CCBHC Planning Grants Awarded in 14 States and Washington, DC
January 31, 2025 · Becky Kolinski
Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) are a critical element of the behavioral health safety net, providing 24/7 crisis services and timely access to outpatient care for an estimated 3 million people. Right now, there are more than 500 CCBHCs in 46 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) continues to expand the CCBHC model: It has awarded Medicaid Demonstration Program planning grants to 14 states—Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and West Virginia—and to the District of Columbia.
“NCQA applauds the federal government’s expansion of the CCBHC program to new states,” says Tom Curtis, NCQA’s director of state affairs. “We’re excited that one of those states is leading the way by including NCQA’s CCBHC Accreditation program as part of its SAMHSA planning grant.”
What Planning Grants Mean for States
The one-year planning grants allow state Medicaid programs to build infrastructure to support the CCBHC model.
- Develop Certification Processes. States must ensure that CCBHCs meet SAMHSA requirements, and can use the planning grants to develop CCBHC certification processes.
- Establish Prospective Payment Systems. States need to develop enhanced payment rates that reflect each CCBHC’s care delivery model and population served. These prospective payment rates are complex, and must be built into the state’s Medicaid reimbursement model.
- Apply for Demonstration Grants. States can use funds from the planning grant to prepare an application to participate in a four-year demonstration program.
States must submit a budget to show how they will use grant funds, and may also release an RFP to choose organizations to receive funding to become a CCBHC if a demonstration grant is awarded.
“Organizations that want to become a CCBHC should start now by researching SAMHSA’s requirements and working on internal processes and documentation to prove to the state that they can meet the standards,” says Curtis.
How NCQA Supports CCBHCs and State Medicaid Programs
The NCQA CCBHC Accreditation Program streamlines the survey process for states and uses our decades of experience in the clinical quality space to help CCBHCs enhance care and services for patients.
We mapped the 113 SAMHSA criteria to 44 clear standards to make it easier for CCBHCs to structure their programs. Other benefits we offer:
- Hands-on assistance to states and CCBHCs, along with tools and templates to support operations and reporting.
- CCBHC report cards that can accelerate state certification and help ensure CCBHCs comply with SAMHSA and state requirements.
“Behavioral health access is a challenge in our country, and CCBHCs have shown that they can improve access and care coordination while also addressing non-medical needs of people of all ages across rural and urban communities,” says Curtis. “We look forward to partnering with more states and CCBHCs to improve access to behavioral health services for everyone.”
Learn More
- Visit our CCBHC Accreditation webpage.
- Watch one of NCQA’s CCBHC Accreditation webinars:
- Email NCQA’s Public Policy Team if you have questions or need technical assistance.
Source: https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/resources/2024-ccbhc-impact-report/
