Eye On Illinois: State joins growing national effort to bolster behavioral health services

Have you heard of CCBHCs?

Aside from government workers, if you understand those letters refer to Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, you probably work in or use mental health care services. Otherwise, like me, you might be new to the concept.

According to a Thursday release, Illinois has 19 CCBHCs participating in a federal program to offer substance abuse treatment and mental health services under a new Medicaid model intended to remove barriers to accessing care, including for people in crisis.

In order to participate, a facility has to meet certain federal standards and provide services to anyone regardless of age, location or ability to pay. Medicaid fully reimburses the centers and does so at higher rates than previous arrangements. Illinois is one of 10 states added to the program in June, bringing the total to 18.

Among the standards are providing a certain range of services, having a care coordination protocol, conducting a community needs assessment to develop evidence-based practices, routine outpatient care within 10 business days and making crisis services available around the clock.

Only four of the 19 participating CCBHCs are in Chicago, the others are in Woodstock, Champaign, Rockford, Decatur, Quincy, Alton, Granite City, Belleville, Elgin, South Holland, Galesburg, the Quad Cities and Dixon. (For a full list, along with quotes from leaders of some of the involved organizations, visit tinyurl.com/CCBHClaunch.)

Illinois is playing a role in a nationwide effort under the auspices of other government acronyms: HHS, CMS, SAMSHA and the BSCA. These efforts have combined to create FindSupport.gov and FindTreatment.gov as well as set up 988 as a call or text crisis line in addition to 988lifeline.org and 800-662-4357.

Medicaid began funding 67 CCBHCs in eight states in 2017 and now there are more than 500 across 46 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. The Department of Health and Human Services says investments in these centers have helped reduce homelessness, substance abuse and reliance on emergency rooms and hospitalization, all of which ease tension on the social safety net.

That’s a lot of information, an abundance of state and federal agencies and a lack of anything that passes for streamlining. Politicians involved in these efforts would benefit from better marketing, which they could altruistically pursue because the people who need such services stand to gain by never wondering where to turn for help.

Unfortunately, those truths run headlong against the reality of trying to deliver any physical or mental health care service efficiently in our modern insurance and economic climate. CCBHC expansion can be both vitally important and not nearly enough to “fix” societal struggles.

Next time you hear someone ask, “Why don’t they do more about mental health?” consider responding: “Have you heard of CCBHCs?”

• Scott T. Holland writes about state government issues for Shaw Local News Network. Follow him on X @sth749. He can be reached at sholland@shawmedia.com.