Second GBA Client Wins $4M to Implement CCBHC in California

GBA is pleased to report that we have written two successful Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Expansion grant program applications for $4M each to implement new CCBHCs. The expansion grant program, administered through the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), provides clients 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).

GBA anticipates a new round of CCBHC funding to become available in 2022. GBA will assist interested organizations in the preparation of the grant applications, which likely will be announced by SAMHSA in February and due sometime in March. Entities eligible to apply for the CCBHC Expansion grants are community behavioral health clinics and health centers. For states that certify CCBHCs, the clinic receives enhanced payments for providing services. For states that do not certify CCBHCs, like California, applicants do not have access to the enhanced funding for services rendered – unless the entity is an FQHC. In this case, the FQHC currently has access to enhanced payments for behavioral health services. For this reason, in states like California, FQHCs are good candidates to apply for a CCBHC-Expansion grant.

In addition to assisting organizations with drafting their CCBHC grant applications, GBA works with CCBHC applicants and grantees to become compliant and demonstrate their compliance as outlined in the federal guidelines. CCBHCs must demonstrate compliance with program criteria and requirements within four months of being funded. This is achieved through an “attestation process,” which addresses program criteria, documenting how the criteria are/will be met. The process concludes with a lengthy attestation document submitted to SAMHSA for approval. GBA is experienced in providing data management and evaluation for SAMHSA grants, including the CCBHC expansion grant.

Since the program was established in 2014, it has been extended several times, with the most recent round of expansion grants being approved in July 2021. The number of CCBHCs has steadily increased each year. Just two years ago, there were 200 CCBHCs operating in 33 states, with no CCBHCs in California. After the recent round of approved grants this July, there are currently 431 CCBHCs in 42 states, including 15 CCBHC grantees in California!

GBA looks forward to the continued expansion of the CCBHC in California and across the nation. The National Council for Mental Wellbeing has terrific resources and information on the CCBHC model. They are also advocates for the CCBHC program and regularly lobby in Washington DC to encourage lawmakers to continue funding the CCBHC. The hope is that the CCBHC will become the standard model of care across the nation.