This document provides information on the types of activities supported and the categories or characteristics of individuals served under the provisions of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, Public Law 97-35, Subtitle C - Block Grants for Social Services, which amends Title XX of the Social Security Act. The Arizona Department of Economic Security under the statutory provisions of the law administers the Arizona Social Services Block Grant Plan. The program period covered corresponds to the State Fiscal Year, which begins on July 1, and ends June 30. State Fiscal Year overlaps portions of previous Federal Fiscal Year, which runs from October 1 through September 30.

While the economic environment in Arizona has gradually improved, vulnerable individuals and families rely on the Department for life-saving protective services and essential economic support. The Department has made important improvements in how we deliver benefits, goods and services to vulnerable individuals and families. The Plan outlines several of these on-going improvement efforts including cost-saving process improvements, expanded community collaborations, enhanced transparency and increased accountability.

The Arizona Workforce Connection is a statewide system committed to coordinating a comprehensive approach to workforce development. It incorporates the state’s economic development goals and strategies using federal, state, and local resources. The AWC consists of the Governor’s Council on Workforce Policy, 14 Local Workforce Investment Areas along with their respective Local Workforce Investment Boards, comprehensive One-Stop centers, satellite offices, and an array of workforce partners. This report describes how WIA Title IB services are provided in Arizona, highlights local and state accomplishments, and concludes with performance results.

In 1993, Family Support Legislation was passed that defined a family support program for people with developmental disabilities and their families, subject to funding appropriations. This legislation was a result of collaboration with families, advocacy organizations, providers of services, and the Division of Developmental Disabilities in recognition of the significance of family support as a national initiative. While there is no appropriated funding for a family support program in Arizona, the Division integrates the philosophy of the legislation into its activities as indicated in its Credo and Values. This Annual Report highlights initiatives and systems successfully implemented, and describes the ways in which individuals and families are supported through the Division and its many collaborators.

Report of Arizona’s economic security needs and resources; the use, training, and placement of manpower; and recommendations for the forthcoming fiscal year for the state’s development of relevant programs. Also included in the report is a status report and an evaluation of the children and family services training program. This report provides an overview of the Department’s achievements in meeting the needs of Arizonans and highlights the Department’s actions to enhance the safety and self-sufficiency of vulnerable individuals in our state by streamlining both service delivery and administrative functions. The Department is committed to continue to build on its successes and to achieve our mission to promote the safety, well-being, and self-sufficiency of Arizona’s children, adults, and families.

A massive pile of wood debris caught fire and burned from October 27 to October 31, 2001, in northern Pinal County, Arizona. The fire consumed wood debris from citrus trees that had been stored in an approximately 25-acre area in Pinal County near the Queen Creek area. The fire generated a large quantity of smoke. Persons reported smelling the smoke up to 40 miles away from the fire. Meteorological conditions during the fire intermittently created conditions that limited lift, especially at night, causing smoke to settle in residential neighborhoods in the Queen Creek area. The Arizona Department of Health Services issued public health advisories for the evenings of October 29 and 30. This report summarizes the events that occurred during the fire and analyzes the data collected by the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to determine the extent of the public health threat from the fire.

The Rodeo-Chediski Fire Complex began as a small blaze in a remote region of east-central Arizona and within days erupted into the largest wildfire in Arizona history. Fortunately, no lives were lost. However, from June 18, 2002 to the time of its containment on July 7, 2002, the Rodeo-Chediski fire destroyed over 490 structures and 467,000 acres of ponderosa pine and pinyon-juniper woodland—an estimated 500 million to 1.3 billion board feet of timber. Jurisdictions involved included the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, the Tonto National Forest, and private lands adjacent to Highway 260, from the Town of Forest Lakes east to the City of Show Low. Virtually all of the acres burned were in Navajo County, with some damage in the contiguous counties of Coconino, Apache, and Gila Counties. This health assessment describes the fire events and summarizes the resulting public health impacts from the fire.

The Arizona Department of Health Services Cancer Registry has identified 7 cases of childhood leukemia in the Sierra Vista, Arizona area since 1995. Five of the childhood leukemia cases were identified as a class of lymphoid leukemia and 2 of the cases were a class of myeloid leukemia. Based on random variation, a total of 6 or fewer cases of leukemia would have been expected over those seven years. An analysis of the data suggests that the number of cases is statistically elevated for the time period 1995 to 2001. The objective of this report is to determine whether there are any documented environmental exposures from drinking water, ambient air or waste sites that may have placed residents of the Sierra Vista, Arizona area at greater risk of developing childhood leukemia.

The Arizona Department of Health Services completed this health consultation at the request of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. This consult evaluates whether soil vapors from volatile organic compounds in the subsurface near the Silver Creek Subdivision in Tucson, Arizona are present at levels that may cause adverse health effects.