City of Philadelphia
DBHIDS Systems Integration Unit
The Systems Integration unit seeks to align, coordinate, integrate, and connect information across the Department and City agencies to address the behavioral health needs and challenges of the residents of Philadelphia.
Included in this work are two pillars: internal integration and external integration, addressed via our CARE Framework, which stands for Connection, Access, Resilience, and Equity. Our work is collaborative and achieved with all divisions across the Department.
To better understand the full extent of the work overseen within DBHIDS, use the links below to review the DBHIDS Program Directory and our City-funded Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services Providers.
Internal Integration
- CARE: At DBHIDS, our work is guided by the CARE Framework, which stands for Connection, Access, Resilience, and Equity. CARE helps us stay aligned across teams, strengthen partnerships, respond to challenges with creativity, and uphold fairness in every decision we make.
- DBHIDS Program Directory: A detailed directory of programs funded by the City of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) sorted by type of service offered.
- Provider Directory: A detailed directory of City-funded providers in the fields of behavioral health and intellectual disability services in the Philadelphia area. People without insurance coverage can access these services.
- Organizational Mapping: This project aims to gather and map out information important to making strategic organizationwide decisions. As a unit, Systems Integration is taking the time to meet with unit leaders across DBHIDS to gather information about the work and responsibilities of each unit. Our analysis will be used to answer a few questions: Where are activities currently housed and how are they implemented? Where is there capacity for additional projects? What recommendations can we make about reducing or reassigning work appropriately? Is there opportunity to eliminate duplicate work and/or align priorities? Upon analysis, we will present our findings to members of Executive Management for feedback. We will also create a visual representation of the information for DBHIDS staff to use in their work. For more information about this project, please contact DBHIDS-PACE@phila.gov
External Integration
City Engagement Coordination Meeting: This group is comprised of DBHIDS staff across the Department with the goal of coordinating activities specific to addressing the substance use disorder (SUD) crisis in Kensington. Activities include participation in encampment resolutions and information sharing and discussion amongst DBHIDS external-facing teams, such as the Opioid Response Unit and the Managing Director’s Office. For more information, please contact the Systems Integration Unit at DBHIDSSystemsIntegration@phila.gov.
Social Drivers / Determinants of Health
Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) are the conditions in the environments where people are live, work, worship, and play that may affect a range of health and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.
Using a whole-person health approach, DBHIDS invests in resources that address basic needs to help people achieve and sustain their behavioral health goals. Our key areas of investment include employment, housing, food security, technology, and transportation. This work is managed by multiple divisions across the Department and is coordinated through the SDOH Workgroup. Below are the activities and materials that guide this work.
Click for more information about DBHIDS efforts across all divisions and with external partners related to Social Determinants of Health.
Population Health
The population health team oversees the vision, strategy, systems integration, implementation, and expansion of all DBHIDS initiatives related to population health including:
- Suicide prevention: The team is responsible for executing the DBHIDS Suicide Prevention Strategic Framework and the county’s suicide prevention strategic plan. This includes overseeing the activities of the Suicide Prevention Task Force and the Survivors of Suicide Loss Groups, among others.
- Behavioral health online and community-based screenings.
- The HealthyMindsPhilly portfolio (website, app, peer chat line, wellness resources, and community blog). The team also collaborates with other departments in the City in population mental health initiatives, supports research to inform evidence-based interventions implementation, and advances policy to prevent morbidity and mortality.
Policy, Planning, and Forensic Equity
The City of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) hosts a Policy Unit dedicated to disseminating information about behavioral health-related issues to the public.
The Policy Unit strives to be a collaborative and innovative, community-supported, evidence-based team that positions DBHIDS as a leading voice in behavioral health literacy and policy.
Supported by the Policy Integration Committee (PIC) that provides the perspective of the different divisions of DBHIDS on various policy topics.
Visit DBHIDS.org/policy-unit.