Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) are transforming behavioral health care in the United States. Designed to provide a comprehensive range of mental health and substance use services, the CCBHC model is showing measurable success in increasing access to care, improving integration, and growing the behavioral health workforce.
According to a new survey conducted by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, clinics that have adopted the CCBHC model are serving 23% more patients than they did before receiving their designation. The survey gathered responses from 249 CCBHCs and grantees, underscoring a clear trend: clinics that transition to this model see significant growth in the number of people they reach, even amid unprecedented national demand for services. Notably, 77% of respondents reported that their caseloads have increased since adopting the model, a sign that CCBHCs are reaching populations that may have previously fallen through the cracks.
Growth in Staffing Despite Workforce Shortages
One of the most striking findings of the survey is the impact on staffing. Since adopting the CCBHC model, CCBHCs have reported adding 27 new staff members on average per clinic. Across all 450 active CCBHCs and grantees, this equates to more than 11,000 new positions—a substantial expansion in the behavioral health workforce at a time when shortages are a major concern nationwide.
Staff growth isn’t limited to traditional clinical roles. The survey showed that 84% of clinics have hired or are seeking to hire peer support and recovery specialists, recognizing the unique value of lived experience in supporting recovery. In addition, 79% have brought on or plan to bring on data analysts, reflecting the growing emphasis on using data to improve outcomes and ensure accountability. Importantly, 68% of clinics have hired or are looking to hire primary care providers, expanding the scope of services and creating stronger bridges between behavioral and physical health.
Rebecca Farley David, special advisor at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, emphasized how meaningful these staffing investments are: “The most important insight for me was the degree to which CCBHCs have been expanding access to services and increasing staffing in the midst of really unprecedented levels of need for care around the nation – and in the middle of a big workforce shortage.”
A Model Rooted in Policy and Flexibility
The CCBHC model was made possible through federal legislation. The Excellence in Mental Health Care Act of 2014 paved the way, and the first Medicaid demonstration programs began in 2017. Since then, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has supported additional clinics in adopting CCBHC functions. In the survey, these SAMHSA-funded clinics were categorized as “grantees” rather than full CCBHCs, though they share many of the same goals and practices.
One of the model’s greatest strengths is its flexibility. Traditional insurance often fails to cover essential elements of behavioral health care, such as care coordination and patient navigation. The CCBHC model fills those gaps. As Farley David explained: “What is so amazing about the model is that it does have the flexibility to support things that we know are critical for client health, and yet aren’t billable services under an insurance model, like the care coordination piece. Yet so often, there’s just no funding whatsoever available for them. And the CCBHC model is helping to hire the staff, to adopt the technology, to go through the process of change management. That’s really necessary to make the most of those things.”
This ability to fund non-traditional but vital services is helping CCBHCs build more effective, patient-centered systems of care.
Strengthening Substance Use Disorder Treatment
The survey also highlighted how CCBHCs are expanding access to evidence-based care for substance use disorders (SUDs), particularly opioid use disorder (OUD). Nearly every CCBHC surveyed—94%—provides medication-assisted treatment (MAT), an essential tool in addressing addiction. By comparison, only 56% of behavioral health providers nationwide offer MAT for OUD, putting those following the CCBHC model far ahead of the curve.
Within that group, 82% of CCBHCs directly offer at least one type of MAT for OUD, and many provide more than one option. In fact, 16% directly offer three types of MAT, 57% provide two types, and 9% provide one type. This range of services ensures that patients have access to tailored treatment options that meet their unique needs.
By expanding access to MAT and other recovery services, CCBHCs are playing a pivotal role in addressing the opioid crisis and supporting long-term recovery for individuals with SUDs.
Integrating Primary and Behavioral Health Care
Another major finding of the survey is the increased integration of primary care and behavioral health services. Since becoming CCBHCs, 81% of clinics reported increasing the number of referrals to primary care, and 75% now track clients’ follow-through on referrals, ensuring better continuity of care.
Co-location of services has also grown. Sixty-one percent of clinics now provide physical health services in the same building as their CCBHC, giving patients easier access to both behavioral and medical care under one roof. This integrated model helps address health holistically, recognizing that mental and physical well-being are deeply interconnected.
Partnerships with Criminal Justice Systems
CCBHCs are also stepping into an important role in the criminal justice system, where many individuals with mental health and substance use disorders first come into contact with care. The survey revealed that 86% of CCBHCs collaborate with court systems, 77% provide outreach to individuals with criminal legal involvement, and 65% train correction officers in mental health first aid or other screening tools.
These partnerships are essential for creating alternatives to incarceration, supporting diversion programs, and ensuring that individuals with behavioral health needs receive appropriate treatment instead of punitive measures. Many of these efforts are only possible because of the CCBHC model, which funds services not typically reimbursed through traditional insurance.
The Road Ahead for CCBHCs
The findings of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing survey reinforce that CCBHCs are not only expanding access to care, but also reshaping how behavioral health services are delivered. From growing the workforce, to expanding MAT options, to integrating primary care, to forging partnerships with the justice system, these clinics are creating a stronger, more comprehensive safety net for individuals and families in need.
Farley David summed it up well: “It’s so clear that CCBHCs have been able to leverage their funding and their service model to reach populations whose needs have been unaddressed for quite some time. And bring people into an enhanced scope of services available to help keep them healthy and functioning in their communities.”
As the CCBHC model continues to spread across the country, these clinics are poised to play an even greater role in addressing the behavioral health crisis and ensuring that more Americans receive the care they deserve.
