Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs)
Title

Criteria Implementation Deadlines

Beginning on or after July 1, 2024, Section 223 CCBHC Demonstration programs will be expected to comply with the updated Certification Criteria (PDF | 1.3 MB) released on March 15, 2023.

SAMHSA CCBHC Expansion Grants

All SAMHSA CCBHC Expansion Grant award recipients will be expected to meet the Updated Certification Criteria by July 1, 2024. SAMHSA Planning, Development, and Implementation (PDI) award recipients who received their initial awards in Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2023 or after will be expected to meet the updated criteria, as evidenced by their attestation submission at the end of their first award year. Recipients of all SAMHSA Improvement and Advancement (IA) awards and PDI awards in FFY 2022 or earlier will be expected to meet the Updated Certification Criteria as of July 1, 2024 and should submit revised attestations at that time demonstrating their compliance. Further guidance will be forthcoming about these updated attestations, these provisions will not apply to CCBHCs in a no-cost extension, unless they have received an additional CCBHC expansion grant.

Section 223 CCBHC Demonstration States

Existing state Section 223 CCBHC Demonstration programs are expected to come into compliance with the Updated Certification Criteria by the start of the demonstration year beginning on or after July 1, 2024. These states shall make necessary arrangements to ensure that clinics in their Demonstration programs meet the Updated Certification Criteria. These states may choose to perform a limited review of items that are changing under the Updated Certification Criteria, or to conduct a comprehensive recertification that addresses all areas of the Criteria. CCBHC Demonstration programs shall recertify CCBHCs at least once every three years. States that opt for doing a limited review of items that are changing in the updated criteria will still need to conduct a full recertification within three years of the last full recertification.

Other State CCBHC Programs

Other state initiatives to support CCBHCs through mechanisms such as general funds, Medicaid state plan authorities, or Medicaid waivers are encouraged to adopt the Updated Certification Criteria by July 1, 2024. Demonstration states that also operate CCBHC programs outside of the Demonstration may wish to align adoption of the updated criteria in these programs with their Demonstration.

Considerations

SAMHSA and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will not penalize any CCBHC or state for implementing the Updated Certification Criteria ahead of the July 1, 2024 deadline or the deadline for their demonstration state if that implementation moves them out of compliance with the requirements of the previously existing CCBHC Certification Criteria.

CCBHC demonstration states shall refer to the updated Prospective Payment System (PPS) Guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for details related to payment for CCBHC services, cost reporting, rebasing, or rate adjustments necessary to move into alignment with the Updated Certification Criteria.

Separate guidance will be released on the timing for state Section 223 CCBHC Demonstration programs and SAMHSA CCBHC Expansion grants to adopt the updated CCBHC Behavioral Health Clinic Quality Measures included in the Updated Certification Criteria.

Last Updated: 04/24/2023