September 6, 2024

Two years ago the NYS Council organized a focused advocacy campaign designed to compel state leaders to expand the federal CCBHC demonstration program in NYS.  At the time there were 13 NY-based Demo clinics, and our successful advocacy resulted in a commitment to two subsequent rounds of RFPs and accompanying awards, bringing the total number of demonstration sites around the state to 39 as of 7/1/25.

Earlier this week, the third round of conditional award letters went out to a new cohort of demonstration programs the majority of which are NYS Council members.  We don’t want to get out ahead of the Governor’s Office or OMH/OASAS (in terms of a press release or formal announcement) so we will refrain from announcing the NYS Council agencies that we know received an award letter this week; however, we want to congratulate all of our members who received an award as well as those who devoted the time and resources to compete for an award – the application is no joke and the prep to get ready to be a demo is labor intensive.  For those agencies that applied over the last two rounds but did not receive an award, know that we are working to secure further expansion of the Demo for all of our members.

Attached please find our CCBHC Demo Program Financial Analysis and the proposed budget language we proposed in the fall of 2022.   We commissioned the Analysis from HMA actuaries and we know first hand that it turned the tides and made a compelling case for expansion when we put this information in the hands of decision makers in the Governor’s Office, at DoH, DoB and the O agencies in the fall of 2022.  Just one month later the Governor’s executive budget proposal included an expansion and we were ecstatic.  Of course our proposed budget language was for the state to permit any eligible clinic to become a demonstration clinic, however at that time the state chose to triple the current number of demo clinics.

As you will see, the Analysis successfully argues for investment in the CCBHC federal demonstration program, noting that it pays significant dividends both in terms of increasing access to care for New Yorkers who need our services and enhancing provider viability.  In short the demo is a game changer.  Every eligible agency should have the opportunity to become a demonstration clinic.  We won’t stop fighting until this is the reality across New York.