CCBHC Opportunities

April 21, 2022

We wanted to share information regarding the two open funding opportunities for the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model.

Up to 312 grants will be funded this year – the most for any year since the Grant program began.  This means applicants with good proposals have their best chance of getting funded during this cycle.  We encourage all interested organizations to apply, bearing in mind that for those who are new to the CCBHC model, you will have an entire year to come into compliance with the criteria.

*NYS Council members that have paid their NYS Council 2022 dues are also National Council members.  As such, your agency has access to a 30-minute 1:1 consultation session with the National Council’s team of experts to discuss the funding opportunity. Contact ccbhc@thenationalcouncil.org to set up a consultation.

Please note:  The CCBHC Expansion Grant Program (described above) is different from the initial CCBHC Demo Program.  About 5 years ago, 8 states around the country were selected by CMS to become ‘CCBHC Demo States’.  This federal designation allowed the Demo states to ‘certify’ eligible provider organizations that wanted to become CCBHCs  to participate in the Demo program. The 13 Demo agencies are reimbursed for CCBHC designated services utilizing a Prospective Payment System (PPS) rate methodology, not an APG government rate.  This rate is considerably higher than APG rates. The grants funds are more like a subsidy, not a reimbursement methodology.  Please be aware of these differences as you consider whether to apply for one of the grants described above.  

Additional resources and information:

Information on the Funding Opportunities

There are two (2) open funding opportunities:

Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic – Planning, Development and Implementation Grants (CCBHC-PDI) are available to clinics that are new to the CCBHC model (i.e., clinics that have not been certified as CCBHCs by their state and have not previously received a CCBHC Expansion grant). This funding opportunity is designed to assist grantees as they develop and implement a CCBHC that meets CCBHC certification criteria. Qualified applicants must be able to meet the requirements of a CCBHC within the first year of the grant.

Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic – Improvement and Advancement Grants (CCBHC-IA) are available to CCBHCs that have been certified by their states or received previous CCBHC Expansion grants and are designed to support current CCBHCs as they expand or improve their CCBHC services. Qualified applicants must be able to demonstrate compliance with CCBHC certification criteria through state certification or SAMHSA acceptance of CCBHC certification attestation within the past two years.

SAMHSA has released an FAQ document on the funding opportunities, which can be accessed here.

This year’s grant opportunities include several changes from prior years’ grants. The National Council has compiled two resources to support potential applicants: a summary of key application and program changes and frequently asked questions.

Upcoming Events/Offerings

SAMHSA is offering the following events:

  • Webinar on developing a competitive grant application – May 3, 2:00-3:30pm ET – Access webinar here

And finally, here is a communication we sent to all NYS Council members yesterday regarding securing a Letter of Support from the state agencies:

Good morning,

For those NYS Council member agencies that are considering applying for either of the recently announced CCBHC Expansion Grant Funding Opportunities, please note that you will need to submit a Letter of Support from the State along with your application.  This is true for both those that have previously received an Expansion Grant, as well as those that have not.  I spoke with Bob Blaauw at OMH yesterday.  SAMHSA advises that any application submitted without such a letter will be considered incomplete, and will not be considered for award initially.  If, after reviewing and determining approvals, SAMHSA has more awards available, they might give providers another opportunity to obtain and submit such a letter.

Requests for a Letter from either OASAS or OMH should be submitted to the same general CCBHC email at CCBHC@omh.ny.GOV.  OMH and OASAS are working together on this, and OMH is maintaining a list of providers that have requested a letter from either state agency.  Using the single mailbox will help ensure requests are not overlooked.  

Your submission to SAMHSA is due May 17, 2022, and waiting to request a letter could jeopardize your getting it from the state.  Do not send your request for a letter to the Commissioner’s Office at OMH or OASAS.  Send it to the mailbox at the address listed above.