DC Department of Employment Services

What DC Department of Employment Services does

The DC Department of Behavioral Health (DBH), previously known as the Department of Mental Health, is the District of Columbia's designated public behavioral health authority, operating under the Government of the District of Columbia. The agency administers the public behavioral health system for DC residents, delivering and contracting for mental health and substance use disorder services across all 8 wards. Its core product portfolio spans 13 named service lines, anchored by Saint Elizabeths Hospital — a 450,000 sq ft inpatient psychiatric facility located east of the Anacostia River — and complemented by the 24/7 Access HelpLine, Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP), DC Stabilization Center, Community Response Team (mobile crisis and homeless outreach), School Behavioral Health Program (in DCPS and charter schools), Children/Youth/Family Services, Adult Services (including Mental Health Rehabilitation Services), Substance Use Disorder Treatment Services, the Naloxone Distribution Program, the DBH Training Institute, and administration of SAMHSA Behavioral Health Services Block Grants.

DBH's underlying technology stack consists of the MHEASURES Electronic Health Records and claims-processing system, CAFAS/PECFAS child and adolescent assessment tools, and provider performance scorecards/dashboards. The agency certifies and contracts with a network of more than 50 community-based mental health providers and 35 substance use disorder providers to deliver outpatient services. Saint Elizabeths Hospital operates on an all-inclusive per diem rate of $1,236-$1,545 with a sliding-fee scale based on federal poverty guidelines; most community services are provided at no cost to eligible residents.

DBH's business model is government-funded rather than commercial. Revenue streams comprise the District of Columbia annual budget appropriation, federal SAMHSA Community Mental Health Services and SUPTRS Block Grants (two-year award periods), and Medicaid/1115 Behavioral Health Transformation Demonstration waiver reimbursements. The agency is led by Director Barbara J. Bazron, PhD, appointed by Mayor Muriel Bowser, with Mark J. Chastang serving as Executive Director of Saint Elizabeths Hospital. The sole customer segment is DC residents accessing public behavioral health services; the agency holds no commercial customers and operates exclusively within the District of Columbia.

Name

DC Department of Employment Services

Legal name

District of Columbia Department of Behavioral Health

Website

https://dbh.dc.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1855

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The DC Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) is the District of Columbia's public behavioral health authority, operating Saint Elizabeths Hospital, 24/7 crisis services, and a certified network of 50+ community-based providers to deliver mental health and substance use disorder treatment to DC residents across all eight wards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Behavioral Health Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals (62221), Ambulatory Health Care Services (621)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093), Services-General Medical & Surgical Hospitals, Nec (8062)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) & Public Behavioral Health Providers (HLAFACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Crisis Stabilization Units & Psychiatric Emergency Services (HLAFACAH), Outpatient Mental Health Clinics & Counseling Centers (HLAFACAA), Residential Mental Health Treatment Centers (HLAFACAC), Behavioral Health Crisis Services Management (988/Hotlines/Mobile Crisis Coordination) (HLAEAHAK)

Keywords

• Behavioral health services
• Mental health treatment
• Substance use disorder services
• Psychiatric crisis intervention
• Public health services

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Gatos

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Block Grants: DBH receives Community Mental Health Services (MH) Block Grant and Substance Use Prevention, Treatment and Recovery (SUPTRS) Block Grants from SAMHSA. These two-year grants fund agency programs and community-based organizations to improve behavioral health services quality.
2. Medicaid/1115 Waiver: The 1115 Behavioral Health Transformation Demonstration Project brings additional Medicaid funding for inpatient care, recovery support, and peer services. DBH serves Medicaid-eligible adults, children, and youth through the public behavioral health system.
3. DC Government Budget: Funded through the District of Columbia government's annual budget allocation to operate Saint Elizabeths Hospital, community-based services, crisis intervention, and prevention programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The agency operates the District of Columbia's public behavioral health system, providing prevention, intervention, and treatment services for mental health and substance use disorders. Service delivery combines Saint Elizabeths Hospital inpatient care, a 24/7 Access HelpLine, the DC Stabilization Center for SUD crisis, a Community Response Team for mobile crisis and homeless outreach, school-based behavioral health programs, and a certified network of community-based providers operating across all eight DC wards.

