Upcoming Expansion Grant Aims to Further Support CCBHCs

With the demand for mental health services rapidly rising, the continued funding and support of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) has never been more important. A major component of CCBHC funding and success is the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Expansion Grant program, available to applicants in all 50 states.

Multiple rounds of SAMHSA expansion grants have supported the launch of several hundred new CCBHCs. Now another SAMHSA grant program is available for CCBHCs or community-based behavioral health clinics who may not yet be certified (but meet the certification criteria and can be certified within 4 months of award).

Organizations who would like to apply for the grant have until March 1, 2021 to submit their applications. There will be up to 74 awards, also for two years and up to $2 million per year for each awardee. To learn more about the grant and CCBHC status, check out some frequently asked questions.

Prior to this upcoming opportunity, the most recent awards stem from the $600 million authorized in the federal appropriations and COVID relief legislation passed and signed into law December 2020. Two-year grants of up to $2 million per year were awarded to 134 organizations, bringing the total number of CCBHCs to 340. We are extremely pleased to announce that 33 of those providers are Netsmart clients. These awards are testament to the invaluable services our partners are providing to their communities, especially in a year full of uncertainty, hardship and adversity.

With a focus on integrated care, evidence-based treatment and quality outcomes, CCBHCs coordinate care across the spectrum of care and services, including physical and mental healthcare, substance use treatment, social services, housing, education, employment opportunities and other social determinants of health.

CCBHCs are required to offer services that create access to care, stabilize people in crisis, and provide treatment and recovery support for those with the most serious and complex mental illness, substance use disorders and co-occurring physical health conditions like heart diseases, asthma and diabetes. Nearly all CCBHCs (84%) offered Medication Assisted Treatment.

CCBHCs have increased access to care, while growing new state population health initiatives, such as addressing the opioid crisis and establishing collaborative partnerships with law enforcement, schools and hospitals. Within their first year of operation, 97% of Missouri CCBHCs created a formal referral relationship with local schools, with 55% providing mental health services on-site in schools.¹

Interested in applying or learning more about becoming a CCBHC? Talk with a CCBHC expert today who is ready to guide you through your value-based care journey.

¹ National Council for Behavioral Health 2020 Impact Report