Summer heat is upon us, but our desire to serve Georgia’s safety net needs remains strong.

May is Mental Health Month, and it is more important than ever to be talking about mental health.  In recent years, evidence has underscored what many of us already know: mental health is essential to overall health, and mental illness is common and treatable.  Recovery is possible!​

Greetings!  It seems that Spring is finally here and we can look forward to the celebration of Mental Health Month throughout May.  Today, I want to celebrate mental health and more through an important story.  It is the story of a decade of transformation at DBHDD.

The Annual Mental Health Block Grant (MHBG) Behavioral Health Report provides the means for states to comply with the reporting provisions of the Mental Health Block Grant.

Spring Greetings!

Greetings!  Over the next few months, I will be highlighting some of the exciting transformation efforts underway throughout DBHDD.  We are a department on the move!

2018 is off and running.  Between budget and legislative activities, and our ongoing system-wide transformation, we continue to drive toward the end of the ADA Extension Agreement, scheduled for June 30, 2018.  As we focus on these significant strategic priorities, I wanted to take a pause and revisit our “WHY?”.  Why do we embrace our challenging mission to serve some of Georgia’s most vulnerable citizens?

2018 is off and running.

Happy New Year!  I hope each of you was able to rest and spend quality time with loved ones as 2017 came to a close.  I want to offer my sincere thanks to our hospital and provider staff who worked through the holidays.  I am humbled by the dedication that you all demonstrate year round.

The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) will be releasing a request for proposal (RFP) for a new blended mobile crisis response service.  Currently, the department contracts for the provision of two separate mobile crisis systems.  Mobile crisis response

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved renewal of the New Options (NOW) Waiver through September 30, 2022.  The renewal reflects collaborative work by the Georgia Departments of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) and Community Health (DCH) to align

Season’s Greetings! I hope that each of you enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving. Amidst the beautiful weather, bustle and delicious food, my most treasured time included hearty laughter with family and friends. I hope you savored the same.

It’s finally starting to feel like Fall, with cooler air, football, and pumpkin spice everything.  Fall is a season of change, and though the leaves on the trees stayed green a little longer this year, we know that change is always coming. 

The close of Summer was bustling with activity at DBHDD, and as we start a new season, I want to stop and recognize the many heroes we have in our DBHDD family.  Last month, as Georgia prepared for the impact of Hurricane Irma, DBHDD staged two significant evacuations to protect the people we serve.   

Greetings, and welcome back to work after our three-day weekend.  As we celebrate Labor Day, it is a good time to reflect on the significance of this holiday.  The history of Labor Day dates to the late 1800s when the Labor movement was in full swing. 

Happy Summer to all! The transition to a new season on the calendar offers an opportunity to reflect upon the previous months and also peek forward into the weeks ahead.