The Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model is a national best practice model for improving access to quality community behavioral health services. The CCBHC model creates a specialty provider type within Medicaid with an emphasis on access and care coordination. States are selected through applications to participate in a CCBHC demonstration operated by the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Medicaid agencies share oversight and governance of CCBHCs. Selected states are responsible for establishing a certification process and associated criteria and quality indicators tied to a prospective payment system in accordance with SAMHSA and CMS requirements.

Goals of the model for individuals include increasing individuals served targeting underserved populations, providing universal care (regardless of ability to pay), expanding operating hours, decreasing wait-times, expanding the range of services provided, providing culturally sensitive services, and improving screening. Goals of the model for providers include providing high-quality evidence-based treatment, strengthening infrastructure to better monitor individuals and coordinate care, increased rates of hiring and retaining staff, and strengthening relationships with local community partners. Goals of the model for the state include increasing accountability and governance of providers, decreasing utilization of emergency and inpatient care, and supporting diversion of individuals from the criminal justice system.

Virginia applied for and received a CCBHC Planning Grant in 2015. However, after receiving the planning grant, the state did not apply for the CCBHC Demonstration Grant in 2017. Instead, Virginia developed a model to improve community services based on the CCBHC model, called System Transformation, Excellence and Performance (STEP-VA). Virginia again applied for a CCBHC Planning Grant in 2022 as part of Governor Youngkin’s Right Help, Right Now plan; however, the application was denied, likely because the Commonwealth had already received a grant in the past. SAMHSA has confirmed that Virginia remains eligible to apply for the CCBHC demonstration despite not having received a second round of planning grant funding.

Congress also appropriates yearly funds for CCBHC Expansion Grants to be awarded directly to individual clinics through SAMHSA. There are currently four community services boards (CSBs) that are operating as CCBHCs under a SAMHSA Expansion Grant. However, all expansion grant funded CCBHCs are potentially at risk of losing their ability to function as CCBHCs when their grants end as they do not operate on a prospective payment system as would be required under the demonstration.