Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Expansion Grants | SM 20 012

Opportunity Information: Apply for SM 20 012

The Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Expansion Grants (Funding Opportunity Number SM 20 012) is a discretionary federal grant program offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), specifically its Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS). Released for fiscal year 2020, this opportunity is designed to expand the CCBHC model in communities in order to broaden access to care and raise the overall quality of treatment for people experiencing mental health and substance use challenges. At its core, the program is about strengthening community-based behavioral health systems by supporting clinics that can deliver coordinated, integrated services rather than fragmented or hard-to-navigate care.

The main goal of the grant is to increase access to comprehensive mental health and substance use disorder services by expanding Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics. CCBHCs are expected to provide person- and family-centered care that integrates multiple service needs in a coordinated way. The model emphasizes treating the whole person, not just isolated symptoms, and aims to bring together mental health treatment, substance use treatment, and connections to physical health care so clients can receive more complete support without being bounced between disconnected providers.

A key requirement highlighted in the opportunity is round-the-clock availability of crisis services. Applicants funded under this program must ensure access to 24/7 crisis intervention services, reflecting SAMHSA's focus on immediate response capacity for individuals in acute distress. The target populations specifically include individuals with serious mental illness (SMI), people with substance use disorders (SUD) including opioid use disorder, children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbance (SED), and individuals with co-occurring mental and substance use disorders (often referred to as co-occurring disorders or COD). In practice, this means the program is intended to reach people with higher clinical needs and higher risk, including those who may cycle through emergency departments, inpatient care, homelessness, or justice involvement when community services are not strong enough.

SAMHSA also signals an expectation that funded CCBHCs will offer comprehensive, community-based services in a single, accessible setting, with integrated attention to co-occurring disorders and physical health needs. The emphasis on "one single location" points to a care model where clients can obtain multiple forms of support through coordinated delivery, which can reduce barriers like transportation, appointment wait times, and the complexity of navigating multiple systems. While partnerships and referral networks are often part of community care, the intent here is that the clinic functions as a hub where services are organized around the client and available consistently, including outside standard business hours for crisis response.

In terms of funding details, the opportunity lists an award ceiling of $2,000,000 per award, with SAMHSA expecting to make approximately 98 awards. The program is categorized under the Health funding activity area and is associated with CFDA number 93.243. The grant was posted on January 10, 2020, with an original application deadline of March 10, 2020. Eligibility is described broadly as "Others," with additional clarification referenced in the full eligibility text of the original announcement, meaning prospective applicants would need to consult the complete notice for the precise list of qualifying organization types and any certification or program requirements tied to operating as a CCBHC.

Overall, this grant opportunity is aimed at building and expanding a high-capacity community behavioral health clinic infrastructure that can deliver integrated, evidence-informed services, respond to crises at any time, and meet the needs of people with serious and complex mental health and substance use conditions, including youth with serious emotional disturbance and individuals dealing with both mental illness and addiction at the same time. The intended outcome is a stronger, more accessible, more coordinated local treatment system that improves care quality and reduces gaps that commonly lead to worsening illness, repeated crises, and avoidable use of emergency or inpatient services.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Adminis in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Expansion Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.243.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jan 10, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 10, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 98 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for SM 20 012

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