Services are planned, coordinated and administered through three service divisions, Mental Illness, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services. The Administrative Division provides support services such as Personnel, Staff Development, Data Management, Certification and Finance. The finance functions include purchasing, budgets and analysis, Medicaid accounting, accounts payable, contracts and grants, and payroll.

The goal of the Mental Illness Division is to provide services that comply with professional health care standards to individuals with serious mental illnesses in the least restrictive environment possible in an efficient, cost-effective manner, while maximizing third party resources.

The Mental Illness Division operates 10 state inpatient facilities and hospitals providing acute, extended care, forensic and geriatric care. Bryce Hospital, Harper Geriatric Center, Kidd and Allen nursing facilities and Taylor Hardin Secure Medical Facility (forensic) are located in Tuscaloosa. Greil Hospital is in Montgomery; North Alabama Regional Hospital is in Decatur; Thomasville Mental Health Rehabilitation Center is in Thomasville; and Searcy Hospital and the Claudette Box nursing facility are in Mobile.

The Mental Illness Division also contracts with 27 providers of community-based services to provide a broad array of services ranging from case management to intensive residential services. Most of these services are provided by local mental health centers.

The Mental Retardation division provides a system of services to persons with mental retardation and related conditions. The service system endorses the precepts that services shall be consumer and family driven; move toward less restrictive settings; support consumer choice; use natural support systems; be outcome oriented; and utilize consumer, family and employee satisfaction as major indicators of quality.

The four state operated developmental centers are residential programs, which provide comprehensive supports and services to individuals who have extreme challenges both behaviorally and medically. The centers are Wallace Developmental Center, located in Decatur; Partlow Developmental Center, located in Tuscaloosa; Tarwater Developmental Center, located in Wetumpka and Brewer-Bayside Developmental Center, located in Daphne. The Division of Mental Retardation has five regional offices, strategically located throughout the state, convenient to individuals and families seeking services and agencies, such as local ARC(s), and 310 Boards, contracted to deliver supports and services. The regional offices are located in Decatur, Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Wetumpka and Mobile.

The primary goal of the Substance Abuse Services Division, regarding substance abuse prevention and treatment services, is to identify specific needs, provide resources, and evaluate the effectiveness of all services.

The Substance Abuse Services Division provides prevention and treatment services through contracts with community agencies. Prevention and treatment services are provided through 46 local agencies; including community mental health centers and other private non-profit agencies.

Specialized services for children and adolescents are planned and administrated through each service division and coordinated into a comprehensive system of care through the Office of Children Services. These services include an array of community based services contracted through a statewide provider network for each division. Services are usually available in each county or neighboring counties and can be accessed by contacting the local Mental Health Authority or the Mental Retardation Community Services Office.

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