Georgia’s Mental Health Leaders Focus on Transforming Mental Health and Addiction Services Across Georgia
“With 11 Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics on the Horizon, CCBHCs can provide comprehensive and coordinated healthcare solutions with the goal of reducing readmissions in the long run.”
- Sarepta Archila, Georgia’s CCBHC State Project Director
Atlanta, Georgia – December 15, 2022 – Georgia’s Mental Health Leaders Focus on Transforming Mental Health and Addiction Services Across Georgia with 11 Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics on the Horizon
“CCBHCs can provide comprehensive and coordinated healthcare solutions with the goal of reducing readmissions in the long run. - Sarepta Archila, Georgia’s CCBHC State Project Director
For Immediate Release
Atlanta, Georgia – December 15, 2022 – The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) is pleased to announce its enhanced focus on community-based care. Eleven Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) are expected to provide a one stop approach for both behavioral AND physical healthcare.
A CCHBC is a specially designated clinic that receives flexible funding to expand the scope of mental health and substance abuse services in the community with a whole-patient approach.
"While DBHDD continues to promote choice and specialization, the CCBHC designation ensures that people who need comprehensive care are not caught trying to piece together the behavioral health support they need across multiple providers. It also ensures that our most vulnerable community members have access to services while increasing quality measures,” said Monica Johnson, Interim DBHDD Commissioner. “CCBHCs make it easier for a person to contact a provider quickly and receive the help they need.”
In return, CCBHCs receive an enhanced Medicaid reimbursement rate based on their costs to deliver services that meet the needs of the people in the community.
“This is about transforming mental health and addiction services across Georgia.” said Sarepta Archila, Georgia’s CCBHC State Project Director. “When someone in Georgia needs behavioral health support, CCBHCs are better equipped to serve all their needs because patients often need primary care and follow-up support, too. These needs are so often interrelated. CCBHCs can provide comprehensive and coordinated behavioral health solutions with the goal of reducing readmissions in the long run.”
CCBHCs are nonprofit organizations or units of a local government behavioral health authority. They must directly provide (or contract with partner organizations to provide) nine types of services, with an emphasis on 24-hour crisis care, evidence-based practices, care coordination with local primary care and hospital partners, and integration with physical health care.
Potential CCBHCs must demonstrate competence to treat the individuals they serve through an extensive 3 phases on the path to certification.
CCBHCs are designed to serve individuals in need of care, including (but not limited to) people with serious mental illness, serious emotional disturbance, long-term chronic
addiction, mild or moderate mental illness and substance use disorders, and complex health profiles. CCBHCs will provide care regardless of ability to pay, caring for those underserved, having low incomes, being insured, uninsured, or on Medicaid, and those who are active-duty military or veterans. For more information about Georgia’s CCBHCs, please visit: https://www.ccbhcgeorgia.org/
