Arizona Department of Child Safety—Arizona Families F.I.R.S.T.—Department’s contracted substance abuse program incorporates best practices in its design, and Department has implemented controls to oversee contractors’ compliance with program requirements

Arizona Department of Child Safety—Arizona Families F.I.R.S.T. (Families in Recovery Succeeding Together) or the AFF program—The AFF program provides a continuum of community-based substance abuse treatment and supportive services through contracted providers (contractors) to parents, guardians, or custodians of a child named in a child maltreatment report where substance abuse is a significant barrier to preserving or reunifying the family. As administered by the Department, the AFF program incorporates best practices for substance abuse treatment and addressing the needs of families with co-occurring substance abuse and child maltreatment. In addition, the Department has established oversight controls such as monthly progress reports and invoices from its contractors, and contractor site visits conducted by department staff, to help ensure that its contractors adhere to contract requirements. However, the Department reported that the invoice payment process does not include a review of underlying documentation to ensure that invoiced services are supported, and the Department should carry out its plans to review this documentation.