Community mental health centers and public behavioral health — the publicly funded community mental health center (CMHC) network, certified community behavioral health clinics (CCBHCs), and Federally Qualified Behavioral Health Centers serving the uninsured and publicly insured population — represent the safety net behavioral health infrastructure, with the Behavioral Health Services Market reflecting public behavioral health as a major service market sector.

Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model — the federal CCBHC model providing enhanced Medicaid funding for comprehensive community-based behavioral health services (twenty-four-hour crisis services, outpatient mental health and SUD treatment, care coordination, peer support, and primary care integration) — represents the policy mechanism for strengthening community mental health center infrastructure. SAMHSA's CCBHC demonstration programs and CCBHC grants have supported the certification of hundreds of community behavioral health organizations transforming their service capacity and funding.

Crisis stabilization and 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — the national 988 suicide crisis lifeline system creating a three-digit mental health emergency number analogous to 911 — represents the federal infrastructure investment in crisis behavioral health services. The 988 system's connection to mobile crisis teams, crisis stabilization units, and emergency psychiatric services creates the continuum of crisis response that diverts individuals from emergency departments and law enforcement involvement.

Forensic behavioral health services — the behavioral health services for individuals in the criminal justice system including jail diversion programs, mental health courts, and forensic psychiatric evaluation — represent the specialized intersection of criminal justice and behavioral health that addresses the over-representation of serious mental illness in correctional settings. Sequential intercept model (SIM) programs at multiple points in the criminal justice pathway create the diversion infrastructure that reduces criminalization of mental illness.

Do you think the CCBHC model represents the most promising approach to improving community mental health infrastructure, and should Congress make the CCBHC model permanent and expand it to all communities nationally?

FAQ

What is a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC)? CCBHCs are a model of community mental health center certified to provide comprehensive behavioral health services under a federal SAMHSA program; required services include: crisis services (twenty-four-seven), screening, assessment and diagnosis, outpatient mental health and SUD treatment, peer support and family support services, targeted case management, primary care coordination, and psychiatric rehabilitation; CCBHCs receive enhanced Medicaid prospective payment rate (covering actual costs rather than below-cost fee-for-service); the model improves access, quality, and coordination of community behavioral health services; over four hundred organizations have achieved CCBHC certification in over forty states.

What is the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline? 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is the three-digit number (replacing 1-800-273-8255) for mental health crisis support, live suicide intervention, and crisis resource connection activated nationally on July 16, 2022; calls, texts, and chats connect to local and national crisis counselors; specialized lines for veterans, Spanish-speaking individuals, and LGBTQ+ youth; goals include reducing overreliance on 911 for mental health emergencies and reducing law enforcement involvement in mental health crises; connects to mobile crisis response when available; handles approximately five million contacts annually; FCC designated 988 as the mental health emergency number; state funding for 988 and crisis services infrastructure varies.

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