Ga. Laws 1993, House Bill 100, Act No. 552, O.C.G.A. 37-2-4.1(a); House Bill 498 of the 2002 Legislative Session increased the number of appointees to this Board due to 2000 Census figures to be effective 7/1/02 (total 15 member Board; 13 for Cobb (increase of 4 members for Cobb) with Douglas County maintaining 2 appointees on this Board), (name changed in 2003 to reflect the change to a north regional board), (name changed in 2005 to reflect this as a “Planning Board”).

July 1, 2009 – reverted from Region 3 back to Region 1 (map redrawn). The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities now oversees the Planning Board’s role in providing stakeholder involvement in the planning process, and the name of the divisions within the state and their planning boards were changed.

Created to facilitate coordinated and comprehensive planning and service delivery for a ten (10) county region consisting of: Cobb, Douglas, Cherokee, Gwinnett, DeKalb, Rockdale, Fulton, Clayton, Fayette and Henry counties.

The role of the Regional Planning Board is to give a voice to consumers and their families and other citizens in the region in assessing needs and recommending priorities for MHDDAD services. The Board will make recommendations about services and works with the regional office to develop an annual plan. The members serve as advocates with public officials.

The main objective of the Planning Board is to communicate the needs and gaps in the current MHDDAD service system and to make recommendations based on their findings. Each county with a population of more than 50,000 according to the United States decennial census of 1990 or any future such census, shall appoint one member for each population increment of 50,000 or any portion thereof.

After initially staggered terms, all terms are for three (3) years. Members may be appointed to serve two (2) additional three (3) year terms. The BOC shall appoint: a consumer of disability services, a family member of a consumer; an advocate for disability services, or a local leader or business person with an interest in mental health, developmental disabilities, and addictive diseases; provided, however, that for counties with more than one appointment, the county governing authority shall seek to ensure that such appointments represent various groups and disability services. Members receive no compensation.

Region One Support Services
705 North Division Street, Bldg 401
Rome, Georgia 30165-1454
706-802-5272