CHR is proud to be the first nonprofit behavioral healthcare agency in Connecticut to meet all of the strict federal criteria associated with certification as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC). This national distinction reflects CHR’s longstanding commitment to providing quality, comprehensive care for people of all ages whose lives have been touched by serious mental illness, addiction, trauma and more.
What is a CCBHC?
CCBHCs were established by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) as part of a national effort to promote comprehensive care that meets the unique needs of individuals with serious mental illness and addictions. Nationally, CCBHCs provide access to 24/7 crisis services, as well as an integrated approach that includes behavioral and physical healthcare services. Congress funded a grant program to help states and providers implement technology and services to build on this effort.
CHR is among an elite group of agencies nationwide to be awarded consecutive CCBHC grants. Our initiative with CCBHC funding is called CT First and is focused on:
- Combating the opioid crisis with increased access to same-day services
- Providing 24/7 crisis care
- Increasing access to primary care for individuals with serious mental illness and addictions
- Launching new wellness programs for children and families, including vaping-cessation programs.
CT First’s accomplishments since 2019 include:
- 70% increase in the number of individuals receiving life-saving Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for opioid use addictions
- 50% increase in the number of veterans receiving behavioral health services
- 100% of clients being screened for suicide risk.
What does the CCBHC distinction mean?
It means that you, our friends and donors, are supporting a non-profit that is on the leading edge of behavioral healthcare innovations, as recognized by SAMHSA. It also means that your generous donations will help us to continue developing life-saving services for children, families and adults in our state.
CCBHCs and FQHCs:
There has been some confusion about the distinction between CCBHCs and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). By design, CCBHCs are very different than FQHCs because CCBHCs are focused on meeting the needs of children, families and adults with serious mental illness and serious addictions. FQHCs play a vital role in America’s healthcare system but were designed for a broader swath of the population.
For example, the services required of a CCBHC include:
- Crisis mental health services, including 24-hour mobile crisis teams, emergency crisis intervention services, and crisis stabilization.
- Screening, assessment, and diagnosis, including risk assessment.
- Patient-centered treatment planning or similar processes, including risk assessment and crisis planning.
- Outpatient mental health and substance use services.
- Outpatient clinic primary care screening and monitoring of key health indicators and health risks.
- Targeted case management.
- Psychiatric rehabilitation services.
- Assertive Community Treatment Team
- Peer support, counseling services and family supports.
- Care coordination.
- Social support opportunities through established models such as clubhouses that provide therapeutic individual and group interactions, assistance with employment, housing and other community recovery supports.
- Intensive community-based mental health care for members of the armed forces and veterans, particularly those members and veterans located in rural areas.
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