Support Groups

 Al-Anon Family Groups

(520) 323-2229 | website
Opens in a new windowSelf support for the family and friends of alcoholics and adult children of alcoholics.

Alcoholics Anonymous
(520) 624-4183 | websiteOpens in a new window
840 S. Campbell Avenue.
Fellowship of men and women who maintain sobriety through sharing experience, strength, and hope.

CO-ANON
(480) 442-3869 | website
Opens in a new windowA fellowship for family and friends of someone who is chemically dependent on cocaine.

Cocaine Anonymous - AZ
(520) 326-2211 | websiteOpens in a new window
Co-Dependents Anonymous
Fellowship of men and women who maintain sobriety from cocaine.

Co-Dependents Anonymous (CODA)
(888) 444-2359 | website
Opens in a new window12-step self-help group for people who are working on healthy relationships.

Debtors Anonymous
1-800-421-2383 | websiteOpens in a new window
12-step program for people who have debt and cannot stop spending.

Depression and Bi-Polar Support Alliance
(800) 826-3632 | websiteOpens in a new window
Offers education and support groups to people with depression and bi-polar disorder.

Gamblers Anonymous
570-7879 | websiteOpens in a new window
Self help group for compulsive gamblers.

Narcotics Anonymous
881-8381 | website
Opens in a new window12-step program where people manage their addiction to narcotics.

Nicotine Anonymous
(469) 737-9304 | website
Opens in a new window12-step support group for people wishing to stop using nicotine.

Overeaters Anonymous
(505) 891-2664| websiteOpens in a new window
A 12-step group for people who wish to stop compulsive eating.

Sex Addicts Anonymous
1-800-477-8191 | websiteOpens in a new window
12-step recovery program providing support for people with compulsive sexual behaviors.

Survivors of Incest Anonymous
websiteOpens in a new window
12-step program for non-offending adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

Survivors of Suicide
emailOpens in a new window
Support group for family and friends of people who have committed suicide.

Mental Health Resources

Depression and Bi-Polar Support Alliance
(800) 826-3632 | websiteOpens in a new window
Offers education and support groups to people with depression and bi-polar disorder.

Mental Health Association of Arizona (MHAAZ)
480-982-5305 | websiteOpens in a new window
Provides information and advocacy concerning mental health resources.

National Alliance on Mental Illness of Southern Arizona (NAMI)
(520) 622-5582 | websiteOpens in a new window
Offers support groups for people diagnosed with mental illness and their families.

Community Resources

American Diabetes Association
(520) 795-3711 | websiteOpens in a new window
333 W. Ft. Lowell Rd., Suite 23
Provides educational resources on diabetes.

American Cancer Society
(800) 227-2345 | websiteOpens in a new window
333 W. Ft. Lowell Rd., Suite 23
Provides educational resources on cancer.

Arizona Poison & Drug Information Center
(520) 626-6016
Information and education on medications and preventing poisoning accidents.

Catholic Community Services
(520) 623-0344 | websiteOpens in a new window

DIRECT Center for Independence
(520) 624-6452 | websiteOpens in a new window
Offers information, referral and support services for individuals with disabilities.

Information & Referral Helpline
1-800-352-3792 | websiteOpens in a new window
Information on community resources.

Literacy Volunteers of Tucson
(520) 882-8006 | websiteOpens in a new window
Tutors people to improve reading and writing skills.

Sex Trafficking Help
websiteOpens in a new window
Offers a variety of volunteer opportunities.

Summer Sun Respite
Click hereOpens in a new window for resource guide.

Volunteer Southern Arizona
(520) 881-3300 | websiteOpens in a new window
Offers a variety of volunteer opportunities.

LGBTQIA+ Resources

A Place to Talk
(520) 375-9039 | Email: aplacetotalkservices@hotmail.com
Counseling services for individuals who identify in the LGBTQ communities.

El Rio Health - Transgender Medicine
(520) 670-3909 | websiteOpens in a new window
Healthcare for pediatric and adult transgender and gender non-conforming communities. Care includes gender-confirming hormone therapy and referral to specialists.

Lighthouse Project AZ
(520) 909-0754 | Email: lighthouseproject.tucson@gmail.com
LGBTQI collaboration between the University of Arizona Southwest Institute for Research on Women, SAAF and Our Family Services to support unstably housed LGBTQ young adults.

Petersen HIV Clinic (Banner UMC)
(520) 626-8598 | websiteOpens in a new window
Provides specialty care, advocacy, counseling, early intervention, education, referrals, and prevention services related to HIV.

