Philadelphia’s String Theory Schools receives free youth mental health first aid training

October 26, 2018 PROJECT 375 joined forces with the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) to provide free Youth Mental Health First Aid certification training to the teachers and counselors of fifth to 12th grade classes at String Theory Schools in Philadelphia. Everyone who completed the August training was certified by […]

No one is immune to the threat of suicide

June 8, 2018 This week, the world mourned the deaths of designer Kate Spade and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, two well-known, successful professionals who, by all accounts, were living happy lives full of fame and fortune. If nothing else, these tragedies drive home the message that mental health does not discriminate and mental illness is […]

DBHIDS Commissioner David T. Jones Helps Further Your Big Idea Challenge

On Wednesday, May 16, Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services Commissioner David T. Jones participated in the IDEA Gala, an event where the University of Pennsylvania’s Your Big Idea Challenge recipients were acknowledged. Launched this past February, the Your Big Idea Challenge was designed to help therapists in community mental health organizations throughout […]

DBHIDS and the Philadelphia Phillies Aim to Strike Out Stigma

May is National Mental Health Awareness Month and the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) is pleased to have the Philadelphia Phillies host Mental Health Awareness Night on Monday, May 21, at 7:05 p.m. as the Phillies take on the Atlanta Braves! Join us for an evening at Citizens Bank Park and receive information […]

Philly Leads the Way in Mental Health Awareness

February 2, 2018 Continuing the established trend of Philadelphia being a leader in mental health awareness, in December, the city surprised 25,000 people trained in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA). This achievement makes Philadelphia the city with the most trainees in MHFA. “This milestone for Mental Health First Aid trainees represents a monumental feat,” said DBHIDS […]

DBHIDS Offers Help to Our Community on National Depression Screening Day

By David T. Jones, Commissioner, DBHIDS According to Mental Health America, one of the nation’s leading community-based nonprofits dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness, one in five adults have a mental health condition — that’s more than 40 million Americans, or the populations of New York and Florida combined.   […]

David T. Jones chosen to lead DBHIDS

July 21, 2017 Contact: Monica Lewis-Wilborn, Director of Communications267-588-6609, monica.lewis-wilborn@phila.gov PHILADELPHIA, PA — After a five-month search, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney announced the appointment of David T. Jones as Commissioner of the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS), a $1 billion healthcare agency with nearly 800 employees.  Jones had been serving as Acting Commissioner following […]

Inform, Encourage, Provide: Steps We Can Take to Help Our Youth

By Lawrence A. Real, MD Chief Medical Officer, DBHIDS May is Mental Health Awareness Month and as we celebrate recovery, we strive to increase awareness and work to end stigma around mental health. Through the offering of comprehensive services, resources, and access to behavioral healthcare, we have a strong commitment to helping youth, adults, and […]

Peer Support Toolkit released, to guide future expansion

DBHIDS’ Peer Culture and Community Inclusion Unit (PCCIU) is pleased to release The Peer Support Toolkit. The target audiences for this toolkit are administrators, directors, and supervisors of treatment organizations who have recently hired (or plan to hire) peers into new support roles with the agency. Others, including peer support staff, will also find this toolkit […]