The Alabama Department of Mental Health announced Thursday that two additional community mental health centers have been approved to transition to the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic model.
Mountain Lakes Behavioral Healthcare, which serves Jackson and Marshall counties, and Highland Health Systems, which serves Cleburne and Calhoun counties, received approval from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to begin transitioning to the CCBHC model, according to the department.
This move will expand Alabama’s statewide implementation of the federally supported behavioral health care model, which provides more comprehensive mental health and substance use treatment regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.
“Our department has set a bold vision for the future with CCBHCs, which offer a ‘no wrong door’ approach to behavioral health care,” said Kim Boswell, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Mental Health. “The transition to and expansion of the CCBHC model moves us closer to a system where every Alabamian has access to high-quality, coordinated and more efficient mental health and substance use treatment services.”
The clinics join AltaPointe Health and WellStone, which transitioned to the CCBHC model in 2024 after Alabama was selected as one of 10 states to participate in the federal Medicaid demonstration program for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics.
The program, overseen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, was created to improve access to mental health and substance use services by increasing Medicaid funding and expanding community-based care.
Under the model, clinics are required to provide care to anyone seeking treatment for a mental health or substance use condition, regardless of age, income, insurance status or county of residence.
Clinics also must offer nine core services, including crisis response services, outpatient mental health and substance use treatment, psychiatric rehabilitation, peer support services and targeted care management.
The model is designed to reduce wait times, improve coordination between behavioral and physical health providers and expand access to crisis services, particularly in underserved and rural areas.
Mickey Turner, CEO of Highland Health Systems, said the transition would help strengthen coordination among providers.
“It will strengthen community partnerships and, most importantly, help us better serve those in need by creating a more responsive system of care that promotes recovery, stability and overall well-being,” Turner said.
According to the department, the certification process can take between six and 18 months depending on staffing, infrastructure and the range of services already offered by a provider.
The expansion also builds on Alabama’s Crisis System of Care, which includes crisis centers and mobile crisis teams operating around the clock statewide.
Nationally, the CCBHC model has expanded in recent years. Congress first authorized the program in 2014, and participating states receive enhanced federal Medicaid funding to support clinics meeting federal standards for behavioral health care.