PFLAG Tucson - Parents, Friends, Families and Allies, United with LGBTQ People to Move Equality Forward
websiteOpens in a new window
Promotes the health and well-being of LGBTQ persons and their families and friends through support, education and advocacy.

Pride Guide - Tucson
websiteOpens in a new window
A resource list of services targeted to the LGBTQIA+ communities throughout Arizona.

Primavera
(520) 623-5111 | websiteOpens in a new window
LGBT-friendly shelter service.

Rainbow Churches

• Grace St. Paul's Episcopal ChurchOpens in a new window

• St. Philip's in the Hills Episcopal ChurchOpens in a new window

Sister Jose Women's Center
(520) 909-3905 | websiteOpens in a new window
Trans-women friendly shelter.

Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation (SAAF)
Crisis Line: (800) 553-9387 | Office Line: (520) 628-7223 | websiteOpens in a new window
HIV, AIDS and Hep C testing; resources and support for individuals living with HIV/AIDS; prevention and support for survivors of violence against LGBTQIA+ individuals; support groups; youth drop in center and more!

Southern Arizona Gender Alliance (SAGA)
Address: 2030 E. Broadway Blvd, Suite 106 | websiteOpens in a new window
Support, advocacy and information for transgender and gender nonconforming individuals.

Southern Arizona Senior Pride
(520) 312-8923 | websiteOpens in a new window
LGBTQIA social meetings and support for 55+

Trans Lifeline
(877) 565-8860 | websiteOpens in a new window
Crisis hotline specific for transgender individuals.

Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network (TIHAN)
(520) 299-6647 | websiteOpens in a new window
Brings together religious, secular, corporate and non-profit organizations to support people living with HIV as well as to raise awareness and build knowledge and understanding around HIV/AIDS.

Government Resources

Arizona Center for Disability Law
(520) 327-9547 | website
Opens in a new windowProvides protection and advocacy for people with psychiatric, cognitive, physical, mental and sensory disabilities.

Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS)
(520) 205-8600 | website
Opens in a new windowState’s health insurance program for people with a low income.

City of Tucson Parks and Recreation
(520) 791-4873 | websiteOpens in a new window
Conducts recreational classes and special events throughout the city.

Pima County Public Library Information Line
(520) 791-4010 | websiteOpens in a new window
Phone services which give short answers to reference questions.

Social Security Administration
1-800-722-1213 | websiteOpens in a new window
Oversees the Social Security System.

 

Arizona foster care safety bill protects drug-exposed infants and the best interests of children

Rebecca Masterson • October 9, 2018

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

SB1473, enacted into law on August 3, 2018, amended Arizona’s child welfare statutes in

important ways. The legislature adopted these changes in an 87:1 vote, demonstrating the

strong consensus behind the spirit and letter of the reforms.

This memo outlines the changes in an effort to assist with the uniform application of these

new laws in juvenile dependency actions.

Under the law:

• Recognizing that stability and family are critical to a child’s well-being, the Department of Child Safety (DCS) must work to find permanent homes for children under three years of age within one year.

• Because family is a priority, DCS must search diligently for relatives when a child is taken into custody;

• The law creates a presumption that foster families who have cared for an infant for nine months or more are kin. If, after nine months, a party wants to move an infant to another relation or placement, the change of placement must be in the infant’s best interest;

• Agencies and individuals involved in placement decisions must place the child’s best interests at the forefront;

• In all child welfare cases, DCS must check for the presence of “aggravating circumstances” or extreme abuse. When aggravating circumstances exist, the department must present the findings to the judge in the dependency action and petition to terminate parental rights.

• Non-medical, in utero drug-exposure is an aggravated circumstance in certain situations of chronic substance abuse.

To read the full legal brief, click here.
https://www.genjustice.org/post/arizona-foster-care-safety-bill-protects-drug-exposed-infants-and-the-best-interests-of-children

Rule 47.3. Court Authorized Removal

 Rule 47.3. Court Authorized Removal

Arizona Revised Statutes AnnotatedRules of Procedure for the Juvenile Court

Arizona Revised Statutes Annotated

Rules of Procedure for the Juvenile Court (Refs & Annos)

Part III. Dependency, Guardianship and Termination of Parental Rights

2. General Provisions

17B A.R.S. Juv.Ct.Rules of Proc., Rule 47.3

Rule 47.3. Court Authorized Removal

Currentness

A. Purpose. On application under oath by a child safety worker, a child welfare investigator, or a peace officer, the court will determine whether to authorize the Department of Child Safety to take temporary custody of a child.

B. Burden of Proof. The applicant shall have the burden of stating explicit facts that provide probable cause to believe:

1. authorization of temporary custody of the child is clearly necessary to protect the child from suffering abuse or neglect; and

2. remaining in the child's current home is contrary to the welfare of the child.

Additionally, for an Indian child, under 25 C.F.R. § 23.113(b)(1) the facts stated must support a finding that authorization of temporary custody is necessary to prevent imminent physical damage or harm to the child.

C. Procedure.

1. Application. A child safety worker, a child welfare investigator, or a peace officer may apply for authorization for the Department of Child Safety to take temporary custody of the child by submitting an application in writing to one of the judicial officers designated by the presiding judge of the superior court in Maricopa County to receive and respond to applications under this rule. The application must state:

(a) the professional qualifications of the applicant,

(b) the particular reasons each child is presently or imminently in danger of abuse or neglect,

(c) a detailed account of circumstances that require authorization of temporary custody including the facts that support the reasons given,

(d) efforts made to determine the availability of less restrictive voluntary options, including care by a parent or relative, that effectively removes or controls the danger, and

(e) the identity and description of each child for whom temporary custody authorization is sought.

Additionally, under 25 C.F.R. § 23.113(d), if there is reason to know the child is an Indian child, the applicant must provide this information. The information that should be provided under 25 C.F.R. § 23.113(d) should be provided in the dependency petition.

2. Form. The application must be submitted in a written format and manner approved by the Administrative Director of the Supreme Court. If an applicant is unable to submit a written application using an approved written format or manner, the applicant may apply for authorization of temporary custody by recorded oral statement or by other means acceptable to the court made under oath. The recorded oral statement or other means of communication must otherwise comply with this rule.

3. Evidence. Evidence presented in support of an application for authorization of temporary custody may include evidence which is reliable hearsay, in whole or in part.

4. Consideration. As soon as possible after receipt of an oral statement or a written application, a designated judicial officer will consider the application ex parte. The judicial officer may question the applicant and any witnesses. Any additional information shall be submitted in writing or by a recorded oral statement.

D. Findings and Order.

1. Content. The order must state whether there is probable cause to believe that authorization of temporary custody of the child is clearly necessary to prevent abuse or neglect, and whether remaining in the child's current home is contrary to the welfare of the child as required by Rule 47.1(A). An order granting an application must: (a) identify the factual basis for authorizing temporary custody of each child, and (b) identify and describe each child with reasonable particularity.

Additionally, for an Indian child, under 25 C.F.R. § 23.113(b)(1) the court must find that authorization of temporary custody is necessary to prevent imminent physical damage or harm to the child.

2. Form. If the applicant and judicial officer are not in each other's physical presence, the judicial officer may sign the order authorizing temporary custody using an electronic signature to serve as the original order, orally authorize the applicant to sign the judicial officer's name on the order, or sign an electronically transmitted version of the original order which is then deemed to be the original. The judicial officer will record the time and date of issuance of an orally authorized order on the original order and the applicant will send the duplicate original order to the judicial officer who issued the order.

3. Notice. The Department of Child Safety must provide the parent or other custodian a copy of the application and the order authorizing temporary custody when the Temporary Custody Notice (TCN) is provided as required by law unless the Department of Child Safety determines disclosure would cause harm under A.R.S. §§ 8-471, -807(L), or other provisions of state or federal law, and the Department of Child Safety provides notice of the order in the TCN.

4. Execution and Duration. If the child who is the subject of the order is not receiving inpatient care when the order is sought, the Department of Child Safety may execute the order until the earlier of a material change in the factual basis for the probable cause determination or ten calendar days from the issuance of the order. If the child who is the subject of the order is receiving inpatient care when the order is sought and there is no material change in the factual basis for the probable cause determination, the Department of Child Safety may execute the order until the later of ten days from the issuance of the order or the child's discharge from inpatient care. The temporary custody authorized by the order will expire after 72 hours excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays unless a dependency petition is filed. The court with dependency jurisdiction over the child will review continuation of temporary custody as provided in Rules 50 and 51.

5. Filing: The applicant must file the application and order when the dependency petition is filed.

Credits

Added Dec. 13, 2017, effective July 1, 2018. Amended on an emergency basis June 8, 2018, effective July 1, 2018, adopted in final form Dec. 13, 2018.

17B A. R. S. Juv. Ct. Rules of Proc., Rule 47.3, AZ ST JUV CT Rule 47.3

State Court Rules are current with amendments received and effective through 01/15/22. The Code of Judicial Administration is current with amendments received through 01/15/22.

https://govt.westlaw.com/azrules/Document/NDEDCBF200C3C11E89C8ACEF0A36E6D58?viewType=FullText&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=CategoryPageItem&contextData=(sc.Default)