Resources for Adoptive Families

Care1st Health Plan is committed to meeting the needs of our adoptive families by providing and making behavioral health services accessible. Care1st understands adoptive families and adopted children may have unique needs. Care1st staff are available to help provide education, coordination, and support to families.

Initiating Care

If an adoptive parent sees an urgent need for the child to receive behavioral health services, the adoptive parent may contact Care1st to obtain a listing of contracted providers who can perform a screening and evaluation of the child. The initial evaluation of the child will take place within seven calendar days after a referral or request for services. If after the screening and evaluation it is determined that the child is in need of behavioral health services, the Care1st contracted behavioral health provider will provide this service within twenty-one calendar days after the initial evaluation.

On completion of the initial assessment

  • The adoptive parent can call the Care1st Care Coordination Department (1-866-560-4042, option 4 then option 9) if a recommended behavioral health service is not provided to a member within 21 calendar days. The Care1st Care Coordinator will also notify the caller of the requirement to also report the failure to receive the approved behavioral health services to the AHCCCS Clinical Resolution Unit.
  • The adoptive parent may receive services directly from any AHCCCS registered providers, regardless of whether the provider is contracted with Care1st to schedule an appt. If the provider is not contracted with Care1st, the provider must submit the provider's claim to Care1st and accept the lesser of 130% of the AHCCCS negotiated rate or the provider's standard rate.

Quick Resources

Foster and adoptive parents can access crisis services by calling the Foster Care Hotline at 1-844-365-3144.

Request a crisis mobile team to be dispatched to check any safety concerns for the child and provide support and resources to the family.

If the crisis mobile team does not arrive within 2 hours, foster and adoptive parents should call the Foster Care Hotline 1-844-365-3144, again to report their concern and secure a timely response.

 

Resources

If the adoptive parent sees that the child is in need of crisis services and the crisis services provider in that county is not being responsive, the adoptive parent may also contact the Care1st Care Coordination Department to assist with coordinating crisis services for the child.

If an adoptive parent, through the Behavioral Health Provider/Child & Family Team, requests Care1st to place an adoptive child in residential treatment because the child is displaying threatening behavior. The provider must submit a Treatment Authorization Request (TAR) and Care1st will respond within seventy-two hours after the request was made. If the adoptive child is hospitalized due to the threatening behavior before Care1st responds, Care1st and its contracted providers will work with the hospital to make sure there is an appropriate and safe discharge plan. The discharge plan will include recommended follow-up services, including recommendations made by the Child and Family Team (CFT).

For additional details related to the right and responsibilities of adopted parents refer to A.R.S. §8-512.01