The County of Dauphin formed the Dauphin County MH/MR Case Management Unit in 1991. The name was changed in 2004 to CMU. In 2009 the term Mental Retardation (MR) was replaced by the term Intellectual Disability (ID). Organized as a 501 (c) (3), the CMU is wholly owned by the County. To that end, the CMU is reported as a component unit of the County. CMU has three offices – Harrisburg and Elizabethville in Dauphin County and an office in the City of Lebanon service ID consumers in Lebanon County.

CMU is the main entryway into Dauphin County’s MH/ID program. Individuals and families are referred to CMU through various sources including Crisis Intervention, the court system, schools, and other agencies. The major programs are broken down into Mental Health, Intellectual Disabilities and an Early Intervention program that addresses the needs of children from birth to age three. The total consumer population is approximately 6,000.

After an intake and a liability assessment have been performed, the individual is opened at the CMU and assigned to a Case Manager, Supports Coordinator or Service Coordinator in the appropriate program. The Case Manager, Supports Coordinator or Service Coordinator makes certain that the individual or their family is referred to organizations or agencies that provide the services they need and desire. Case Managers, Supports Coordinators or Service Coordinators also aid individuals and families in obtaining medical assistance, social security benefits, emergency housing, clothing, food, employment and assist them in accessing needed treatment and medical services, and a multitude of other assistance to make sure they are able to live successfully in the community.