Product overview

The DC Department of Behavioral Health is a government agency (not a technology product company) that operates a comprehensive behavioral health system. It provides mental health and substance use disorder services through multiple integrated channels: (1) Saint Elizabeths Hospital - the District's inpatient psychiatric facility; (2) Access HelpLine - 24/7 crisis hotline; (3) Community Response Team - mobile crisis and homeless outreach; (4) DC Stabilization Center - substance use crisis care; (5) Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program; (6) School Behavioral Health Program; (7) Adult Services; (8) Children, Youth and Family Services; (9) Substance Use Disorder Services with provider certification network; (10) Naloxone Distribution Program; (11) DBH Training Institute; and (12) Behavioral Health Services Block Grants administration. Services are delivered through community-based providers and unique government-delivered services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LIVE.LONG.DC: District's plan to reduce opioid use, misuse and related deaths through prevention, harm reduction strategies, treatment, and recovery supports
• Community Response Team (CRT)
• Naloxone Distribution Program

Products and services

• Saint Elizabeths Hospital District's public psychiatric facility located in a 450,000 square foot state-of-the-art campus east of the Anacostia River, providing intensive inpatient care and court-ordered mental health evaluations for individuals with serious and persistent mental illness.
• Access HelpLine 24-hour, seven-day-a-week telephone helpline staffed by behavioral health professionals who refer callers to immediate help, ongoing care, and activate mobile crisis teams.
• Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP) 24/7 emergency psychiatric services at 1905 E Street SE with extended observation beds for individuals aged 18 and older.
• DC Stabilization Center 24/7 safe place for adults experiencing substance use disorder crisis to receive immediate support.
• Community Response Team (CRT) 24-7 multidisciplinary mobile direct-service team providing homeless outreach, mobile crisis response, and pre-arrest diversion services to individuals experiencing behavioral health emergencies.
• Adult Services (Mental Health Rehabilitation Services) Behavioral health services for adults including diagnostic/assessment, counseling, medication, intensive day treatment, crisis/emergency services, and support through the Mental Health Rehabilitation Services (MHRS) system.
• Children, Youth and Family Services Prevention, early identification, and community-based treatment services for children and youth with emotional and behavioral needs, including family therapy, school-based services, and trauma treatment.
• School Behavioral Health Program School-based program offering prevention, early intervention, and clinical services to youth and families through DBH clinicians embedded in DCPS and public charter schools.
• Substance Use Disorder Services and Provider Network Certification and oversight of a network of 35+ community-based SUD providers delivering detoxification, residential, outpatient, prevention, and recovery services across the District.
• Naloxone Distribution Program Makes naloxone widely available at pharmacies, vending machines, community sites, and via home-delivery request in all 8 DC wards to reverse opioid-related overdoses.
• Homeless Services Crisis assessment, housing placement, treatment engagement, and extreme weather support for homeless adults 18+ with mental health conditions or substance use disorders.
• DBH Training Institute Continuing education and skill development for DBH workforce, consumers, community members, and providers through a structured learning environment.
• Behavioral Health Services Block Grants Administration Administration of Community Mental Health Services (MH) and Substance Use Prevention, Treatment and Recovery (SUPTRS) Block Grants from SAMHSA, which fund agency programs and certified community-based organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Juvenile Behavioral Diversion Court participants show 11% re-arrest rate vs 40% on regular court calendars and 60% nationally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Washington Metropolitan Police Department (MPD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Established the Crisis Intervention Officer (CIO) program in 2009. MPD patrol officers receive 40-hour training on mental illness signs and symptoms and de-escalation techniques. About 100 officers are trained each year with goals of diverting individuals to mental health services and reducing injuries.
• NAMI DC (National Alliance on Mental Illness)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Partner in the Crisis Intervention Officer (CIO) program providing expertise in mental health awareness and advocacy to support officer training and community diversion efforts.
• George Washington University - Milken Institute School of Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDBH partners with the Center for Health and Health Care in Schools (CHHCS) at GWU to support the DC School Behavioral Health Community of Practice. The partnership engages school professionals, community leaders, and clinicians to implement comprehensive school behavioral health services across DC public and public charter schools.
