The St. Louis Department of Health has announced the launch of a new Office of Behavioral Health

Today, the St. Louis Department of Health announced the start of a new Office of Behavioral Health Focusing on mental health and substance use treatment. Funded through a combination of state funds and the city’s Budget 23 budget, the new office will help connect St. Louisans to much-needed care and resources to improve health outcomes and improve public safety in our communities.

Mayor Tishaura O. “The Office of Behavioral Health, funded this year by the city, is part of St. Louis’ commitment to expanding access to mental health care and other critical services,” Jones said. “This new office will help our city address the root causes of crime, such as substance abuse, and help St. Louisans get the support they need before it leads to a crisis or emergency room visit. This is an important step in addressing drug abuse and mental health issues, which are regional in scope and require regional solutions.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the incidence of mental health and substance use disorders has increased by 13% globally in the past decade. One in five (21%) adults in the US live with dementia (52.9 million in 2020). The city of St. Louis has the highest rate of mental health-related emergency room visits in all age groups compared to St. Louis County and the state of Missouri.

“Knowing that mental health and substance use disorders in our community are above national and state averages and have been steadily increasing over the past few years, we have a responsibility to take action,” said Dr. Matti Hlatshwayo Davis, Director of Health for the City of St. Louis. “Our goal in addressing this public health crisis is to be informed and to ensure that effective interventions are in place to help our communities reach a healthier state.”

The City of St. Louis Health Department prioritizes behavioral health as part of its overall public health approach. The objectives of the new office include:

• Identify all community partners and create space for participation, collaboration and support.
• Develop new ways to share information and materials to address behavioral health issues facing the city and the St. Louis region as a whole.
• Collaborative planning to enhance behavioral health initiatives for urban youth.
• Bringing together stakeholders and partners to address substance use and abuse in the City of St. Louis through strategic planning, prevention work, and integrated treatment and recovery efforts.

“The Department of Public Safety is committed to the safety of our residents and visitors to St. Louis,” said Daniel Isom, Interim Director of the City of St. Louis Department of Public Safety. Through strong partnerships with the City Health Department and the newly established Office of Behavioral Health, we will continue to develop new strategies to address the needs of our community.