Arizona State Hospital
Social Services
Mission Statement
The Social Services Department "Social Services" strives to provide clinically relevant assessment, treatment planning/coordination and discharge planning services in order to assist patients with successful reintegration into the community.
Program Description
Beginning with the admission process, Social Services is involved in all phases of patient care including assessment, treatment planning, coordination of care, direct treatment (individual and groups), and discharge planning. A thorough and clinically relevant psychosocial assessment of the patient's needs and strengths is completed to assist in providing appropriate treatment and to assist with successful reintegration into the community.
Social Services are individually tailored to meet patient needs through 1:1 and group psycho-educational and supportive counseling. Social Services utilizes cognitive behavioral and solution-focused approaches while integrating key principles from the Systems and Recovery Models.
Social Services acts as the liaison to the community by maintaining communication with all relevant parties including the guardian, the T/RBHA, the Division of Behavioral Health, AHCCCS/ALTCS, DES/DDD, the Office of Human Rights and community case management providers regarding the patient's care and treatment. Social Services coordinates the discharge plan with the patient, guardian, the T/RBHA and the community case management provider. In order to assist with successful reintegration into the community, Social Services ensures all eligible benefits (SSI, SSD, AHCCCS) are applied for, or are in place, at the time of the patient's discharge.
Social Services assists in the preparation of documents for guardianship hearings, Court Ordered Treatment (COT) hearings, the Special Classification Committee and the Psychiatric Security Review Board (PSRB) hearings. Social Services coordinates dispute resolutions between the hospital's clinical teams and the T/RBHA and its community service providers.
Scope of Services
Social Services employs 16 psychiatric social workers who hold a Master's degree in Social Work. The forensic social workers work with patients who are ordered by the criminal courts as Restoration to Competency (RTC) or Guilty Except Insane (GEI). The civil social workers work with patients who are under a civil commitment order or admitted voluntary by guardian.
Social Services maintains a memorandum of agreement with the Arizona State University Master's of Social Work program to allow the hospital to have a student internship program.
Social Services Administration
Laura Kandel, LCSW-C
Director of Social Services
602-220-6446
kandell@azdhs.gov
Janine Klabe, LCSW
Forensic Social Services Manager
602-629-7383
Janine.klabe@azdhs.gov
Kimberly Goff
Patient Benefit Manager
602-220-6128
goffk@azdhs.gov
GJ Broomfield
Benefits Program Specialist
602-220-6160
Broomfg@azdhs.gov