The CCBHC Model
Overview
Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) are behavioral health organizations that provide a broad range of community behavioral health services. CCBHCs focus on coordinated care and use of evidence-based practices for individuals across their lifespan, regardless of their ability to pay.
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is leading the development of a CCBHC service, reimbursement model, and certification process for qualifying behavioral health organizations in Maine. Maine DHHS is prioritizing stakeholder engagement to promote active collaboration in the development of the CCBHC model.
What services do CCBHCs provide?
CCBHCs are required to provide access to core services outlined in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s (SAMHSA) CCBHC criteria:
- Comprehensive care planning is a process of identifying treatment goals and preferences of the person receiving services.
- Peer and family support services offer a peer, a person with lived experience with behavioral healthcare, to help people and families in need of support to access helpful resources.
- Case management assists people receiving services in gaining access to needed medical, social, legal, education, housing, vocational, and other services and supports.
- Outpatient mental health and substance use treatment services offer behavioral health care like therapy and medications.
- Psychiatric rehabilitation services help people develop skills to support community living, like attaining housing, education, or employment.
- Physical health monitoring includes screening and reviewing health symptoms that may need support from a Primary Care Provider.
- Care coordination and outreach are activities provided by the CCBHC to help a person engage needed services and to make sure all care team members are working together in support of the person receiving services.
Who is eligible?
CCBHC services are available to everyone, including but not limited to people with serious mental illness, serious emotional disturbances, mild or moderate mental illness, and substance use disorders. All persons may walk into CCBHC clinics and be screened for service eligibility.
CCBHC clinics must serve all individuals regardless of where they live or whether they are able to pay. CCBHCs offer options to pay for services based on a person’s income for people who are uninsured or underinsured.
Designing Maine’s CCBHC Model
Development Activities
In 2021, Maine DHHS acquired funds in P.L. 2021, ch. 398 and Section 9817 Home and Community-Based Services Improvement Plan Project to support the following activities:
- Create a cross-department team representing the Office of MaineCare Services, the Office of Child and Family Services, and the Office of Behavioral Health.
- Engage the National Council for Mental Wellbeing to help develop a strong CCBHC model.
- Engage with Mercer, an organization contracted to conduct a state-wide CCBHC needs assessment and rate study to develop CCBHC cost reporting tools and future payment system. See MaineCare’s current rate determination schedule for more information.
In 2023, Maine DHHS was awarded a $1 million, one-year SAMHSA Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Planning Grant (SM-23-015). The planning grant will help Maine DHHS expand current state funded efforts to design and implement a CCBHC model.
Maine DHHS’s CCBHC Planning Grant proposal focused on the following populations to distribute resources towards activities that could have a positive impact for underserved communities:
- Service members and veterans in need of behavioral health treatment
- Adults and youth with co-occurring Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) and behavioral health conditions
- Adults and youth with mental health and substance use conditions who have past or present experience with the criminal justice system.
See a detailed summary of the CCBHC Development Activities
Prospective Payment System Development
The Office of MaineCare Services initiated a Rate Determination Process for the CCBHC model. There will be opportunities throughout this Rate Determination process for stakeholders to provide feedback and comment.
Community Partner Engagement
To inform the development of Maine’s CCBHC model, Maine DHHS is prioritizing community partner engagement. Maine DHHS will hold a bi-monthly stakeholder meeting series to allow consumers, healthcare providers, and community partners to provide input and take part in the discussions.
CCBHC Community Partner Meeting Information:
A new meeting series invitation will be scheduled in 2025.
Contact Information
For questions or comments about the or the DHHS CCBHC activities please contact CCBHC_DHHS@maine.gov
For more information regarding quality measurement in the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics program, please click here.