A press release from Comprehensive Life Resources.
Adults with serious mental illness and youth with serious emotional disturbances will soon receive services from the first Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic in the Tacoma area: Comprehensive Life Resources.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) awarded Comprehensive Life Resources (CLR) a $1.4 million federal grant last week to become a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC).
As a CCBHC, CLR expects to build upon our existing evidence-based behavioral health programs by adding vital new services, including:
- Integrated physical healthcare services co-located with CLR through a partnership with Community Health Care
- Expanding intensive behavioral health services for individuals with a serious mental illness or serious emotional disturbance through Assertive Community Treatment – a person-centered, recovery-based approach
- Strengthening CLR’s capabilities to serve active-duty military personnel, veterans, and their families through a partnership with The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Valley Cities
- Addressing risk factors for diabetes, high cholesterol, and?subsequent cardiovascular disease for individuals prescribed second-generation antipsychotic medications through the STRIDE Lifestyle Intervention program
CLR has already started working to achieve the goals of the two-year grant. The first steps include hiring two or three positions responsible for oversight and data analysis and creating partnerships with Community Health Care and The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Valley Cities.
With community partners, CLR will move to full implementation of CCBHC services in the next few months, and anticipates the services being self-sufficient at the end of the grant term in 2023.
Background on CCBHCS
According to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, CCBHCs have dramatically increased access to mental health and?substance use disorder?treatment, expanded states’ capacity to address the?overdose?crisis?and established innovative partnerships with law enforcement, schools?and?hospitals to improve care, reduce recidivism and prevent hospital readmissions.
With the recent grant awards, there are now more than 400 CCBHCs across the U.S. and in Guam. CLR is one of 11 CCBHCs in Washington state.
Organizations can only be designated as a CCBHC if they meet one of these criteria: a nonprofit organization, part of a local government behavioral health authority, an entity operated under authority of the IHS, an Indian tribe, or tribal organization pursuant to a contract, grant, cooperative agreement, or compact with the IHS pursuant to the Indian Self-Determination Act, or an entity that is an urban Indian organization pursuant to a grant or contract with the IHS under Title V of the?Indian Health Care Improvement Act.
