Strengthening Behavioral Health Care in the District of Columbia Through Performance Reporting
This summer the District of Columbia (DC) Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) released its fiscal year (FY) 2023 report, Measuring Provider Performance: Building a stronger system of behavioral health care. Now in its fourth year, this effort tracks and publicly reports data on the performance of the District’s behavioral health providers — allowing stakeholders to better understand systemwide strengths and areas for improvement.
The report includes data from 66 DBH-certified, community-based providers that deliver mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) services, summarizing provider-level performance and overall performance across ten key performance indicators (KPIs) related to behavioral health access, care transitions, satisfaction, and outcomes. It also illustrates how performance has changed over time at both the overall and provider KPI levels.
Public reporting of performance provides a critical foundation for building a stronger behavioral health system. By tracking performance over time and highlighting variation in provider-level performance, DBH can identify strengths, direct resources where they are most needed, support targeted quality improvement efforts, and ensure that behavioral health care is timely, person-centered, and effective.
Implication of FY 2023 Findings
The findings from the FY 2023 report offer a nuanced picture of how D.C.’s behavioral health system is performing across key areas such as timely access, care transitions, and consumer/client experience. Notably, the data show high performance in timely access to mental health care and low re-entry rates into SUD services, implying that many individuals are receiving care that meets their immediate needs. There were also measurable improvements in certain care transitions, including step-downs from residential SUD treatment, suggesting growing capacity for coordinated care.
At the same time, declines in indicators like retention in medication-assisted treatment and behavioral health satisfaction underscore how sustaining engagement and ensuring high-quality experience remain challenges. These shifts point to the importance of continued focus on person-centered care and system responsiveness.
Taken together, these results reflect the complexities of strengthening behavioral health systems. They also illustrate the value of transparent, consistent performance reporting to enable system leaders, providers, and communities to monitor progress, identify areas for targeted support, and ensure accountability to the people served.
Aurrera Health is proud to support DBH’s commitment to accountability through development and refinement of the Measuring Provider Performance report and applaud DBH’s investment in building a culture of transparency and data-driven improvement. If you are interested in advancing quality improvement efforts using data to strengthen care delivery and make meaningful, measurable impacts, reach out to Megan Thomas to learn more about how we can help.
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DBH Measuring Provider Performance Report FY 2023:
DBH Measuring Provider Performance Report FY 2022:
DBH Measuring Provider Performance Report FY 2021:
DBH Measuring Provider Performance Report FY 2020: