Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services

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 a Steering Committee that provides the perspective of the different divisions of DBHIDS on various policy topics, the Policy Unit:

• Educates the public on behavioral health issues and initiatives that impact Philadelphians.
• Responds to policy changes at the local, state, and federal levels.
• Keeps DBHIDS leadership apprised of important policy changes at the federal, state, and local levels.
• Actively monitors and appropriately responds to proposed legislation, considering its impacts on behavioral health in the City of Philadelphia, keeping in mind the influence of intersectional factors.
• Fosters collaboration between internal DBHIDS divisions as well as across City departments to improve policy, access to treatment, and treatment quality for Philadelphians with behavioral health challenges, keeping in mind the influence of intersectional factors.

The Policy Unit is managed by Dr. Jaymes Fairfax-Columbo, JD, Ph.D.