By Daniel Stefanski |
A Republican proposal to help mental health needs of Arizonans was signed into law by the state’s governor.
Last week, Governor Katie Hobbs signed SB 1062 into law. The legislation will “expand the practice of substance abuse counseling to include treatment for all forms of addiction that are a persistent, compulsive dependence on a behavior or substance, [and] reduce, from three to one, the number of years in which a behavioral health professional seeking licensure by endorsement through the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners must be licensed or certified in at least one other state or federal jurisdiction.”
Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope, the bill’s sponsor, took a victory lap after the governor’s positive action. He said, “According to the Health Resources and Services Administration, Arizona only meets 40% of the mental health care needs of our citizens. This is an alarming statistic that I’ve set out to improve on behalf of all Arizonans who can’t get appointments for treatment in a timely fashion. I sponsored SB 1062, which was signed into law this week, to replace the practice of substance abuse counseling with addition counseling to include treatment for all forms of addiction that are a persistent, compulsive dependence on a behavior or substance.”
Shope added, “The bill also reduces the number of years out-of-state behavioral health professionals need to be licensed and certified in order to seek licensure from the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners. It’s my belief that these small changes will have a tremendous impact in helping to meet Arizona’s growing mental health workforce needs, as well as increase access for individuals seeking treatment for all types of addiction.”
On the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak system, representatives from American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Arizona LeadingAge, National Association of Social Workers Arizona Chapter, and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona had signed in to support the bill. A representative from the Arizona Council of Human Service Providers signed in as neutral.
Back in February, the legislation overwhelmingly passed the Arizona Senate with a 25-5 vote. Last month, the Arizona House of Representatives approved an amended version of the bill with a 41-12 vote (with six members not voting and one seat vacant at the time). The Senate concurred with the changes, sending the bill to the Governor’s Office after a 24-5 vote (with one member not voting).
SB 1062 will go into effect 90 days after the Arizona Legislature adjourns for the 2024 session.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
