Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics Accreditation

Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) were designed and implemented by SAMHSA as comprehensive centers for behavioral health needs for all populations, regardless of diagnosis or insurance status. Funding for CCBHCs in some states is provided through SAMHSA planning grants and Medicaid demonstration programs.

As of March 2024, SAMHSA updated CCBHC certification criteria, which supports expansion of funding providers through SAMHSA planning grants and Medicaid demonstrations. As standards for CCBHCs become more rigorous, and more states opt to maximize Medicaid for CCBHC funding, there is a need for independent accreditation—beyond self-attestation.

How can CCBHCs demonstrate the value of their work to justify and sustain funding while also evaluating the quality of their efforts and ensuring continuous quality improvement?

New Accreditation Built for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics

NCQA’s Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics Accreditation program is designed to help organizations meet SAMHSA’s CCBHC certification criteria through a standardized, streamlined survey process that applies NCQA’s decades of experience in the clinical quality space.

CCBHCs coming through NCQA’s CCBHC Accreditation program receive comprehensive education on criteria and standards; up to three virtual check-ins with NCQA staff, to ensure standards are met; and timely support from NCQA’s policy experts, who can answer questions about the Accreditation process. NCQA also provides a readiness assessment, and a community needs assessment template as part of this product. NCQA’s CCBHC Accreditation program is built to help CCBHCs meet or exceed SAMHSA criteria and demonstrate the organization’s commitment to following a well-defined model of care that is critical to supporting access to high-quality behavioral health services.