A Brief Report on Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics Demonstration Program

The behavioral service system is searching for solutions to the opioid overdose epidemic, which has led to increased fatalities and substantial costs. This paper is a brief report on Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC), a federal demonstration program designed to enhance behavioral health organizations’ capacity to engage and care for people with substance use disorders through evidence-based practices and integrated health solutions. Designated CCBHC clinics provide a comprehensive range of mental health and substance use disorder services to vulnerable individuals and receive increased prospective funding from Medicaid. Preliminary evaluations have shown increases in accessibility, workforce, and capacity to provide substance use and mental health services. With social workers comprising the majority of mental health providers, this delivery system innovation expands opportunities for the profession to address the opioid epidemic.