Heinrich Announces $1 Million from Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to Support Behavioral Health Care in New Mexico
The $1 million grant is made possible by the landmark gun safety law Senator Heinrich helped negotiate
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) announced that New Mexico is one of 15 states to secure $1 million from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). New Mexico will use the one-year planning grant for consideration to participate in the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Medicaid demonstration programs. CCBHCs help transform community behavioral health systems and provide comprehensive, coordinated behavioral health care. A total of 15 states have been selected by SAMHSA for consideration, only ten will be chosen for participation in 2024.
“We have a mental health crisis in New Mexico and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act can help us address it. This landmark gun safety law is creating huge opportunities for New Mexico to expand services covered through Medicaid and ensure every New Mexican who needs it can access comprehensive behavioral health care,” said Heinrich. “I am glad that New Mexico is receiving this important planning grant and I will do everything I can to make sure our state follows this up by successfully competing for one of the ten Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic demonstration projects in 2024.”
The federal funding from SAMHSA is made available through an expansion included in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. This landmark gun safety law unlocked historic federal investments in community behavioral health, school-based mental health services, and increased access to behavioral health services through telehealth. Senator Heinrich was a key member of the bipartisan negotiating group of senators who wrote the final text of this bill.
The purpose of the CCBHC planning grants is to support states in their development of proposals to participate in a time-limited CCBHC Demonstration program. States develop and implement certification systems for CCBHCs, establish prospective payment systems (PPS) for Medicaid reimbursable services, and prepare applications to participate in the CCBHC Demonstration program. CCBHCs are designed to ensure access to coordinated comprehensive behavioral health care. CCBHCs are required to serve anyone who requests care for mental health or substance use, regardless of their ability to pay, place of residence, or age – including developmentally appropriate care for children and youth.
Senator Heinrich, a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, secured $450,000 in the Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus for Families and Youth, Inc. in Las Cruces to develop the first certified CCHBC in New Mexico.
