Overview

Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC)

In August 2015 the State of Connecticut, specifically the Departments of Social Services, Mental Health and Addiction Services, and Children and Families, submitted an application for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) funding opportunity 16-001, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics Planning Grant.

The Departments proposed to implement the administrative, programmatic, and workforce development infrastructures required to prepare selected provider agencies to become Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs). Given that public behavioral health services are currently funded, organized, and provided, in part, through a Connecticut Behavioral Health Partnership that involves these three agencies, the collaboration on this project strategically positions Connecticut for success.

Building on the strengths of the current system, the Departments invited interested agencies that are positioned to address identified service gaps and engage under-served populations to respond to a Request for Application (RFA) for inclusion in the CCBHC certification process. As a result of the RFA, 6 agencies have been invited to participate based on program criteria. Two CCBHCs will be certified by the end of the planning year, one serving a rural area and one serving an urban area.

Under the CCBHC Planning Grant, the Departments are committed to ongoing involvement of stakeholders. The primary steering committee for this process, (“the Quality Management Council”) will be comprised of a minimum of 50% representation from persons in recovery and families, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to shared governance. In addition to persons in recovery and family members, QMC and various subcommittees will also include veterans, tribal representatives, providers, and state agency representatives. These subcommittees will be tasked with various planning activities during the grant year to assure a wide range of voices are heard and assimilated in this process.