Decatur, GA, (July 29, 2024) – The DeKalb County Planning, Economic Development and Community Services (PECS) Committee kicked-off the DeKalb County Behavioral Health Coalition (DCBHC) at their bimonthly committee meeting last Tuesday, July 23. The purpose of the DCBHC is to assess needs and improve mental health care for DeKalb County residents.
“I am incredibly proud that Claratel approached myself and PECS to facilitate such an important project,” commented Commissioner Michelle Long Spears, Chairman of the DeKalb County PECS Committee. “In my years as a commissioner there has not been a collaborative effort like this before. This new approach is a way to convene key providers and stakeholders to tackle this problem together to create community change around behavioral health and substance abuse.”
The coalition will facilitate dialogue, improve partnerships, develop a community needs assessment to guide county resources and align actions across providers to serve the behavioral health needs of the residents of DeKalb County. DCBHC includes members from Claratel Behavioral Health, Clarkston Hub/ Refugee Women’s Network, Clarkston Mental Health Collaborative, Clarkston Resource and Wellness Hub, DeKalb County Police Department, DeKalb County School District, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, DeKalb Public Health, Department of Human Services, Easter Seals, Inc., Emory Healthcare, Front Line Response, Grady Behavioral Health, Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church, The Center for Victims of Torture and Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.
The DCBHC proposed objectives include a.) completing a comprehensive assessment of the community’s existing services and resources focused on the behavioral health needs of the residents of DeKalb County and associated social determinants of health; b.) identifying gaps in the current continuum of care for individuals in DeKalb County with behavioral health needs, including an assessment of behavioral health and substance use disorder trends; c.) creating a forum to foster partnerships and coordination of services across service providers representing behavioral health, physical health, and resource providers in DeKalb County; d.) researching, developing, and implementing innovative approaches to resolving identified gaps in the continuum of care; and e.) reviewing quality metrics and monitor community outcomes associated with the coalition’s initiatives.
“Dekalb County provides significant funding for behavioral health services so that initiatives like the DCBHC can be implemented” commented Fabio van der Merwe, Chief Executive Officer at Claratel Behavioral Health. “We are thrilled to be a part of a coalition that is moving towards the development of a comprehensive and cohesive continuum of behavioral health services that meet the identified needs of individuals in the community.” A public, nonprofit organization, Claratel Behavioral Health is the region’s premier behavioral health care provider, offering a full range of services for children, adolescents, and adults with mental and behavioral health challenges, developmental disabilities, and substance use disorder.
For more information on the DeKalb County Behavioral Health Coalition (DCBHC) or the Planning, Economic Development and Community Services (PECS) Committee, visit https:// www.dekalbcountyga.gov/board-commissioners/planning-economic-development-and-communityservices- pecs-committee and for additional information about Claratel visit www.claratel.org.
About Claratel Behavioral Health
Claratel Behavioral Health is an innovative, community-based behavioral health and developmental disabilities services organization located in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, offering a full range of mental health services, developmental disabilities programs, and substance use disorder services to nearly 11,000 citizens annually who are uninsured and underinsured. As a public, not-for-profit organization, Claratel Behavioral Health operates 20 locations in DeKalb County. It has a diverse workforce of nearly 500 direct-care and support staff of physicians, nurses, clinicians, and support personnel who are dedicated to helping clients and their families recover from these debilitating disabilities and resume productive lives. Claratel Behavioral Health strives to provide the highest quality, evidence-based services in the least restrictive settings and envisions a community where disabilities no longer limit potential. The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners appoints board members. Claratel Behavioral Health is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). For more information, visit www.claratel.org or follow Claratel on social media at @claratelbehavioralhealth.
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