatment plans, facilitate direct treatment (individual, family and group), coordinate discharge plans with community providers, secure benefits prior to discharge, and are the primary point of contact for family and community providers. They also act as Field Instructors for ASU Social Work interns.

Civil Program Social Workers
Coordinate the admission of civilly committed patients. The Civil Social Worker completes thorough psychosocial assessments, assists in the development of treatment plans, provides direct treatment (individual, family and group), completes reports for the courts, provides expert testimony, works closely with the community providers in the development of discharge plans, secures benefits prior to discharge, and are the primary point of contact for family, significant others, and the community. The Civil Social Workers also act as Field Instructors for ASU Social Work Interns. 

Adolescent Program Social Workers
Coordinate the admission of both civil and forensic adolescent patients, completes thorough psychosocial assessments and competency evaluations, coordinates treatment planning with multiple community agencies (CPS, ADJC, RBHA's, etc.), provides direct treatment (individual, family and group), provides expert court testimony, coordinates discharge planning with all involved agencies, and is the primary point of contact for family and community providers. The Adolescent Social Workers also act as Field Instructors for ASU Social Work interns. 

Social Services Group Description

The social workers at Arizona State Hospital provide a Discharge Preparation Group to assist patients in identifying strengths, learning healthy lifestyles, and developing skills for successful community reintegration. The group examines four primary 
areas of human need:

• Physical
• Social
• Intellectual
• Spiritual

The Discharge Preparation and Healthy Lifestyles Group is a psychoeducational and process group that utilizes the important facts of The Recovery Model. The objective of this group is to assist the patients in developing adaptive living skills that will allow them to manage their illness more effectively in order to reside in the community. Co-occurring disorders patients will learn how substance abuse interferes with need attainment in the four primary areas of human need, and patients will develop a growth-oriented philosophy for living.

Each group is facilitated by a Master's level Social Worker once a week for 45 minutes, and patients are encouraged to use their personal situations and experiences as a point of reference.

Note: The Department of Social Services has a Benefit Procurement Specialist who works with the patient/guardian to ensure all eligible benefits (SSI, SSD, AHCCS) are applied for, or are in place, at the time of their discharge.