The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) is the state agency that focuses solely on policies, programs, and services for people with severe and persistent mental illness, substance use disorders, and developmental and intellectual disabilities.
Created by the Governor and the General Assembly in 2009, DBHDD began operations on July 1st, 2009. We are responsible for most of the activities that were undertaken by the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Addictive Diseases, which was part of the former Department of Human Resources.
With nearly 7,000 employees, DBHDD is structured in three divisions by disability area: Mental Health, Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities, and Addictive Diseases.
DBHDD operates five regional and state hospitals located in Atlanta, Milledgeville, Augusta, Columbus, and Savannah. The hospitals offer different services based on the populations they serve and the capacity of community providers. These hospitals provide a spectrum of care from 23-hour observation through residential services.
