Mission
Serving, empowering, and supporting Missourians to live their best lives
Vision
Missourians are safe, valued and supported community members.
Core Values
- Accountability
- Collaboration
- Empathy
- Excellence
- Inclusion
- Innovation
- Responsiveness
- Transparency
Guiding Principles
- Safety is central to a person’s physical, mental and emotional well-being. DMH fosters safe environments for individuals and staff by modeling and encouraging safe and healthy behaviors and practices.
- Every person has value and should be respected. DMH upholds personal dignity and allows for individual choice and control whenever safely possible.
- Evidence-based practices are key to success. DMH adopts evidence-based or emerging best practices across all programs.
- Data and performance will drive decisions. DMH collects, analyzes, shares and uses data to inform decisions, policies, programs and practices.
- Department Overview
The Missouri Department of Mental Health (DMH) was created as a cabinet-level state agency by the Omnibus State Government Reorganization Act on July 1, 1974. State law provides three main responsibilities for the department: (1) the prevention of mental disorders, developmental disabilities, substance misuse, and compulsive gambling; (2) the treatment, habilitation, and rehabilitation of Missourians who have those conditions; and (3) the improvement of public understanding and attitudes about mental disorders, developmental disabilities, substance misuse, and compulsive gambling. These responsibilities are outlined in Section 37(a) of the Missouri Constitution.
The Department has three divisions:
- Division of Behavioral Health
- Division of Developmental Disabilities
- Division of Administrative Services
The Governor appoints the seven-member Missouri Mental Health Commission. The commissioners serve as policy advisors for the department director.
- Department Responsibilities
DMH manages, treats, and prevents intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental illness, and substance use disorders. It also works to improve public understanding and inclusion for people living with developmental disabilities, mental illness, and substance use disorder.
DMH serves as Missouri’s mental health authority. The department creates policies and standards of care; oversees programs and services delivered by contracted community providers; and provides direct services to individuals. DMH direct services include assuring the health and safety of individuals, treatment and habilitation, community involvement, and recovery supports.The DMH system provides essential services to Missourians living with intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental illness, and substance use disorders. This includes in-home services, community-based services, and in-patient care. Most services are delivered through partnerships with local community providers. In addition, DMH operates 12 state habilitation centers and behavioral health hospitals across 15 locations.
- Impact Across Missouri
DMH impacts all Missourians and communities through education and prevention efforts. Each year, the department serves approximately 170,000 Missourians through state-operated facilities and contracts with private organizations and individuals.
DMH manages approximately 1,300 annual contracts with privately operated programs statewide.
- DMH History
Department of Mental Health History
State Operated Psychiatric Hospitals and Facilities History
- Operational Excellence
DMH Operational Excellence, or OpEx, is about defining goals, measuring progress, and communicating results to better serve, empower, and support Missourians to live their best lives.