CBH CEO Dr. Faith Dyson-Washington Appointed to Behavioral Health Commission for Adult Mental Health
PHILADELPHIA, PA – August 12, 2022 – Community Behavioral Health (CBH) announced that CEO Dr. Faith Dyson-Washington has been appointed by Governor Tom Wolf to serve on the Behavioral Health Commission for Adult Mental Health.
Recently created as part of Pennsylvania’s 2022-2023 state budget as Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced, the commission is charged with utilizing $100 million in funding to improve the delivery of mental health services across the state. The commission will be comprised of 25 behavioral health leaders and experts who represent a diverse array of communities and professions, including rural communities, urban communities, behavioral health managed care organizations, law enforcement, and healthcare practitioners.
“I am honored to have been appointed to Pennsylvania’s Behavioral Health Commission for Adult Mental Health,” said Dr. Dyson-Washington. “This commission will be instrumental in helping to address the health inequities and barriers that prevent Pennsylvanians from all communities and backgrounds from receiving the behavioral health care they need, when and where they need it.”
Dr. Dyson-Washington is a respected leader in behavioral health renowned for her work to help end health disparities and improve health outcomes for communities that have been marginalized. As the first African American woman to hold the position of CEO at CBH since the organization officially opened its doors in 1997, she has employed her extensive clinical experience and innovative vision to help broaden access to high-quality, person-centered care for Philadelphia’s Medicaid recipients.
The commission will allocate the funding to develop and strengthen a comprehensive range of programs and strategies around behavioral and mental health care, including:
- Delivery of services by telemedicine;
- Behavioral health rates, network adequacy, and mental health payment parity;
- Workforce development and retention;
- Expansion of certified peer support specialist services and peer-run services;
- Development and provision of crisis services;
- Integration of behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment;
- Cultural competencies when providing behavioral health care;
- Impact of social determinants of health on behavioral health;
- The intersection of behavioral health and the criminal justice system; and
- Integrating care that can deliver timely psychiatric care in a primary care setting.
About CBH
CBH is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) corporation contracted by the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services to manage the delivery of behavioral health services for Medicaid recipients of Philadelphia County. For more information about CBH, visit cbhphilly.org.
