CCBHCs: Delivering Behavioral Health Care Where It’s Needed Most

Subscribe to NCQA's Quality Matters Newsletter

The behavioral health crisis in the United States is intensified by a shortage of providers and an increased demand for services. Each year:

• 1 in 5 adults experience mental illness.
• 1 in 3 young adults 18–25 experience mental illness.
• 1 in 6 children and adolescents 6–17 experience mental illness.
• 1 in 6 people 12 or older have a substance use disorder.

The federal government created Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) to expand access to behavioral health services for people who cannot access care in more traditional settings.

CCBHCs Fulfill Unmet Needs in the Community

CCBHCs provide mental health and substance use services to the most vulnerable populations in communities, serving everyone who comes through the door, regardless of their ability to pay.

The CCBHC model focuses on getting people into care quickly, and includes:

• 24/7 crisis services.
• Comprehensive care for mental health and substance use.
• Evaluation of social determinants of health.
• Coordination with physical health care, social services and other support systems.

The CCBHC model is one of the few that works when conventional care fails. CCBHCs are a trusted resource in the communities they serve.

CCBHCs Are Expanding

More than 500 CCBHCs have been established in 46 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia since 2017. This number is expected to grow due to increased funding.

CCBHCs are funded in three ways:

1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency (SAMHSA) Grants. CCBHCs have expanded through SAMHSA demonstration grants. There are more than 450 active grantees nationwide; more grants will be available in the coming years.
2. Medicaid Demonstration Programs. States can cover CCBHC services through Medicaid demonstration programs. The federal government plans to add 10 programs every 2 years.
3. State Funding. Some states cover CCBHC services with additional funding outside their Medicaid program.

To become a CCBHC and maintain funding, organizations must meet SAMHSA criteria that evaluate key components of service delivery such as staffing, accessibility of services, care coordination, quality improvement and governance.

SAMHSA and CMS are transitioning from a self-attestation model to requiring comprehensive documentation to demonstrate a CCBHC’s quality and value.

How NCQA Is Supporting CCBHCs

Resource and budget constraints make it challenging for CCBHCs to navigate SAMHSA standards. NCQA is committed to supporting CCBHCs and advancing the CCBHC model through our new CCBHC Accreditation Program .

“We’ve mapped the 113 criteria from SAMHSA to 44 standards to make it easier for CCBHCs to structure their programs. Even though the total number of standards is reduced, all the SAMHSA-required components are addressed,” said Jeni Soucie, Senior Manager of Product Management at NCQA. “We have also created tools and templates that CCBHCs can use to help demonstrate compliance.”

Standardization makes it easier to compare results across organizations and target areas for improvement, and is important as the CCBHC model continues to grow. NCQA’s Accreditation program provides a streamlined survey process and hands-on support to help CCBHCs meet the SAMHSA criteria so they can continue providing vital services to underserved populations in their communities.

“This is more than an Accreditation program, it is about creating the infrastructure and capacity in the local delivery system,” said Soucie. “We want to support CCBHCs in the important work they are doing in the community, and amplify their efforts.”

View our recent webinar on CCBHC Accreditation here .

NCQA Is Recruiting for the First Survey Cohort

NCQA is actively recruiting CCBHCs to join the first Accreditation Survey cohort, beginning this fall. Surveys will take place beginning in January 2025. Organizations will receive personalized support from NCQA experts while providing input for future changes to the program.

Organizations interested in joining the first CCBHC Accreditation cohort can join here .

The CCBHC Accreditation standards are available in the NCQA Store .

Subscribe to NCQA's Quality Matters bi-weekly newsletter to get the newest blog articles, resources and events to keep you updated on emerging trends and research impacting health care quality.