SAMHSA Awards Grants for Massive CCBHC Expansion

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced that it has released grants that will enable 134 facilities to become Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs), increasing the number of such programs across the country by nearly 50%. Funding for the initiative comes from the $4.25 billion earmarked for SAMHSA purposes in the COVID-19 relief package that was passed in December.

The funds will increase the number of CCBHCs across the U.S. to 340. CCBHCs provide mental health and substance use disorder services to vulnerable individuals, and in return, receive enhanced Medicaid reimbursement rates based on the anticipated costs of expanding their services.

A full list of organizations receiving grants through SAMHSA’s COVID-19 funding is available on the administration’s website.

Chuck Ingoglia, president and CEO of the National Council for Behavioral Health, said in a statement, that the grants are “an incredible step forward” and that the funding will “dramatically improve the health and welfare of people in hundreds of communities.”

“CCBHCs provide vital services by increasing access to evidence-based substance use and mental health treatment services, including 24/7 crisis care,” Ingoglia said. “Now, thanks to the commitment made by these clinics, people in 40 states, plus D.C. and Guam, will be able to access a CCBHC.”