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; and
• 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 co-managed by Dr. Jaymes Fairfax-Columbo, JD, Ph.D., and Adam Stout, MPM.

The Division of Planning Innovation develops and implements strategies to advance the transformation of Philadelphia’s behavioral health system to a recovery-oriented system of care using Public Health strategies. The key goals of this transformation include:

• Shift the treatment focus from “stabilization” to recovery responsive to the needs of people in recovery
• Empower people to direct their recovery journey
• Recognize and engage treatment providers, family members, and community-based supports and organizations as valuable partners in the recovery process
• Help people move beyond their limitations and toward fulfilling lives in the community

In order to advance this transformation, the Division of Planning Innovation develops a frameworks and strategies for the change process as well as initiatives that will advance the transformation. The key units within the Division include:

• Community Affairs Unit: The DBHIDS Community Affairs Unit works to ensure that all Philadelphians have access to wellness, recovery, and peer-support services in their own communities with the support of the Community Outreach and Engagement Unit, the Community Wellness Engagement Unit, and the Peer Culture and Community Inclusion Unit.
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Unit: Shifting the culture in a bold way by collecting, reporting, monitoring data, and building partnerships with various stakeholders.
• Trauma Transformation Unit: Fostering a greater awareness and understanding of the unique needs of individuals affected by trauma
• Research Unit: Applies tools from research, epidemiology, and evaluation fields to support decision making in DBHIDS

The Division of Administration, Finance, and Quality has an overarching responsibility to support the efforts of all DBHIDS divisions in alignment with a health economics approach. The division supports the provision of services in a fiscally responsible manner to ensure the sustainment of programs and the ability to continually improve.

As with all divisions of DBHIDS, the division’s ultimate goal is to meet the needs of all Philadelphians, focusing specifically on quality, value, and outcomes.

The subdivisions include:

• Finance
• Administrative Management (Operations)
• Grants & Procurement
• Education and Training
• Human Resources & Workplace Wellness
• Data Governance
• Information Management & IT services

Fiscal Responsibility & Resource Management

The Division of Administration, Finance and Quality’s focus on finance, fiscal responsibility, and management—and the importance of these factors in sustaining resources—helps DBHIDS seek out reinvestment opportunities, secure grant funding, and manage resources so programs receive what they need to develop, grow, and sustain to address Philadelphia’s needs.

Systems Approach

At the Division of Administration, Finance and Quality, we believe knowledge is empowerment. Part of our mission is to ensure that our internal and external communities make better decisions.  The division works with stakeholders to develop strategies to create new programs, evaluate existing programs, and impact high priority areas across the Department. A systems approach allows the division to work with internal and external stakeholders to address the social determinants that affect the health of all residents. The division works directly with state and local partners, subdivisions, and internal staff to develop and fund programs, inform data, support program leadership, and identify and dedicate appropriate resources where they are needed most.

The Commissioner sets the vision and direction for the work of the City of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services. The office is responsible for leadership over the six DBHIDS divisions and for the organization, prioritization, and achievement of the Department’s overall goals.

• The Commissioner of DBHIDS is the representative of the Department to internal and external communities, as well as with local, state, and federal partners
• Through initiative prioritization and through alignment, coordination, and integration of efforts, the Commissioner’s Office implements the Department’s priority of addressing Trauma, achieving Equity, and engaging Community (TEC)
• By adhering to the Department’s strategic plan, PACE, and the tenets of TEC, the Commissioner’s Office obtains measurable outcomes that move us forward toward the Department’s goals of improving the behavioral health and wellness of all Philadelphians
• Office coordinates with the provider network and external stakeholders to ensure equitable access to quality behavioral health services for all Philadelphians
• The Commissioner supports the DBHIDS Advisory Board, the Faith and Spiritual Affairs Advisory Board, and other community convenings, and leads Executive Director’s meetings to ensure integration of stakeholder voices in policy and practice development.
• The Commissioner coordinates the Department’s work addressing the social determinants of health as a whole person health approach
• The Commissioner implements and manages cross-agency initiatives and programs
• The Commissioner’s Office deepens systemic approaches to solving complex issues, focusing on data and integration of projects to increase our understanding of the effectiveness and reach and to ensure the highest quality of trauma-informed and trauma-mitigating behavioral health and related services.

The work of the Commissioner’s Office includes:

• 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.
• TEC (Trauma, Equity, Community) – DBHIDS uses this lens for all our work by asking ourselves how our efforts address Trauma, achieve Equity, and engage Community.
• Communications Unit – facilitates all DBHIDS internal and external communications; works closely with DBHIDS, City of Philadelphia, and other partners to help educate, strengthen, and serve individuals and communities so that all Philadelphians can thrive.
• Chief Medical Officer – oversees and directs clinical strategies and clinical policies for DBHIDS, serving as the Department’s representative and liaison to Philadelphia’s provider community. Ensures clinical best practices are implemented to guide DBHIDS in its population health approach.