New Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery Launches
Governor JB Pritzker announced that the newly formed Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery (DBHR) has officially begun operations. Housed in the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), the new division integrates the former IDHS Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (SUPR) and Division of Mental Health (DMH). Governor Pritzker signed an Executive Order February 2025 instituting the change to improve outcomes and access to behavioral health care and to streamline and reduce administrative burdens for providers. The executive action went through the legislative process and became law. One primary goal of the integrated DBHR is to streamline care for patients who have complex and co-occurring needs. According to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, one in four people who experience a severe mental illness and 32 percent of people receiving inpatient psychiatric care also have a substance use disorder. Additionally, half of people receiving inpatient care for substance use disorder also have a psychiatric disorder. The new DBHR will continue to deliver inpatient, outpatient, and community-based substance use disorder and mental health services across Illinois through a broad network of state-operated facilities and community partners.