SAMHSA Awards Grant to National Council to Run CCBHC Technical Assistance Center

The National Council for Mental Wellbeing announced on Friday that it has been awarded a 5-year, $15 million grant by SAMHSA to operate a national center for technical assistance for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) grantees.

The center will assist more than 400 CCBHCs to improve operations and care delivery. Currently, there are 430 CCBHCs operating across 42 states, Washington, D.C., and Guam.

“It is difficult to overstate the significance of SAMHSA’s decision,” National Council for Mental Wellbeing President and CEO Chuck Ingoglia said in a news release. “It’s an affirmation that CCBHCs provide vital services to those in greatest need. CCBHCs increase access to evidence-based substance use and mental health treatment services, including 24/7 crisis care.

“CCBHCs also have expanded states’ capacity to address the overdose crisis and established innovative partnerships with law enforcement, schools and hospitals to improve care, reduce recidivism and prevent hospital readmissions.”

Funded through both a Medicaid demonstration program and SAMHSA grants, the CCBHC model was established in 2014 to give states and clinics resources and flexibility to address demand for mental health and substance use disorder treatment. The clinics are required to meet federal and state criteria for expanding access to care, including the provision of 24-hour crisis care and comprehensive outpatient mental health and SUD treatment services.