HHS program adds 10 states for community mental health clinics
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Key takeaways:
- CCBHCs provide access to a variety of mental health care services that are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- The clinics serve anyone who regardless of their ability to pay, place of residence or age.
Ten states have joined the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Medicaid Demonstration Program, according to a release from HHS.
Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Rhode Island, and Vermont join Michigan, Missouri, Kentucky, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma and Oregon as states that have the required infrastructure and have worked with providers to develop programs that meet CCBHC requirements, according to the release.
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The CCBHC Medicaid Demonstration Program, which provides funding to states to expand mental health and substance use services, is organized by HHS and CMS in collaboration with the Substance Abuse and Mental Services Administration (SAMHSA). CCBHCs provide access to a variety of mental health care including crisis services that are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and providing routine outpatient care within 10 business days.
Funding for the CCBHCs is provided by the the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was passed in 2022 as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s plans to improve access to mental health and substance use resources.
“For our communities to thrive, behavioral health, including mental health, needs to be prioritized,” CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure stated in the release. “That requires an all-hands-on-deck approach, which is why it’s so encouraging to see more states support person- and community-centered solutions like CCBHCs. Aligned with the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to mental health, CCBHCs equip communities with the tools they need to tackle many of society’s most entrenched challenges — from substance use disorders and mental health crises to housing insecurity, public safety, and the more efficient use of our health care resources.”
According to the release, CCBHCs have been shown to reduce homelessness and substance use as well as decrease ED and hospital admissions. A no-wrong door approach requires CCBHCs to serve anyone who requests mental health or substance use services regardless of their ability to pay, place of residence or age.
“CCBHCs provide a model of care that supports wellness for the entire community and connects people to care. They guarantee access to services to individuals and families regardless of ability to pay,” Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, PhD, HHS assistant secretary for mental health and substance use and the leader of SAMHSA, said in the release. “Equity is a significant and overarching priority in all that we do, and expanding and improving the CCBHC model across America helps us to continue our path forward to make quality behavioral health care for everyone even more widely available.”