The Georgia Strategic Prevention System (GASPS) Data Warehouse is an innovative online repository containing information on behavioral health issues, their consequences, and related social indicators.
The Data Warehouse is a one stop shop for gathering state- and county-level data, as well as other national or external resources, related to substance abuse prevention, suicide prevention, and mental health promotion. The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities' (DBHDD) Office of Behavioral Health Prevention and Federal Grants has contracted with The University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government to develop and house the GASPS Data Warehouse.
About DBHDD-OBHPFG
Created by the Governor and General Assembly in 2009, the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) and its network of community providers offer treatment and support services to help people with behavioral health challenges achieve recovery by focusing on their strengths. Through uniquely tailored supports and services, we help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities attain independence and lead meaningful and fulfilling lives.
DBHDD operates state hospitals and provides for community-based services across the state through contracted providers. The department serves people living with mental health challenges, substance use disorders, intellectual and developmental disabilities, or any combination of these. As Georgia's public safety net, our primary responsibility is to serve people who are uninsured. We also serve individuals on Medicaid and others with few resources or options. Our program divisions are: Behavioral Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Hospital Services.
Mission
Leading an accountable and effective continuum of care to support Georgians with behavioral health challenges, and intellectual and developmental disabilities in a dynamic health care environment.
Vision
Easy access to high-quality care that leads to a life of recovery and independence for the people we serve.
Within DBHDD, the Office of Behavioral Health Prevention and Federal Grants (OBHPFG) is charged with providing prevention leadership, strategic planning, and services to improve the mental/emotional well-being of communities, families, and individuals in Georgia.
The OBHPFG develops and contracts for prevention services across the state specifically designed to reduce the risks and increase protective factors linked to substance abuse-related problem behaviors, suicide, and mental health promotion.
The OBHPFG is working to align and promote Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, and Suicide Prevention, which will support the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities across Georgia.
History of OBHPFG
In 2006, the predecessor of OBHPFG, called the Office of Prevention Service Programs (OPSP), adopted the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF), which was introduced through a State Incentive Planning Grant (SIPG) from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). With that grant, the OPSP evolved and expanded its use of SPF and of evidence-based programs, moved toward a population-based public health approach, and incorporated evaluation across most substance abuse block grant activities. The OPSP also enhanced its infrastructure by formally establishing a community advisory council and a state epidemiology outcomes workgroup to provide input to the state's prevention direction and activities. It began reporting on National Outcomes Measures (NOMs) in addition to process and service delivery data. The first intensive statewide needs assessment with county profiles was conducted and published as the March 2006 Social Indicator Study (SIS). The SIS data were used to assist with selecting, prioritizing, and planning prevention efforts.
In 2015, the OBHP took shape from a reorganization within DBHDD. Treatment and prevention were split into separate offices. The OPSP became the OBHP, and its responsibilities were expanded to include oversight and delivery of state suicide prevention and mental health promotion efforts in addition to substance abuse prevention. The OBHP has continued to incorporate the SPF approach and to use theory and evidence-based strategies across its expanded scopes of work. Additionally, the OBHP has evolved its tracking and evaluation of service delivery process data to include outcome data to assist and inform state prevention decision-making processes.
In 2019, the OBHP became the Office of Behavioral Health Prevention and Federal Grants as the OBHP was blended with the Office of Federal Grants within DBHDD.
About SPF
The OBHPFG uses the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF), SAMHSA's five-step planning process that guides the planning, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based, culturally appropriate, and sustainable prevention activities. The OBHPFG also uses a Public Health approach to implement evidence-based strategies within local communities to achieve positive state-level outcomes.
The steps of the SPF include:
- Step 1:
- Assess Needs: What is the problem, and how can I learn more?
- Step 2:
- Build Capacity: What do I have to work with?
- Step 3:
- Plan: What should I do and how should I do it?
- Step 4:
- Implement: How can I put my plan into action?
- Step 5:
- Evaluate: Is my plan succeeding?
The SPF also includes two guiding principles:
- Cultural competence:
- The ability to interact effectively with members of diverse population
- Sustainability:
- The process of achieving and maintaining long-term results