Division unveils strategic-plan dashboard, outlines 2025 priorities after 2024 expansions

Kelly Crosby, director of the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services, used the division’s monthly "side by side" webinar to recap 2024 accomplishments and introduce a strategic-plan dashboard the public can view on the division’s website.

Crosby said the dashboard covers seven priority areas and roughly 28–30 measures that will show whether recent program investments are affecting access, quality and outcomes. "Every priority area has multiple measures," she said, noting the dashboard includes metrics such as visit return rates, innovations waiver waitlist service rates, and certified peer employment.

The dashboard is intended to increase transparency and allow the division and community stakeholders to track whether programs are improving service access and effectiveness. Crosby urged advisory committees and webinar participants to use hot links on the division’s site to review slide decks, recordings and data and to continue providing feedback.

Crosby framed the division’s work around four main 2024 priority areas—crisis, workforce, justice, and child residential behavioral-health services—and said those efforts remain central to 2025 planning. She emphasized the division will keep existing initiatives operating while phasing in new priorities described during the webinar.

The division also highlighted updated web pages to improve accessibility and a new crisis landing page that explains how to reach 988 and how to find nearby crisis facilities. Crosby said the division will keep refining the dashboard and the data behind it and encouraged the public to check the site for the full set of measures.

The webinar concluded with a call for continued public partnership: advisory committees will remain open, side-by-side webinars will continue monthly, and the division invited comments and questions through multiple channels.