Office of Behavioral Health

Mission

The mission of the Office of Behavioral Health is to work collaboratively with partners to develop and implement a comprehensive integrated system of behavioral health and health care, social supports, and prevention services that promote recovery and resilience for all residents of Louisiana. OBH assures public behavioral health services are accessible, family-driven, have a positive impact, are culturally and clinically competent, and are delivered in partnership with all stakeholders.

Vision

People can and do recover from mental illness and addictive disorders. Through the delivery of timely and person-centered, clinically effective behavioral health and health care and supports, residents of Louisiana will experience positive behavioral health outcomes and contribute meaningfully to our state's growth and development.

Guiding Principles

• This office aims to make a difference in the lives of adults and children in Louisiana.
• People who receive proper care and a supportive environment can recover from mental illness and addiction. 
• OBH services respond to the needs of individuals, families, and communities, including culturally and linguistically diverse services. The office respects the dignity of individuals, families, communities, and the workforce that serves them.
• Individuals, families, and communities will be welcomed into the system of services and supports with a "no wrong door" approach.
• Through a cooperative spirit of partnerships and collaborations, the needs of individuals, families, and communities will be met by a workforce that is ethical, competent, and committed to the welfare of the people it serves.
• OBH will utilize the unique skills of professionals with appropriate competencies, credentials, and certifications.
• Mental illness and addiction are health care issues and must be seamlessly integrated into a comprehensive physical and behavioral health care system that includes primary care settings.
• Many OBH service recipients experience both mental illness and addiction. As the office provides care, the staff must understand, identify, and treat both illnesses as primary conditions. This system of care will be easily accessible and comprehensive, and will fully integrate a continuum of prevention and treatment services to all age groups. It will be designed to be evidence-based, responsive to changing needs, and built on a foundation of continuous quality improvement.
• OBH will measure results to demonstrate both improved outcomes for the people served and fiscal responsibility to taxpayers.
• OBH will prioritize de-stigmatizing historical biases and prejudices against people with mental illness and substance use disorders, and those who provide services, through efforts to increase access to treatment. The office will do this by reducing financial barriers, addressing provider bias, integrating care, and increasing the willingness and ability of individuals to seek and receive treatment.