She was pleased he seemed happy, though she was surprised the treatment program operators had helped him get an Arizona identification card and sign up for Medicaid in the state. Patients continued to die even after Arizona officials in May 2023 announced a sweeping investigation of hundreds of facilities. By then, the fraud was so widespread that officials spent the next year seeking to halt Medicaid reimbursements to behavioral health businesses accused of wrongdoing. For me and many others, it can represent an escape from emotional overwhelm — a way to bypass stress or hard feelings. For this case, I’ve built a stress checklist — a visible list (Notes app for the win!) — https://northiowatoday.com/2025/01/27/sober-house-rules-what-you-should-know-before-moving-in/ of things and people I can turn to when I feel stressed instead of alcohol.
It’s also perfect for not-so-new folks who need extra support and community. Navajo activist Reva Stewart, who attended the news conference, founded Turtle Island Women Warriors to address the situation. The nonprofit group aids Native people and communities impacted by the fraud. The Arizona Republic has been covering the sober living scandal since 2022, and launched an in-depth investigation, which was published in June 2024. That sentiment was echoed by Crump, who said his clients were «300 times more likely to be denied compensation and payment than non-minority providers.» “We remain focused on sustainable solutions that prioritize sober house member health and safety, and a strong and stable provider network.
Beyond foundational treatment, Dr. Lefebvre notes that practical strategies are essential for navigating triggering environments, especially those involving alcohol. In May, the cap on reimbursement rates went into effect, though it’s not clear what prompted AHCCCS to address vulnerabilities that staff had identified more than a year earlier. On April 17, 2023, Heredia emailed the CEO of the Arizona Council of Human Service Providers, the industry group where she had been a board member. The proposal was “completely being pulled off the table for the time being,” she said.
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Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat who took office in January 2023, blamed her Republican predecessor, Doug Ducey, for failing to relay the scale of the scheme that persisted for years under his leadership. However, AZCIR and ProPublica found that the leader Hobbs appointed at AHCCCS also stalled a key reform the agency would later credit with helping to stem the fraud. IBX has many in-person and virtual resources available for members who want to reduce the amount of alcohol they drink or think they have a problem with alcohol and need help. Facing every day sober creates an emotional resilience that makes me feel like a warrior. Being sober means I see things that are really beautiful, I don’t miss those moments. I don’t always feel like I am but on a fundamental level I know I am.
Someone who is sober curious may not meet the medical criteria for alcohol use disorder, or they may not intend to give up alcohol permanently. For nighttime events, you can also try mocktail nights where you make one or more of the newly trending beverages that pop up online. Do this with friends or at home alone on a weeknight for a fun alternative to unwinding with a bottle of wine. Our editors have even put together a list of 99 sober activities if these ideas aren’t your cup of tea.
- This means avoiding certain people, places, or activities that pressure or tempt you to drink more than you plan.
- The new outpatient treatment program held classes in an office building in north Phoenix and placed its clients in houses throughout Phoenix, according to the owner.
- Magee said she had no ties to sober living homes Hustito entered after he was no longer her client, including the one where he died.
- But with no limit on how much they could bill, some behavioral health providers claimed tens of thousands of dollars for a single counseling or treatment session.
Dozens of People Died in Arizona Sober Living Homes as State Officials Fumbled Medicaid Fraud Response
Give what you can to keep our programs free and accessible to all. Amplify your Phoenix experience by downloading the Phoenix App. Connect with other members and volunteers, join recovery groups, track your sobriety, and more. Debra Krol reports on Indigenous communities at the confluence of climate, culture and commerce in Arizona and the Intermountain West. “The state suspended, terminated, and got rid of people with a knee-jerk reaction.
Ms. Robichaud says sobriety has brought not only health benefits but also new ways to embrace joy and connection during social activities. When Anders arrived to collect Jeffrey’s belongings with his oldest son and daughter-in-law, Anders asked a man who came to the door how residents could have access to alcohol while seeking treatment. Jeffrey Hustito was upset about not getting to see the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals play that day, even though he believed his behavioral health provider planned to give him tickets. His family said they sent him money for the game, only for him to learn he was being disciplined and wouldn’t attend the game after all. A medical examiner would later note that in his final weeks, Hustito made multiple emergency room visits. One trip to Banner Desert Medical Center was on Dec. 9, a day after he turned 43.
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Authorities said he drank a half bottle of rum and smoked fentanyl at his sober living home. That summer, AHCCCS staff were wrestling with how to keep providers from reaping huge profits with a single billing code meant for serving people in need of intensive outpatient help for addiction, including counseling. Reimbursement claims had ranged from roughly $150 to $2,500 for the same service, according to interviews and internal records. Staff would later find one provider charged AHCCCS $60,000 for one treatment session with a single client.
At the same time, state health inspectors were discovering that Beyond4Wallz failed to supervise staff, according to state health department records. Inspectors also said the company could not provide proof that its counselors were qualified to work with clients. The place where he stayed in Phoenix, a two-story house with a hot tub and swimming pool, looked like a mansion in the photos that Jeffrey Hustito shared in text messages, his sister, Katherine Hustito, said.
- This is the Facebook support community I have built up since starting my support programme.
- I recommend journaling on it so you can see your thoughts in writing.
- Aside from 12-step programs, we sought to provide various online options that cater to different learning styles.
- They did not give people due process,” said Pastor Andre Miller, vice president of the Arizona Conference of NAACP.
- Loosid offers a variety of online tools for support and provides interaction with others to encourage connections and networking while enjoying a sober lifestyle.
We continue to collaborate with law enforcement and Tribal partners to protect the populations we serve,” AHCCCS said in a statement. Building her sobriety on a foundation of spirituality and personal growth, Ms. Delany credits tools like audiobooks and prayer for her resilience. Dr. Lefebvre points to recent evidence from the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) that highlighted the health risks of alcohol, including its links to cancer, particularly breast cancer in women. Additionally, studies reveal that women frequently turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism for stress or trauma, including domestic violence and caregiving burdens. In recovery for alcohol addiction herself, Ms. Robichaud was navigating a difficult pregnancy and challenging postpartum period after her third child, then grieving the loss of her brother to a drug overdose. Amid these challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic had taken root in 2020, forcing her to isolate at home.
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Club Soda also published a book, «How to Be a Mindful Drinker,» and has a monthly podcast with tips to change your drinking, events, and interviews. So by setting a cap on how much people could claim, then that would start to sort of de-incentivize the fraudulent billing. Ms. Fordham says that she found community while volunteering with the Engage program at Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Connecting with peers who shared their experiences with mental health and addiction made her feel like they were all “in this together,” she says. Unexpectedly, a new opportunity arose when Michelle Smith, founder of the blog Recovery is the New Black, asked Ms. Robichaud to design her website. Meanwhile, Native Health and Native American Connections, two well-established providers in Phoenix, pressed authorities to do more.
- And I’m not parenting under the influence which is obviously a no-brainer.
- For personal or wellness reasons, you are examining the “why” behind your drinking, the way alcohol affects you, and how you might feel if you cut back on the amount of alcohol you drink or stopped drinking for a while.
- Her mission, along with the team behind Club Soda is to spread this message as far and wide as possible.
- During the pandemic, Snyder enacted changes to increase access to care.
- According to British journalist Johann Hari, one way to cancel dependence and speed up recovery is by connecting with a community of like-minded persons.
The Arizona Republic last year also reported that a medical director at the agency became concerned in 2021 about unsafe behavioral health settings. Behavioral health outpatient clinics drove the most significant increase, with officials later saying that many of these facilities were part of the multilayered scheme to defraud Medicaid. The clinics would often coordinate with unregulated sober living homes to house patients eligible for the program. The clinics would then pay the homes for supplying patients, using a cut of the outsize profits they made billing the American Indian Health Program. Reva Stewart, a community advocate who started a nonprofit to help victims and their families, estimates the crisis led to hundreds of deaths, extending beyond those that occurred in sober living facilities. She said many people recruited into programs were reported missing and some lost access to treatment or became homeless when the state’s crackdown led to the abrupt closure of facilities that housed people.
LifeRing members have access to face-to-face meetings, online meetings, an educational toolkit, email groups, one-on-one sobriety “ePals,” a 24-hour chat room, and forums. WFS provides a message board, online text chat, private Facebook group, and phone support. The New Life acceptance statements focus on building strength through compassion, care, self-love, and growth. The program teaches 13 acceptance statements that encourage emotional and spiritual growth. Certified facilitators lead the online and in-person programs, which focus on positive reinforcement, cognitive strategies, relaxation techniques, and group involvement. SMART Recovery’s free online tools include educational resources as well as a forum, live chat, and more than 40 weekly available meetings.
Some were injured or died while living in the homes, while others became homeless. “I love making creative drinks that make me feel part of things,” she says. “At Thanksgiving dinner with my husband’s family, I brought bubbly waters, mixed in fruits, and found so much fun with non-alcoholic drinks.