Nancy Baum on Medicaid funding for Certified Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC)
State of Reform quoted Nancy Baum, health policy director for the Center for Health and Research Transformation (CHRT), in an article by Patrick Jones on funding for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs).
Published on October 19, 2021, the article reports on a press conference announcing that thirteen Michigan CCBHCs will be fully funded by Medicaid in the same way that community health centers are funded for physical care. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) will also allocate $26.5 million state and federal dollars to support all CCBHCs. The initiative will allow for a sustainable flow of funding to these CCBHCs, which will allow CCBHCs to plan for future expansions, reduce jail time for those in crisis, and create job security for providers. CCBHCs are integrated health centers that provide mental health, substance use treatment, and physical health to all, regardless of the ability to pay.
Baum shared many advantages of this more sustainable revenue source. CCBHCs will no longer have to chase grants, they may have an easier time hiring health professionals because of improved job security, and they will be able to plan for the future.
“When you have sustained funding, you can say ‘we are investing in you’ [to employees] and we [can] have predictable services for our community. Sustained funding allows for planning, and it allows for organizations to think about how [they] can do what [they] do even better, instead of spending all their energy just looking for sustainable funding.”
Baum believes the funding will allow CCBHCs to plan to expand services and create lasting, efficient teams.