Gary Bess Associates (GBA) has been working with agencies in the development of Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) for more than six (6) years. The CCBHC program, which is administered through the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), provides individuals with comprehensive behavioral health services, including 24/7 crisis intervention and extensive care coordination. CCBHCs are designed to serve individuals with serious mental illness (SMI), children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbance (SED); and individuals with co-occurring mental and substance disorders (COD).
The foundation of GBA’s experience began with grant writing. Since 2019, the GBA team has written 18 new and continuing grants for 13 agencies, 11 of which are now operating CCBHCs. This experience allowed GBA to become well-versed in SAMHSA’s expectations of the CCBHC grantee, and to gain a full understanding of the program. GBA’s experience in the CCBHC model was enhanced when our team began serving as CCBHC Evaluators, which is a required position for grantees. We have now served as evaluators for nine (9) CCBHC programs.
As CCBHC Evaluators, we work closely with the Project Director and other personnel throughout the full grant period. This positioned our team to understand the value and need for helping organizations attain CCBHC compliance. We thus tailored our service to include assistance with the CCBHC Attestation/Certification process. We have now helped a dozen CCBHCs to demonstrate compliance with the program, as outlined in the CCBHC Criteria.
GBA monitors the CCBHC model as it evolves, and the landscape is now shifting. For many years, SAMHSA has been focused on expanding the model by funding and overseeing individual clinics as grantees. By 2024, SAMHSA had succeeded in establishing more than 500 CCBHCs across the nation. But SAMHSA’s ultimate vision for the CCBHC program is to have each state administer and fund their own clinics. To this end, SAMHSA has been transitioning some of their efforts to help states transition to CCBHC designation and oversight. Under state auspices, prospective CCBHCs would work to comply with the CCBHC Criteria, and then apply to their state to become a CCBHC. If the state approves the application, the state would certify and oversee the CCBHC, and would reimburse the clinic for qualified CCBHC services rendered. This is a more sustainable model for CCBHCs, compared with having to reapply for a competitive SAMHSA grant at the end of the project period.
In alignment with SAMHSA’s priorities for the CCBHC program, GBA has adapted our compliance consulting services to help prospective CCBHCs seeking certification by their states. We have developed an “Attestation Package,” which offers an organized structure for ensuring that supporting documents (policies, procedures, etc.) are in-place for an onsite visit or audit. This process, as facilitated by GBA, allows the agency to demonstrate compliance with CCBHC rules. GBA also drafts Disparity Impact Statements and other documents states may require. GBA also offers a structured approach to establishing care coordination, and program assessment.
Further, GBA specializes in CCBHC Needs Assessments, required for new CCBHCs, and updated every three years. Our CCBHC Needs Assessments includes a community survey to ensure that community and patient voices are included in the development of the program, which is a federal requirement. If your state has joined the CCBHC demonstration, and you need help understanding the process to submit an application, GBA would be honored to serve you! We have experience serving CCBHCs across five states, including California, Alabama, Alaksa, New Jersey, and Florida. Please visit our CCBHC website, CCBHC Support for additional information about our CCBHC services.
Author: Jetta Meadows
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