Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities

Name

Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities

Legal name

Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities

Website

https://dbhdd.georgia.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Behavioral Health Services

NAICS

Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals (622210), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (62321), Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420)

SIC

Services-Hospitals (8060), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Behavioral health services
• Developmental disability services
• Mental health treatment
• Substance abuse treatment
• Forensic mental health

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. State General Fund Appropriations: DBHDD is funded primarily through Georgia state government appropriations for behavioral health and developmental disability services.
2. Medicaid Waivers (NOW and COMP): Services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are funded via state dollars and two Medicaid waivers: New Options Waiver (NOW) for individuals remaining in family homes or living independently, and Comprehensive Waiver (COMP) for individuals with more intensive needs primarily in residential care.
3. Federal Grants (SAMHSA): Federal funding from Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration including State Targeted Response (STR) grants for opioid crisis ($11.8 million in first year).
4. Medicaid Billing for CCBHC Services: Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) eligible to bill Medicaid for comprehensive mental health and substance use disorder services as of January 1, 2026.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

DBHDD operates as a state government agency providing behavioral health and developmental disability services to Georgia residents. The core offerings include a three-tiered community behavioral health provider system, intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) services funded through NOW and COMP Medicaid waivers, five state hospitals providing inpatient mental health and forensic services, and a comprehensive crisis response system anchored by the 988/GCAL crisis line.

Product overview

DBHDD provides a comprehensive, multi-service platform for behavioral health and developmental disability services in Georgia. The core offerings include: Behavioral Health Services (three-tiered provider system), Intellectual and Developmental Disability Services (NOW/COMP Medicaid waivers), and Hospital Services (five state hospitals). Key crisis services include the 988/GCAL crisis line system, Mobile Crisis Teams, Crisis Stabilization Units, and Behavioral Health Crisis Centers. Technology platforms include IDD Connects (web-based case management) and PIMS+ (provider inquiry management). The system serves adults and youth across mental health, substance abuse, IDD, forensic, and deaf services with regional field offices and community-based provider networks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Behavioral Health Services Three-tiered community behavioral health service system: Tier 1 Comprehensive Community Providers (community service boards serving as the public safety net), Tier 2 Community Medicaid Providers, and Tier 3 Specialty Providers. Services include mental health treatment, substance abuse treatment, and recovery support for Georgia residents.
• Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD) Services Comprehensive services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities including NOW and COMP Medicaid waivers, support coordination, in-home and out-of-home services, employment support, residential care, and community integration programs.
• Hospital Services Inpatient mental health and forensic services through five state hospitals: Central State Hospital (Milledgeville), East Central Regional Hospital (Augusta/Gracewood), Georgia Regional Hospital-Atlanta, Georgia Regional Hospital-Savannah, and West Central Georgia Regional Hospital (Columbus).
• Crisis Services System Comprehensive 24/7 crisis response system including the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, Georgia Crisis and Access Line (GCAL), Mobile Crisis Team Services, Crisis Stabilization Units, Behavioral Health Crisis Centers, and peer support services.
• Forensic Services Court-ordered competency evaluations, inpatient restoration treatment for individuals found incompetent to stand trial (IST) or Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (NGRI), outpatient competency restoration, and community monitoring per state court jurisdiction.
• Jail Restoration Center 32-bed restoration to competency program in Eastman, Georgia for individuals found incompetent to stand trial, providing individualized treatment with expert care teams in Dodge County.
• Deaf Services ASL Behavioral Health Clinical Support Services statewide through partner Avita, including intensive residential treatment for deaf and hard of hearing individuals with substance use disorders via Caring Works, Inc., plus regional interpreter coordination across six regions.
• Opioid Response Program State opioid authority oversight including naloxone distribution, medication-assisted treatment, recovery coaching, Addiction Recovery Support Centers ($4M state funding), and HIV prevention services across 28 addiction treatment centers and 4 private opioid treatment clinics.
• HIV Early Intervention Services Network of 165 nurses and counselors in 28 DBHDD/SAMHSA-funded addiction treatment centers and 4 private opioid treatment clinics providing free HIV prevention education, counseling, testing, and referrals statewide.
• DUI Intervention Program Registry and treatment program for DUI offenders including clinical evaluator and treatment provider search through the MOPAS system.
• Transitional Housing Community Integration Homes (11 residences statewide) and Forensic Apartments in Albany, Athens, Savannah, and Valdosta for individuals transitioning from forensic programs into community living.
• Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) Comprehensive mental health and substance use disorder services with nine required service types including 24/7 crisis care, care coordination, and peer/family support. Three certified GA-CCBHCs as of January 2026 with nine CSBs implementing the model.
• IDD Connects Web-based IDD Case Management system enabling application submission and tracking, service utilization monitoring, and documentation management. Accessed through ProviderConnect portal 24/7 for intellectual and developmental disability services.
• PIMS+ (Provider Inquiry Management System Plus) Modern secure platform for DBHDD-enrolled and contracted providers to submit and manage inquiries, upload documents, track status updates, and message directly with DBHDD support.