• DC Office of Contracting and Procurement (OCP)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOCP provides contracting services for DBH under the authority of the Chief Procurement Officer. OCP manages procurement of goods and services including the contracting process for community-based behavioral health providers.
• DC Public Schools (DCPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDBH operates school-based mental health services in DCPS and public charter schools providing prevention, early intervention, and clinical services to youth and families through on-site clinicians.
• Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSSE partners with DBH through the ARROW program (Advancing the Recruitment and Retention of Our Workforce) to support the School Behavioral Health Community of Practice and workforce development.
• DC Superior CourtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDBH operates an urgent care clinic at the Moultrie Courthouse for court defendants who may have behavioral illness. The partnership includes the Assessment Center conducting court-ordered assessments for family court involving child welfare, juvenile justice forensics, and domestic relations.
• Certified Community-Based ProviderscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDBH contracts with community-based providers to deliver mental health and substance use disorder services. Providers must be certified by DBH to ensure conformity with federal and District regulations. The network includes 50+ organizations across all DC wards.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health: LA County's public behavioral health authority — directly comparable as a county-level government operator of inpatient psychiatry, outpatient mental health, crisis services, and a large certified provider network. It is the closest structural analogue in scale and mandate to DC DBH.
• NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: New York City's public health and mental hygiene authority, operating behavioral health crisis, outpatient, and jail-based services. Comparable as a large municipal government behavioral health system with similar Thrive/988-style crisis infrastructure.
• Maryland Behavioral Health Administration: Maryland's state behavioral health authority — directly comparable as a government behavioral health payer-and-regulator overseeing block-grant-funded public mental health and SUD services. Note DBH Director Barbara Bazron previously served as Deputy Secretary here, reinforcing the structural comparability.
• Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS): Philadelphia's combined behavioral health and ID services authority, a publicly operated system contracting with community providers and running crisis services. Directly comparable in role (public behavioral health authority) and in the use of managed-care-style contracting for community providers.
• San Francisco Department of Public Health — Behavioral Health Services: San Francisco's public health department operates the city's behavioral health services, including psychiatric emergency, inpatient, and contracted community care. Comparable as a city/county government operator running the same continuum of behavioral health services as DC DBH.
• Chicago Department of Public Health: Chicago's public health authority, including mental health and substance use programs. A comparable municipal government behavioral health operator with crisis, outpatient, and contracted provider network structure.

Broad incumbents

• Acadia Healthcare: One of the largest pure-play operators of behavioral health inpatient and residential facilities in the U.S. Comparable to DBH because Saint Elizabeths Hospital sits in the same psychiatric inpatient service category, though Acadia is a for-profit commercial operator rather than a public authority.
• Universal Health Services (Behavioral Health segment): UHS operates one of the largest networks of acute psychiatric and behavioral health hospitals in the U.S. Comparable to DBH on inpatient psychiatric infrastructure; differs in being a diversified for-profit health system rather than a single-jurisdiction public authority.
• Centene Corporation: Centene is the largest Medicaid managed-care insurer and a major behavioral-health payer. Comparable to DBH because both sit on opposite sides of the same Medicaid behavioral-health payment flow, and Centene subsidiaries frequently contract with public behavioral health systems like DBH's certified provider network.

Emerging players

• Carelon Behavioral Health (formerly Beacon Health Options): Carelon Behavioral Health is a managed behavioral health organization serving Medicaid and commercial populations. Comparable to DBH because both administer behavioral-health benefits and provider networks, though Carelon is a private MBHO while DBH is a public authority that both regulates and operates services directly.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/DBHRecoversDC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dc-department-of-employment-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DC Department of Employment Services