Per a 2010 settlement with the Department of Justice to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) agreed to expand community services for adults with mental health conditions and developmental disabilities, and to create a department-wide quality management program.

At the end of the settlement period, DBHDD contracted with the Georgia Health Policy Center (GHPC) to evaluate the extent to which access to behavioral health services and health indicators changed for individuals transitioning out of state hospitals and into integrated community settings. Additionally, DBHDD requested a broad assessment of how the entire behavioral health system has changed since the settlement. GHPC used a mixed methods approach including document review; key‐informant interviews with patients, providers, and agency experts; and analyses of both program and administrative claims data to address these questions.

Behavioral Health

Research & Evaluation