Arizona: New clinical assessment requirements coming soon

Last modified: July 8, 2021

Effective July 1, 2021, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Arizona network care providers will be required to use the Child and Adolescent Level of Care Utilization System (CALOCUS) and Level of Care Utilization System (LOCUS) instruments to help identify children and adolescents with complex needs and determine the level of care they require.

The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) will begin monitoring providers’ use of CALOCUS starting Oct. 1, 2021.

What are the CALOCUS/LOCUS instruments?

CALOCUS/LOCUS are instruments that can help care providers identify their patients’ behavioral and physical health care needs.

CALOCUS is used specifically for children and adolescents. Both systems provide measures that help guide decisions related to quality of care, quality improvement and resource allocation.

How should my organization implement CALOCUS/LOCUS?

Care providers can implement these systems in 1 of 2 ways:

• Electronic Health Record (EHR) integration
• Online at locus.azahcccs.gov

To begin using these systems:

• Contact Deerfield Behavioral Health, which licenses the CALOCUS/LOCUS platforms, to sign their end user license agreement. There is no cost associated with this agreement.
  • If you have questions, please email Matthew Monago from Deerfield Behavioral Health at mmonago@journeyhealth.org

What happens next?

Once you sign your agreement, you’ll receive the following information:

• A training discount code for your organization. This code should not be shared externally.
  • Once you have your code, you can register for free training at locusonline.com/training.asp
• A registration code to register at locus.azahcccs.gov
  • Please register for an account prior to your onboarding session with Deerfield. Deerfield cannot schedule your onboarding session until your account is created.
• Details about EHR integration. Please note EHR integration can take several months to deploy depending on your EHR’s functionality and vendor resource availability.

Please also note the following:

• Providers should use the online instrument until the EHR integration can be completed
• Assessment information will be automatically compiled through Deerfield, so providers will no longer be required to submit the CALOCUS scores separately through the DUGless portal*

*If your organization isn’t using LOCUS or including the assessment results in the HIE, DUGless submissions will still be required.

• Once providers have been onboarded, they may immediately begin using the software and may work with Deerfield to integrate the tool into their EHR

Questions?

Contact your AHCCCS Operations Compliance Officer.

PCA-1-21-02060-C&S-News