Division of Behavioral Health Services

The Office of Individual and Family Affairs

The Office of Individual and Family Affairs focuses on building partnerships with individuals, families, youth, communities, organizations and key stakeholders to promote recovery, resiliency and wellness. Activities of the Office are conducted in collaboration with these partners and include the following:

• Developing and enhancing a variety of statewide initiatives to increase adult, youth and family voice and participation at all levels.
• Advocating for the development of environments that are supportive and welcoming to individuals, youth and families.
• Working with individuals, youth and families to identify concerns and remove barriers to inclusion, and resolve issues impacting statewide behavioral health service delivery.
• Establishing structure and mechanisms necessary to increase the youth, adult and family voice in areas of leadership and service delivery throughout Arizona.
• Developing training, technical assistance and related instructional materials for persons served through the behavioral health system and their families in such areas as leadership and advocacy skills, program development, resource identification and coordination.
• Ensuring parent and peer support programs (self-help initiatives) are available to all persons receiving services and their families through T/RBHAs in Arizona.
• Establishing mechanisms, standards and activities to monitor contractor and T/RBHA compliance.

Furthermore, the Office, through its representation on the ADHS/DBHS Executive Team as well as the Senior Leadership Team, informs key leadership on relevant issues.

• About the OIFA
• Acerca de OIFA
• Who We Are
• The OIFA Advisory Council

Resources

• Arizona Stigma Reduction Committee
• Stigma: Language Matters
  
• OIFA Summit II Report, 2009
  
• OIFA Summit I Report, 2007

Arizona Happenings

• Arizona Happenings provides regular email updates and notifications about events going on around the state. If you would like to be on this list, please email Cynthia Henry with your name, address, phone number and email, as well as whether you are a peer, family member or professional.
• Subscribe to Recovery WORKS
  • If you would like to subscribe to Recovery WORKS, please email the Office of Individual and Family Affairs with your request; only an email address is needed.

Links

National and Local Behavioral Health Organizations

• National Institute of Mental Health
• National Alliance on Mental Illness
• National Institute on Drug Abuse
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
• SAMHSA's Resource Center to Promote Acceptance, Dignity and Social Inclusion Associated with Mental Health (ADS Center)
• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
• MedlinePlus (health information clearing house)
• National Institute on Aging
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) AZ
• Mental Health American (MHA) AZ
• Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) AZ
• AZ Center for Disability Law
• AZ Suicide Prevention Coalition
• Recovery Empowerment Network (local advocacy)
• National NAMI
• National MHA
• National DBSA
• National Mental Health Consumer’s Self-Help Clearinghouse
• SAMHSA
• Living Well with a Psychiatric Disability in Work & School
• GriefShare

For Children & Families

• Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health
• Family Involvement Center
• MIKID
• Raising Special Kids
• Pilot Parents of Southern AZ

Contact Us

• Cynthia Henry, Liaison
  cynthia.henry@azdhs.gov or (602) 364-1015
  
  
• Arnaldo Maldonado, Liaison
  arnaldo.maldonado@azdhs.gov or (602) 364-2086
  
  
• Kathy Bashor, Manager
  kathy.bashor@azdhs.gov or (480) 440-8405

You can contact the Office toll-free at 1-877-464-1015.