REGIONAL- Range Mental Health Center (RMHC), a nonprofit that has been serving the region for over sixty years, recently gained recognition as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) by the Minnesota Department of Humans Services.
Led by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), CCBHCs were created to transform mental health and substance use treatment across the country and provide sustainable funding for robust community outpatient mental health treatment.
“It’s doing what we are already doing, but doing it better, while serving even more individuals,” said RMHC CEO Annmarie Florest.
CCBHCs are required to meet rigorous federal standards for the range of services that they provide, and they are required to get people into care quickly. CCBHCs must see people in crisis immediately and provide routine outpatient care within 10 business days after an initial contact to prevent people from languishing on waiting lists.
“CCBHCs are transforming behavioral health systems in this country, and we know that the model of care works,” Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D., HHS Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and the leader of SAMHSA, was quoted in a recent press release.
“Data shows in the first six months of receiving care, CCBHCs decrease homelessness, decrease the amount of time spent in correctional facilities, decrease the time spent in emergency rooms for behavioral health issues, decrease inpatient hospitalization for mental health treatment and decrease the use of illegal substances.”
RMHC’s shift to the new CCBHC model of care is “better” for the people we serve and the community in several ways. Most notable is timelier access to services.
“CCBHC standards have strict timeline requirements to ensure timely access. This means no more waiting lists,” said Florest.
“In summary, the people we serve benefit from a more community-minded, forward-thinking behavioral health organization helping people along the road to health and well-being,” said Florest. “This reaffirms our mission to be person-centered, family-friendly, trauma-informed and recovery-oriented.”
CCBH clinics also offer services such as arranging transportation, offering intervention services, and making referrals to external organizations.
There is also a financial element to achieving certification. Through the use of a daily bundled rate, RMHC will receive reimbursement through Medicaid and other insurances closer to the full cost of services that CCBHCs provide, at higher, more competitive rates than previously received. In 2017, the first CCBHCs were funded under Medicaid, with 67 operating in eight states. Today, there are more than 500 CCBHCs in 46 states.
“I see a bright future for RMHC,” said Krause. “There’s a lot of competition out there, and this will help us remain strong. It’s all about clients and providing them with the best services.”