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Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families


Division of Prevention & Behavioral Health Services

Information for Families


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The Division of Prevention and Behavioral Health Services provides behavioral health assistance to youth

  • who are uninsured, enrolled in Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and require services more intensive than the initial 30 hours of outpatient treatment covered by the Medicaid basic child health benefit provided through the Managed Care Organizations (MCOs)
  • who do not have Medicaid benefits and/or private mental health or substance abuse benefits; or
  • who have exhausted all applicable private mental health or substance abuse benefits

However, DPBHS Prevention services are available to anyone despite the type of insurance coverage they carry or their income. Some programs have specific eligibility requirements.

A mother, father, and their two children holding hands

The Division of Prevention and Behavioral Health Services (DPBHS) provides a statewide range of voluntary mental health, substance abuse treatment and prevention services for children and youth, under the age of 18.

We provide varying levels and degrees of services depending upon the child’s needs.  Our services are child centered and family focused.

For more detailed information, please call the DPBHS Information and Referral Unit weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 302-633-2571 or 1-800-722-7710 or email at: DSCYF_Intake_General@delaware.gov).

DPBHS authorizes and pays 100% of services for families covered by Medicaid only.  For families covered by private/commercial insurance and Medicaid, your private/commercial insurance is the primary payer, and Medicaid is the secondary payer.  DPBHS will work with your private/commercial insurance to arrange for treatment services.

Mental Health and Substance Use Emergencies

A mental health or substance use emergency is any situation in which the child’s behaviors puts them at risk of hurting themselves or others and/or when the parent isn’t able to resolve the situation with the skills and resources available.

As with any medical emergency, a mental health or substance use emergency can be life threatening. Most of the time, mental health or substance use emergencies are those involving the threat of suicide or an actual suicide attempt. Other types of mental health or substance use emergencies may involve the threat of harm to another person. These are typically times of intense difficulty, trouble or danger.

Parents and caregivers should take suicidal thoughts or attempts seriously. Thoughts of killing or injuring someone are very serious too. Traumatic events, such as witnessing a murder or suicide, or being a victim of bullying or a violent crime can also cause a crisis for your child.

IF YOUR CHILD IS UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE, call the DPBHS 24-hour Mobile Response and Stabilization Services call center in this kind of emergency: 1-800-969-4357

NOTE: If your child is injured or is an immediate threat to hurt someone, call 911 before calling the DPBHS Mental Health/Substance Use Emergency hotline.

When you call the hotline, someone will ask you to provide:

  • Your child’s age, and
  • A description of the emergency situation.

The person on the phone will arrange an appropriate service response that could include verbal de-escalation of the situation, a meeting in your home or a meeting somewhere else if help is needed right away. 

If appropriate, a therapist will talk to you and your child and help you develop a safety plan. The Hotline worker will also assist you to obtain other mental health services if help is not needed immediately.

IF YOUR CHILD IS 18 YEARS OR OLDER and is in a mental health or substance use-related emergency, call the Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health’s Crisis Intervention Services:
In Northern Delaware, call: 800-652-2929
In Southern Delaware, call: 800-345-6785

Visit the Resource Hub for additional information