Our Story
For more than 25 years, Community Behavioral Health has been expanding access to mental health services for Philadelphians. Explore our stories of progress, partnership, and community as we advance our vision of a healthy, thriving Philadelphia.
Our Mission ▸
Our VALUES ▸
Our TIMELINE ▸
OUR STORIES ▸
OUR MISSION
Access. Quality. Accountability.
CBH provides access to high-quality, accountable care to improve the health and mental wellness of our members.
OUR VALUES
We Care.
We value and appreciate our staff and service providers, believing that a healthy, happy workforce creates healthy, happy members. We show our appreciation regularly and listen to concerns. We also care deeply for the overall health of Philadelphians, knowing that a vibrant, thriving, resilient city hinges upon healthy citizens.
We Empower.
We are here for our employees, members, and partners. We are open and transparent, encouraging dialogue and fostering growth so we can all be our best, healthiest selves.
We Connect.
We’re updating our processes and technology to better serve our community and communicate more effectively and efficiently. We cultivate two-way communication, sharing our appreciation for our staff and welcoming feedback from them.
We Lead.
Behavioral and mental wellness is our passion, and we are experts in the field. We have been serving the Philadelphia community since 1997, and we know the industry. We cultivate close working relationships with our partners, who are also leaders in the mental health field. We are open to change and innovation to ensure the highest standard of care for all.
OUR VISION
Leading innovation in whole-person care for healthy, thriving communities.
OUR STORIES
EPIC – Offering Innovative Solutions for Better Care
Established in 2013, the Evidence-Based Practice and Innovation Center (EPIC) was created to advance system-wide strategies that support the implementation, sustainability, and accessibility of behavioral health evidence-based practices (EBPs) in Philadelphia.
CHC – Providing Support to Those Most at Need
The CHC Team works with CBH in-network providers, nursing homes, home health agencies, and senior living agencies to bring behavioral health services to CHC members directly in their homes and other residential settings who are physically unable to access standard outpatient services.
IBHS – Partnering with Schools for a Brighter Tomorrow
CBH covers the cost of IBHS, a system of services designed to meet the therapeutic needs of students. IBHS offers individual, group, and family therapy, level-of-care assessments, in-classroom behavioral support, teacher consultations, and other services in members’ schools, homes, and communities.
OUR TIMELINE
A Legacy of Caring
Origins (1980s)
Founding (1997)
Present Day
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Mid-1980s
Research on managed care lays the groundwork for CBH.
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October 1986
Philadelphia receives a $13 million grant for long-term mental healthcare from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
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1987
An investigation uncovers terrible conditions at Byberry, the Philadelphia State Hospital, underscoring the need for an evolution in managed behavioral healthcare.
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1990
Byberry closes. Estelle Richman and Sandy Vasko, key figures in the story of CBH’s founding, both assist with the process of deinstitutionalization.
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1994
Pennsylvania announces plans to privatize the management of Medicaid. Activists fight for a “carve-out” on behavioral health, supported by a blue-ribbon commission in 1996.
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1994
CBH is incorporated, though we won’t open for business until 1997. Pat Bass serves as our first executive director.
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1996
Pennsylvania officially awards CBH contracts to administer mental and behavioral health for Medicaid recipients.
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1997
On Feb. 1, CBH opens for business with phones ringing off the hook.
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1997
CBH funds services for 48,000 members in our first year.
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2000
Nancy Lucas becomes chief executive of CBH.
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2003
CBH launches a school-based behavioral health program.
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2005
CBH launches Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI), a pay-for-performance system to elevate standards and quality of care.
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2007
At the 10-year mark, CBH doubles our number of members served.
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2013
Joan Erney becomes chief executive of CBH in February.
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2013
EPIC, the Evidence-based Practice and Innovation Center, is launched.
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2015
Pennsylvania expands Medicaid, bringing new members into the CBH fold.
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2020
The COVID-19 pandemic redefines the need for and shape of behavioral healthcare. CBH maintains access to much-needed services in Philadelphia.
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2020
Dr. Faith Dyson-Washington becomes the new CEO of CBH.
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2022
CBH celebrates 25 years of being Philadelphia’s key to mental wellness. Since 1997, we have ensured that more than 500,000 Philadelphians have had access to mental health treatment.
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2023
The first CBH members are admitted to the Philadelphia Model program.
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2024
Donna E.M. Bailey is appointed CEO by Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker.
