On the first Tuesday of each month from 4:00-6:00 p.m. Arizona time, except on holiday weekends, ACMI will feature a guest to discuss a relevant behavioral health topic. Following the speaker, attendees will engage in a discussion of current issues within the behavioral health system. We are pleased to have Teresa Costales, MD, a board-certified psychiatrist, discuss updates at AHCCCS.
Our speaker:
Dr. Theresa Costales, MD, is a distinguished board‑certified psychiatrist based in Phoenix, Arizona, currently serving as the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), the state’s Medicaid agency.
🎓 Education & Training
- B.S. in Biology from Canisius College
- M.D. from Georgetown University School of Medicine
- Psychiatry Residency at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (NYC), where she also served as Administrative Chief Resident
💼 Career Highlights
- Before her CMO appointment in January 2025, Dr. Costales was Arizona Medical Director for Connections Health Solutions, overseeing clinical operations at both the Urgent Psychiatric Center in Phoenix and the Crisis Response Center in Tucson. Her leadership significantly improved care for individuals with serious mental illness, with a special focus on those undergoing civil commitment.
- As CMO of AHCCCS, she spearheads clinical strategy and oversight, championing behavioral health integration and system-wide reforms to close gaps in mental health care.
🧠 Clinical Interests & Advocacy
- Dr. Costales brings deep experience in psychiatric crisis care, including expertise with psychotic disorders, personality disorders, addiction, and postpartum mental health.
- She’s an advocate for early intervention and community-based mental health services—highlighted by her participation in the Fempower Health podcast, where she emphasized that “this is a treatable illness… it requires early treatment” when discussing postpartum psychosis.
🏅 Leadership & Recognition
- Frequently sought after for her expertise, Dr. Costales has been featured in the Arizona Medical Association’s Member Spotlight series.
- She’s recognized nationally for her contributions in strategic psychiatric leadership, including roles such as faculty with the OPEN MINDS Strategy & Innovation Institute.
Topic: ACMI Stakeholders’ Meeting
July 1st, 2025: AHCCCS CMO Update by Dr. Theresa Costales
August 5th, 2025: Family and Caretaker survey results by Laurie Goldstein and Rachel Streiff
September 2nd, 2025: Guardianship & Title 36 Demystified: Clearing Up Confusion for Providers by Josh Mozell
October 7th, 2025: Competency and GEI by Holly Gieszle
November 4th, 2025: Psychoactive drug Ibogaine effectively treats traumatic brain injury in special ops military vets by Dr. Shweta Kapoor
Every month on the First Tuesday until December 25th, 2025
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