Quantifiable outcome

• 312 first responders trained in naloxone administration with 424 kits distributed in year 1 of STR grant
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Carelon (formerly Beacon Health Options)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivate-sector partner operating the Georgia Crisis and Access Line (GCAL), which serves as the home of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in Georgia. Carelon provides crisis intervention services, mobile crisis team dispatch, and bed finding coordination 24/7/365.
• AvitacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity-based partner providing ASL Behavioral Health Clinical Support Services statewide for access to American Sign Language services through the Deaf Services program.
• Caring Works, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContract partner providing ASAM Level III.5 Intensive Residential Treatment services for deaf and hard of hearing individuals with substance use disorders. Program staffed by ASL Fluent individuals clinically prepared to provide treatment.
• Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA) - Division Deaf ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partnership providing vocational rehabilitation services specifically designed for deaf and hard of hearing individuals.
• Georgia Center for the Deaf or Hard of Hearing (GCDHH)minorOthersState resource center providing services and advocacy for deaf and hard of hearing individuals in Georgia.
• Georgia Commission for the Deaf or Hard of HearingminorOthersState commission under the Department of Human Services focused on language access and services for deaf and hard of hearing individuals.
• University of New Hampshire - Center for START ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational initiative providing educational and capacity-building services, promotes evidence-informed practices, and facilitates START (Systemic, Therapeutic, Assessment, Resources, and Treatment) model implementation to improve lives of individuals with IDD and behavioral health needs.
• IntellectAbilitycoreTechnology or IntegrationCollaborated with DBHDD Office of Health & Wellness to develop Health Care Plans (HCPs) that can be generated through the Health Risk Screening Tool (HRST) system, covering multiple body systems and medical conditions.
• Georgia Department of Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint collaboration on opioid crisis response with jointly funded position and participation in Statewide Opioid Taskforce launched by Attorney General Carr in October 2017.
• Department of Community Health (DCH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partner in Statewide Opioid Taskforce and opioid response strategic planning. Also coordinates on Medicaid waiver programs for IDD services.
• Georgia Attorney General's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched Statewide Opioid Taskforce in October 2017 and jointly hosted working meeting in December 2017 with DBHDD, DCH, and DPH to develop Georgia's opioid strategic plan.
• SAMHSA (Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency providing funding through State Targeted Response (STR) grants for opioid crisis ($11.8 million in first year) and supporting 28 addiction treatment centers through block grants.
• Community Service BoardscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTier 1 providers serving as the public safety net for behavioral health services, offering core benefit packages and specialty services. Include Advantage Behavioral Health Systems, New Horizons Behavioral Health, River Edge Behavioral Health, and others implementing CCBHC model.
• HIV Early Intervention Services (EIS) NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 165 nurses and counselors based in 28 DBHDD/SAMHSA-funded addiction treatment centers and 4 private opioid treatment clinics providing HIV prevention education, counseling, testing, and referrals statewide.
• Community Living Arrangement (CLA) ProviderscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApproved community agency providers contracted with host home providers for Community Residential Alternative (CRA) services serving individuals with developmental disabilities in private residences.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Acadia Healthcare: Leading operator of psychiatric inpatient facilities and residential treatment centers across the U.S. Comparable to DBHDD's hospital services portfolio (5 state psychiatric hospitals) though operating commercially rather than as a public agency.
• Universal Health Services: Large hospital system with a significant behavioral health division operating psychiatric facilities. Comparable to DBHDD's inpatient psychiatric hospital operations but with a broader portfolio including acute care hospitals.
• Magellan Health: Managed behavioral health care company serving Medicaid and commercial populations. Comparable to DBHDD in administering behavioral health benefits and provider networks, though operating commercially across multiple states.
• Centene Corporation: Largest Medicaid managed care insurer in the U.S., administering behavioral health and IDD benefits through state Medicaid contracts. Comparable to DBHDD's Medicaid waiver administration role (NOW/COMP) though operating as a private managed care organization.
• Carelon Behavioral Health: Formerly Beacon Health Options; behavioral health managed care organization. Directly comparable to DBHDD as Carelon operates Georgia's GCAL crisis line under contract and manages the state's behavioral health administrative services organization.

Direct peers

• Florida Department of Children and Families: Florida's state agency responsible for behavioral health and substance abuse services. Directly comparable to DBHDD as a state-level public behavioral health authority managing community providers and statewide crisis response.
• California Department of Health Care Services: California's state agency administering behavioral health, Medi-Cal, and developmental services. Comparable to DBHDD in its role as a state-level authority overseeing inpatient facilities, Medicaid-funded community services, and IDD programs.
• Texas Health and Human Services Commission: Texas's state health and human services agency overseeing behavioral health and IDD services. Comparable to DBHDD as a state authority operating inpatient psychiatric facilities and managing a Medicaid waiver-based community services system.
• New York State Office of Mental Health: New York's state government agency operating psychiatric hospitals and community behavioral health services. Directly comparable to DBHDD as another statewide public behavioral health authority with inpatient hospitals and a community provider network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dbhdd
• Facebookfacebook.com/GeorgiaDBHDD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/georgia-department-of-behavioral-health-and-developmental-disabilities

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities