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Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) Grant

The Department of Health Care Policy & Financing, in partnership with Colorado Department of Human Services - Office of Behavioral Health, has been awarded a Planning Grant for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). This program is designed to:

  • Support states in certifying clinics as CCBHCs to improve quality of services,
  • Establish prospective payment systems for Medicaid reimbursable services, and
  • Prepare to participate in a two year demonstration program.

Populations to be served are adults with serious mental illness, children with serious emotional disturbance, and those with long term and serious substance use disorders, as well as Veterans and their families.

On April 1, 2014, the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 (H.R. 4302) was enacted. The law included Demonstration Programs to Improve Community Mental Health Services at Section 223 of the Act.

The overall goal is to evaluate demonstration programs in up to eight states that will establish CCBHCs according to specified criteria that will make them eligible for enhanced Medicaid funding through the PPS.

SAMHSA is working collaboratively with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) to implement Section 223. SAMHSA developed the certification criteria found in the RFA in Appendix II - Criteria for the Demonstration Program to Improve Community Mental Health Centers and to Establish Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics. CMS prepared guidance to states to establish a prospective payment system, found in the RFA in Appendix III - Section 223 Demonstration Programs to Improve Community Mental Health Services Prospective Payment System (PPS) GuidanceASPE will direct the national evaluation of the demonstration program.

The awarding of CCBHCs Planning Grants is the first phase of a two-phase process.

  • Phase I provides funds to states for one year to certify community behavioral health clinics,
  • Establish a PPS for Medicaid reimbursable behavioral health services provided by the certified clinics, and
  • Prepare an application to participate in a two-year demonstration program.

Documents and Links

For questions, please contact russell.kennedy@state.co.us.