In March 2024 the National Council of Mental Wellbeing conducted a survey of 495 agencies across the U.S. that were certified CCBHCs under state Medicaid programs or recipients of CCBHC grants. Responses from 380 CCBHCs (77% response rate) showed that CCHCs are making a major impact on behavioral health access and improving outcomes across the lifespan. This article offers some of the key takeaways from the survey. You can find the full report here.  

Expanding Timely Access to Care

• CCBHCs continue to close the treatment gap that leaves millions of people in the US unable to access lifesaving mental health and substance use care. 
• Today, CCBHCs serve an estimated 3 million people, representing continued yearly growth since the inception of the model.
• Access gains were particularly pronounced among Medicaid CCBHCs, which expanded their number of people served by an average of 33%.
• The most commonly reported access expansions were among children/youth, uninsured people and those without a prior source of outpatient care.

Expanding Access to Substance Use Care

• CCBHCs are addressing the nation's opioid crisis and surging demand for substance use care by expanding access to a wide range of services, such as medication-assisted treatment (MAT).
• 87% of Medicaid CCBHCs and established grantees offer one or more forms of MAT for opioid use disorder, compared to 64% of substance use treatment facilities nationwide.
• 68% of CCBHCs reported that their number of clients engaged in MAT for opioid use disorder has increased since becoming a CCBHC, with 29% reporting increases of 20% or higher.

Investing in the Workforce

• The CCBHC model is alleviating the impact of the behavioral health workforce shortage by enabling clinics to increase hiring.
• Medicaid CCBHCs and established grantees hired 11,292 new staff positions, or a median of 15 new positions per clinic.
• Hiring was greatest among Medicaid CCBHCs, which reported a median of 22 new positions per clinic.
• Licensed clinicians, peer support specialists, care coordinators and nurses were among the most commonly hired staff.

Coordination and Integration with Primary Care

•  CCBHCs work closely with primary care partners, using multiple strategies to coordinate and integrate care — with the result that access to primary care is increasing among individuals served.  Half of CCBHCs exceed minimum requirements by making comprehensive primary care available on-site.
• 76% of CCBHCs reported that referrals to primary care have increased since becoming a CCBHC, including 30% reporting that referrals have increased by 20% or more.

Making Crisis Services and Supports Available to All

• CCBHCs are expanding the availability of services across the crisis continuum directly and through partnerships with 988 call centers, mobile crisis response providers and state-sanctioned crisis systems.
• More than 80% of CCBHCs were already working in partnership with 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline call centers as of March 2024, well ahead of their July 2024 deadline.
• 29% of CCBHCs were able to add mobile crisis response as a result of certification, an indication of the expansion of mobile crisis availability in their communities. The greatest gains in mobile crisis availability were found among Medicaid CCBHCs and rural CCBHCs.

Improving Collaboration with Criminal Justice Agencies

• CCBHCs and grantees work with law enforcement agencies and other partners to improve outcomes for people who are involved or at risk of involvement with the criminal justice system.
• Nearly all CCBHCs and grantees (98%) are actively engaged in one or more innovative activities in partnership with criminal justice agencies, such as providing services in partnership with courts (86%), increasing outreach to people with criminal legal system involvement (63%), or training law enforcement officers in Mental Health First Aid or other awareness training (59%).

Meeting Children, Youth and Families Where They Are

• CCBHCs are increasing access for children and youth through an expanded workforce, targeted services and community partnerships.
• 68% of Medicaid CCBHCs and established grantees reported the number of children/youth they serve has increased, including 24% that indicated the increases to their number of child/youth clients were substantial.
• The vast majority of CCBHCs (83%) provide services on-site in one or more schools, childcare or other youth-serving settings.

Addressing Health Disparities and Social Determinants of Health 

• CCBHCs and grantees reported that the model has helped them engage in targeted access expansions for people who have been historically underserved and address social determinants of health in their communities.
• CCBHCs engaged in a wide array of strategies to address health disparities, including increasing screening for unmet social needs that affect health (81%), increasing outreach to individuals who have historically been underserved or underrepresented (75%), and hiring staff who are demographically representative of the population they serve (75%). 
• CCBHCs are making particularly focused efforts to support access among veterans, people experiencing homelessness and those who are involved or at risk of involvement with the criminal justice system.
• The vast majority of CCBHCs (91%) proactively assist clients with finding or maintaining stable housing.