Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services
| Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) | |
|---|---|
| Type | City department; also the county mental health/intellectual disability program |
| Led by | Commissioner Kehinde "Kenny" Solanke (since September 2, 2024) |
| Divisions | Six, including Behavioral Health, Intellectual disAbility Services, and Community Behavioral Health |
| Crisis line | 988 (call or text); Mental Health Delegate Hotline 215-685-6440 |
| Website | dbhids.org |
The Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) is the Philadelphia city department that provides and funds behavioral health care, intellectual disability supports and early intervention services. Its own description is "one comprehensive integrated system."[1] The unusual capitalization of "disAbility" is the department's official styling. DBHIDS is a city department, but much of its service delivery is carried out by contracted nonprofit and private provider agencies.
1 Mission and structure
The department's stated mission is to educate, strengthen and serve individuals and communities so that all Philadelphians can thrive.[1] According to its website it operates through six divisions: Behavioral Health; Intellectual disAbility Services; Community Behavioral Health; Planning and Innovation; Administration, Finance and Quality; and Behavioral Health and Justice.[1] The department partners with community provider agencies, the School District of Philadelphia, the child welfare system and the courts.
In Pennsylvania, counties are responsible for administering mental health and intellectual disability programs under state law and with state funding. Because Philadelphia is a consolidated city-county, DBHIDS fills the role that a county mental health/intellectual disability office fills elsewhere in the state.
2 Community Behavioral Health
DBHIDS is the principal funder of, and provides oversight to, Community Behavioral Health (CBH), a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation contracted by the City to manage mental health and substance use services for Philadelphia County Medicaid recipients through the state's HealthChoices program.[2] The CBH division is led by its own chief executive officer. Residents with Medicaid who need treatment typically reach providers through CBH's network; its non-emergency member line is 1-888-545-2600.[1]
3 Leadership and history
Mayor Cherelle Parker announced Kehinde Solanke as commissioner on July 30, 2024, and she took office September 2, 2024. Solanke holds a master's degree in social work from Temple University and previously served as senior director of operations for crisis services at DBHIDS, where she helped implement the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline locally.[3] The commissioner is appointed by the Mayor and is a member of the Mayor's Cabinet. The department has historically been one of the largest in the city's health and human services cluster, with a budget dominated by Medicaid-funded services flowing through CBH rather than city tax dollars; consult the annual budget documents for current figures, which this article does not state.
4 Crisis and everyday access
The department promotes 988 as the 24-hour suicide and crisis line, and runs a Mental Health Delegate Hotline (215-685-6440) used in involuntary commitment situations. Intellectual disAbility Services can be reached at 215-685-5900 on weekdays.[1] DBHIDS also funds treatment and recovery services in the context of the opioid epidemic and works with the criminal legal system through its Behavioral Health and Justice division, including work connected to the Department of Prisons and the courts.
5 Connections to other bodies
DBHIDS works closely with the Department of Public Health on overdose and harm reduction, the Department of Human Services on children's behavioral health, and the Office of Homeless Services on residents with behavioral health needs who are unhoused. State oversight comes from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, which administers Medicaid and sets HealthChoices rules. See Pennsylvania State Government and Philadelphia.
See also: Department of Public Health, Office of Homeless Services, Office for People with Disabilities, Office of Violence Prevention.
References
- DBHIDS, "About Us," dbhids.org (accessed October 2026).
- DBHIDS, leadership pages and Community Behavioral Health description, dbhids.org.
- DBHIDS, "Kehinde Solanke" leadership profile, dbhids.org; City of Philadelphia announcement, July 30, 2024.