Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services Awarded Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Expansion Grant

Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services (GCBHS) has been awarded a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Expansion grant by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) is a national model and will strengthen and transform how behavioral health and physical medical services are provided to adults and children with mental health and substance use issues by providing fully integrated, holistic care.

The CCBHC Expansion grant aims to expand and improve community access to services – including expanded crisis intervention, expanded access to community-based mental health and substance use treatment and integration of behavioral health services with primary healthcare. Clermont County Mental Health and Recovery Board Executive Director Karen Scherra said, "I am very excited that GCBHS submitted this grant and was awarded funding. There is national attention on the development of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics and this opportunity not only puts Clermont County in the forefront of this innovation in Ohio, but will also provide more comprehensive services to clients in our system.”

The clinic will provide comprehensive services to adults who have serious mental illness (SMI) or substance use disorders (SUD); children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbance (SED); and to adults who have co-occurring mental health and substance disorders (COD). The clinic will be located at the Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services’ location in Amelia.

To provide the services required by the grant, GCBHS will collaborate with The HealthCare Connection, a Federally Qualified Health Center and Child Focus, Inc. a licensed crisis services provider. According to Project Director Penny Middaugh, LISW-S, "This funding allows us to expand our community partnerships and improve access to integrated and holistic care for our community.”

GCBHS President and CEO, Jeff O'Neil says, "This grant will allow GCBHS to further build on our pioneering successes with integrating holistic care. Most importantly, it will enable us to improve in the coordination of behavioral and medical services to persons in our community who face some of the most severe and complex health challenges related to severe mental illness, addiction, trauma and other heath disparities.”

About The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) The agency is the part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities.